Zucchini Ravioli
Updated Jul 28, 2025
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Zucchini Ravioli delivers all the comfort of pasta without the carbs! Thin slices of fresh zucchini envelop a creamy three-cheese and pesto filling, then bake to perfection in a zesty tomato sauce for an elegant yet wholesome dish. Serve with a Chopped Kale Salad and Garlic Green Beans on the side.
“This recipe is SO good! My husband said he couldn’t even tell that there was no pasta in it. Super yum factor and will make several times this year!”
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
This Zucchini Ravioli is a fresh and flavorful way to enjoy a cheesy, satisfying dish without the carbs or gluten. Whether you’re trying to eat more veggies, cutting back on pasta, or need a deliciously easy summer dinner, this recipe checks all the boxes.
This Zucchini Ravioli recipe is:
- Light yet satisfying. It delivers all the creamy, cheesy comfort of classic ravioli without the heaviness of pasta.
- Low-carb and gluten-free. Perfect for cutting carbs or avoiding gluten without giving up flavor.
- A delicious way to use summer zucchini. Ideal for making the most of an abundant garden harvest or farmers market find.
- Impressive but easy! It’s surprisingly simple to assemble with a few basic ingredients.
- Make ahead. It can be assembled a day ahead of time and refrigerated.
With its fresh flavors, wholesome ingredients, and make-ahead convenience, this Zucchini Ravioli recipe is one you’ll turn to all year long!
How to Make zucchini ravioli:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this Zucchini ravioli recipe. The exact quantities are on the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Zucchini: Use medium-sized zucchini that is long and straight. If you have an abundance of zucchini, have an extra on hand so you can get at least 30 1/8-inch (3mm) long slices.
- Ricotta Cheese: Unless you make your own, use good ricotta cheese like Murray’s or BelGioiosa. I’ve never found a store brand I liked.
- Mozzarella Cheese: You can substitute shredded Provolone cheese, which has a sharper flavor than Mozzarella.
- Parmesan Cheese: You can also use Asiago or Romano.
- Pesto: If you have shrubs of basil every summer like we do, make your own basil pesto for superior flavor.
- Marinara Sauce: Use your favorite jarred marinara or your own homemade sauce. I like Rao’s when I want to use something that delivers authentic Italian flavor without the work.
- Tomatoes: Use fresh summer tomatoes to bump up the flavor of the jarred marinara.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Gather and prep all the ingredients.
- Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray or lightly brush with olive oil. Set aside.
- Cut the stem and blossom ends off the zucchini and slice lengthwise into 1/8-inch or 3 mm slices. Aim for 30 good slices.
- Give the zucchini a generous pinch of salt on both sides, then place it on 2 to 3 layers of paper towels and let it stand for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, half the mozzarella cheese, half the Parmesan cheese, pesto, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste in a small bowl. After adjusting the seasoning, stir in the egg. Set aside.
- Combine the marinara sauce, tomatoes, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Pat the zucchini dry with paper towels. Arrange three zucchini strips in a star pattern with the nicest zucchini strip placed first (on the bottom). Repeat nine more times.
- Place even amounts of the ricotta, cheese, and pesto filling in the center of each “star.” (Approximately 3 to 4 tablespoons each.)
- Fold the zucchini strips up and over the filling to form a neat parcel, making sure the bottom strip wraps snugly.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread the marinara sauce into the prepared baking dish, reserving 1 cup to place on top of the zucchini ravioli.
- Place in the prepared baking dish.
- Top each ravioli with equal amounts of the remaining marinara, followed by the remaining Mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Cover lightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until all the ravioli in the center of the baking dish register 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.
- Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve.
Chef Tips and Tricks:
- How thin you slice the zucchini will depend on what you slice it with. If you use a mandoline, you can adjust the thickness of the slices. If you use a vegetable peeler, you can not. Hand-slicing the zucchini with a knife will result in inconsistent slices. I used a mandoline, set it to 1/8-inch or 3mm, and got 30 good, whole slices from four medium zucchini.
- I found that using three slices worked the best for the thickness of my zucchini slices. If you can create thinner slices than 1/8-inch (3mm), you can use four zucchini slices per ravioli. Create a cross with the slices and fold into a square.
- Salting the zucchini helps to make it pliable and adds flavor. If your zucchini slices are thinner than 1/8-inch, you may not need to salt the zucchini to make it pliable. However, I highly recommend seasoning the zucchini anyway with a light sprinkling of salt to add flavor. Not salting the zucchini could result in water being released (see my next tip).
- Although salting the zucchini removes a fair amount of water, it may still release some during baking. Not to worry! Because the water comes to the top, it won’t water down the sauce or make the zucchini ravioli soupy. It’s easy to wick it up with paper towels after removing it from the oven. Do so immediately after removing from the oven so it doesn’t settle in.
Recipe FAQs:
can i make the zucchini “noodles” ahead of time?
Yes, all the parts of this Zucchini Ravioli recipe can be made beforehand including mixing together the cheese filling and mixing up the sauce. After salting and draining the zucchini, place it in layers of fresh paper towels and refrigerate in a covered container.
can i make this zucchini ravioli recipe ahead of time?
Yes, this recipe can be assembled a day ahead of time and refrigerated. Let it stand at room temperature while preheating the oven. You may need to increase the baking time because it will still be fairly cold from the refrigerator.
how do i know when the zucchini ravioli is done baking?
Because there is a raw egg in the filling, all the raviolis need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees in the center of each one.
can i freeze zucchini ravioli?
Yes, but avoid it if possible. It could change texture, and some water may be released. Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
recipe variations:
- Zucchini Lasagna
- Zucchini Cannelloni
- Zucchini Roll-ups (make tiny rolls and stand them on end).
Serve with:
More great summery vegetarian recipes you’ll love!
- Summer Vegetable Parmigiana
- Vegetable Tian Recipe
- Barley Vegetable Risotto
- Briam Recipe (Greek Roasted Vegetables)
- Greek Vegetable Casserole Recipe
Get all my vegetarian recipes at Vegan / Vegetarian Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen.
Zucchini Ravioli
Zucchini Ravioli is a low-carb alternative to traditional pasta. Thin slices of fresh zucchini envelop a creamy three-cheese and pesto filling, then bake to perfection in a zesty tomato sauce for an elegant yet wholesome dish.
Equipment
Ingredients
- Cooking spray or olive oil, for the baking dish
- 4 medium zucchini, (about 2 pounds)
- Salt
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/3 cup basil pesto
- 1 large egg, beaten
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 jar (28-ounce) marinara sauce, or homemade
- 2 large plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray or lightly brush with olive oil. Set aside.
- Cut the stem and blossom ends off the zucchini and slice lengthwise into 1/8-inch or 3 mm slices. Aim for 30 good slices.
- Give the zucchini a generous pinch of salt on both sides, then place it on 2-3 layers of paper towels and let it stand for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, half the mozzarella cheese, half the Parmesan cheese, pesto, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste in a small bowl. After adjusting the seasoning, stir in the egg. Set aside.
- Combine the marinara sauce, tomatoes, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread the marinara sauce into the prepared baking dish, reserving 1 cup to place on top of the zucchini ravioli.
- Pat the zucchini dry with paper towels.
- Arrange three zucchini strips in a star pattern with the nicest zucchini strip placed first (on the bottom). Repeat nine more times. Place even amounts of the ricotta, cheese, and pesto filling in the center of each "star." (Approximately 3-4 tablespoons each.) Fold the zucchini strips up and over the filling to form a neat parcel, making sure the bottom strip wraps snugly. Place in the prepared baking dish.
- Top each ravioli with equal amounts of the remaining marinara, followed by the remaining Mozzarella and remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Cover lightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until all the ravioli in the center of the baking dish register 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.
- Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
You may get more than 5 servings as it depends on appetite.
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- You can substitute shredded Provolone cheese for the Mozzarella, which has a sharper flavor.
- Use Asiago or Romano in place of the Parmesan.
- Slice zucchini about 1/8-inch (3mm) thick. A mandoline works best for even slices. A vegetable peeler gives thin, consistent slices, but you can’t adjust the thickness. Knife-slicing can be uneven. I got 30 good slices from 4 medium zucchini using a mandoline.
- Use 3 slices per ravioli. If your slices are thinner, use 4. Lay them in a cross and fold into a square.
- Salt helps soften the zucchini and adds flavor. If your slices are thinner than 1/8-inch, you may not need to salt to remove water, but still add a light sprinkle for flavor.
- The zucchini may still release water during baking, but it pools on top. It’s easy to blot with paper towels right after baking to prevent soggy ravioli.
- Can be assembled a day ahead of time and refrigerated.
- Let it stand at room temperature while preheating the oven. You may need to increase the baking time because it will still be fairly cold from the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Calories: 340kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 21gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.004gCholesterol: 97mgSodium: 600mgPotassium: 583mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1494IUVitamin C: 32mgCalcium: 456mgIron: 1mg
Nutritional values are automatically calculated using unbranded products and are estimates only. Actual results may vary based on ingredients used and portion sizes. Adjust as needed for dietary restrictions, allergies, or health concerns.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
This recipe is SO good! My husband said he couldn’t even tell that there was no pasta in it. Super yum factor and will make several times this year! ❤️
Hi, Dayna, Thanks so much and so happy you love this recipe! Appreciate you giving it a try and taking the time to come back and comment.