Italian Zucchini Roll Ups
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After a long day, I pop a zucchini roll ups casserole into the oven for dinner. The Italian flavor has my kids running to the table, and the healthy zucchini lasagna noodles make this mama happy. I really appreciate this meal prep friendly zucchini lasagna!
Italian-inspired recipes are so comforting. Meals like slow cooked lamb shoulder are perfect for a Sunday supper, but during the week, cooking should be easy. That’s why I make a lot of pasta dishes and casseroles—they are quick and easy to make, and my kids love them!
The problem is, pasta dishes are typically full of starchy carbs that make me feel sluggish. So, I started putting healthier ingredients into my comfort food favorites, which is how this zucchini rolls recipe was born!
Seasoned Italian sausage is stuffed into thin planks of zucchini, then nestled into marinara sauce. With a topping of gooey fresh mozzarella and crisp pepperoni, it’s a meal that everyone will scramble to the table for!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
It was a hit! Husband said it taste like crustless pizza. I didn’t have marinara sauce so I just used a little pizza sauce instead. Thanks for the recipe!
–Mindy
Why This Recipe Will Be a Family Favorite
If you have picky eaters, this is an easy and delicious way to incorporate veggies into dinner. Sure, they’ll see the zucchini underneath the cheese and pepperoni, but the flavor will be too good to pass up!
When you know that you will have a crazy busy week, you’ll be happy to know that you can prep and bake this meal ahead of time. It will keep in the fridge for about 5 days. All you have to do is reheat and eat.
If you happen to be watching your carb intake, you’ll fall in love with this healthier comfort food. Zucchini roll ups are just as delicious as lasagna rolls, but much lower in carbs!
For more Italian inspired recipes like this, check out my recipes for Stuffed Sausage, Lasagna Soup, and Pizza Chicken They’re also healthier recipes made with classic Italian flavors!
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are my most important, mom-tested cooking tips for making zucchini roll ups! I have made this countless times, to save you from a failed attempt.
- Use medium-sized zucchini, about 7 to 9 inches long. That size should give you wide enough slices to roll up. If they happen to be on the larger side, you may be able to roll up one wide slice instead of overlapping two or three narrow slices.
- Set aside the first few strips and the seedy part of the zucchini. Those are too thin to actually roll up. I like to dice it and use it in an omelet later.
- Ricotta cheese is an optional ingredient. If you want to use it, spread a thin layer over the slices before adding the sausage.
- To reduce moisture from the zucchini, sprinkle the planks with salt. Let them sit for 15 minutes or so, then rinse off the salt and pat each slice dry with paper toweling.
Ingredient Notes
This is what’s needed to make the casserole—add these ingredients to your grocery list:
fresh mozzarella cheese: Use fresh slices of mozzarella if at all possible. That’s how you create ooey gooey, melty, cheese-pulling deliciousness. If that isn’t possible, shred a block of mozzarella, or as a last resort, use pre-shredded cheese.
ground Italian sausage. I prefer to use either sweet or mild Italian sausage for this recipe, because then my kids will eat it. If I were cooking for adults only, I’d use spicy Italian sausage.
fresh basil: This is for a pop of fresh flavor and color on the top of the casserole. You can omit it if you need/want to, or use fresh parsley instead.
Optional Ingredient
- Ricotta cheese: Sometimes I add 1 tablespoon of ricotta cheese to each roll up. Just spoon it onto the zucchini before you add the sausage. Cottage cheese is another tasty option.
Making Zucchini Roll Ups
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full step by step instructions! ⬇️
This recipe is deceivingly simple to make. There’s not much fuss, just a few simple steps. Grab a skillet, a mandoline or sharp knife, and a casserole dish, and you’ll be ready to go!
- Cook the ground sausage. Be sure to break it down into crumbles as it cooks. If it seems greasy, drain any excess grease from the skillet by straining the meat through a fine mesh sieve.
- Slice the zucchini. To make nice firm roll ups, you can sweat the excess water, by salting both sides the slices. Set them into a colander, then let them sit for about 10 minutes so the water can drain out.
- Assemble the zucchini roll ups. Slightly overlap 3 zucchini strips to make a wider “noodle”. Then, add a spoonful of ground meat onto the end. Leave a little room so the filling doesn’t fall out.
- Roll up the bundles. Start at the end with the sausage and roll away from you. You’ll want the roll ups to be firm, but not so tight that the filling spills out from the sides.
- Arrange the rolls to a casserole dish. Add a bit of sauce to the bottom of the dish first. Then, place the zucchini rolls seam side down into the dish. Add a slice of cheese and pepperoni over the top of each roll up.
- Bake in a preheated oven. Remove the roll ups when the cheese is melted and the pepperoni is starting to get crispy.
Meal Prep Instructions
To save some time, you can assemble the zucchini lasagna up to 24 hours ahead. Be sure to cover the dish with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge. Remove it from the fridge about 20 minutes before you are ready to put it into the oven.
To bake ahead for the week:
Prep and bake the zucchini roll ups, following the instructions in the recipe card below. Wait until the lasagna is completely cool, then cover the baking dish and put it into the fridge. Fully baked, it keeps well for about 4 days.
To freeze for later:
Cover the cooled casserole and it can stay in the freezer for a couple of months. Put it in the fridge to defrost overnight before reheating.
Reheating Instructions
There are 2 ways to reheat the healthy zucchini:
- Oven or toaster oven: Cover the dish with foil to prevent the casserole from drying out. Reheat in a 350°F. oven for 15 minutes, or until the zucchini roll ups are heated through.
- Microwave: You can reheat them individually in the microwave at 80% power for 2-3 minutes.
Zucchini Roll Ups Recipe FAQ
Of course! You can make roll ups using thin slices of summer squash, eggplant, or sheets of pelmeni (hearts of palm).
Transfer your leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Make it kid friendly: Adding a shaker of fresh Parmesan to the table will make this a fun experience for your kiddos. They can shake some extra cheesy goodness onto their dinner.
Serving Suggestions
If you're looking for a fantastic side dish to serve with the zucchini rolls, I've got you! Make some Instant Pot spaghetti squash.
As for drinks, pair this Italian dish with a glass of wine or Amaretto Sour cocktail for an extra fancy dinner treat. For the kids and non-drinkers, make a pitcher of mango dragonfruit lemonade or a watermelon mocktail.
After you make it, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how it went!
Italian Zucchini Roll Ups
Equipment
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground Italian sausage
- 3 medium zucchini
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- ¼ cup ricotta cheese optional
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese
- 2 ounces pepperoni thinly sliced
- 5 leaves fresh basil finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt or more/less, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or more/less, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Meanwhile, add the sausage to a skillet and cook it over medium heat, breaking the meat apart as it cooks. After cooking, set it aside to cool. Optionally, drain any excess grease.
- Using a mandoline or sharp knife, carefully slice the zucchini into long, thin planks. **The first few slices may be too narrow to roll up, so set those aside to use later. When you reach the seedy part of the zucchini, flip it over and slice from the opposite side.
- Optional Step: Sweat excess moisture from the zucchini by sprinkling the slices generously with salt, then toss together so they’re coated evenly. Let them sit untouched in a bowl for about 15 minutes. Then, rinse the salt off and pat each piece dry with a paper towel.
- Next, arrange three slices of zucchini side by side on a plate, partially overlapping the edges. If you're use ricotta, spread about a tablespoon of ricotta onto each slice of zucchini. Spoon about 1/4 cup of cooked sausage across one end of the slices. Using your hands, carefully roll up the slices, starting from the sausage end and working your way to the other end. If any pieces of sausage slip out while you’re rolling, tuck and press them back in the sides with your hands. Repeat the rolling process until you've used up all the sausage and zucchini.
- Pour ¾ cup of the sauce into a baking dish and use a spoon to spread it evenly across the bottom. Use a spatula to transfer the rolls on top of the sauce, setting them with the end side down. Drizzle the tops of the rolls with the remaining sauce, then layer the cheese and pepperoni on top. Set the dish in the preheated oven and cook uncovered for 20-22 minutes.
- When the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is gooey and melted, remove the casserole from the oven. Garnish the top with chopped basil and season with salt and pepper.Wait about 5 minutes for it to cool, then serve!
Notes
Nutrition
2025 Update: This recipe is still a family favorite! It has been updated to simplify the cooking instructions and add extra cooking tips for our readers. We hope you love it as much as we do!
It was a hit! Husband said it taste like crustless pizza. I didn’t have marinara sauce so I just used a little pizza sauce instead. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Mandy! I’m so glad your husband enjoyed this recipe — I make this for my husband, who loves anything pizza-ish, lol! Thank you for the lovely feedback. 🙂 -Laura