Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Roll-Ups (Keto and Non Keto)
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Take fresh zucchini and turn it into delicious Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini.
Each packet is filled with a ricotta filling then layered with homemade Italian sauce, Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh basil, and shredded mozzarella then baked.
Need I say more?
Who’s coming over for dinner?
No, that’s ok because I have the recipe for this healthy baked zucchini recipe down below for both keto and non-keto.
Don’t be frightened by all of the steps below as this is a very easy recipe with plenty of alternatives and variations.
What Is Zucchini?
The zucchini or courgette is a summer squash, of Mesoamerican origin, which can reach nearly 1 metre in length, but is usually harvested when still immature at about 15 to 25 cm.
A zucchini is a thin-skinned cultivar of what in Britain and Ireland is referred to as a marrow. Wikipedia
Ontario Summer Zucchini
I had this idea and it started with a peeler and a few zucchini that were graciously given to us by a friend.
Just about everyone I know who grows organic zucchini ends up with an abundance of the summer squash vegetable.
There’s never a shortage of one of them offering to drop zucchini off at our house to share their bounty.
In the past, I’ve made zucchini fritters, zucchini chips, zucchini brownies, and zucchini casserole.
I’ve also shredded zucchini and packed it away in the freezer to use at a later time.
With a summer vegetable so versatile it’s worth exploring various delicious zucchini recipes.
If you live in Ontario zucchini is ready to harvest from July to October.
How To Make Keto Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Roll-Ups
Slicing The Zucchini
For this recipe, I used 4 small-medium sized green zucchini and not the yellow as it tends to get mushy.
Using a vegetable peeler I carefully peeled 4 long slices of green zucchini for each packet.
If you don’t have a peeler but own a Japanese mandoline you can use that as well, which is probably easier, to be honest.
Avoid slicing them by hand as you’ll almost always slice them too thick.
You do not need to salt and let the water come from the zucchini since you will use a thicker sauce.
In the event you do not have a thick sauce sprinkle your zucchini with a bit of salt and cover them for 30 minutes to remove excess water.
Blot the water off with a paper towel and continue with your recipe.
Filling For Stuffed Zucchini
The filling for the stuffed zucchini is quite easy as it incorporates a few basic ingredients.
- 1/2 cup crushed pork rinds or bread crumbs (if not keto)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tbsp dry Basil or 3 or 4 fresh basil leaves washed and chopped
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- 450g (1 pound) tub of Ricotta Cheese
- 1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese or other grated parmesan cheese
Mix it all up in a medium bowl and it’s ready to go when filling your zucchini slices.
Using a mini ice cream scoop or a spoon add 3 scoops to the middle of each zucchini packet.
I added sliced white mushrooms on top of my ricotta mixture before folding, but that is also optional.
If you want to eliminate the ricotta add minced beef to the middle raw and it will cook when you bake it.
Your options are endless in terms of adding filling ingredients to your stuffed zucchini.
Once completed, you fold each one into stuffed zucchini packets.
Folding Stuffed Zucchini Into Packets
To fold the stuffed zucchini pull up the two ends of each side until it forms a packet.
A fairly straightforward process.
Making The Sauce For Stuffed Zucchini
If you don’t have time to make homemade Italian pasta sauce, you can use a can or jar of sauce from the grocery store.
Make sure you buy a sauce that is thicker so it absorbs some of the moisture from the zucchini as they tend to be watery.
Beginning with a watery sauce will further liquefy it and not have the consistency of a thick sauce this recipe deserves.
Italian Pasta Sauce Ingredients:
Alternatively, if you cannot make this sauce simply use a thick pasta sauce from a jar.
This recipe does make a large amount, so any you have leftover you can store in the freezer.
Also, note that this recipe is adapted for both keto and non-keto users who want to make this recipe.
Tip: Add the minced beef to the sauce start by cooking the beef and draining the fat followed by the rest of the ingredients.
- 2 x large cans of crushed tomatoes, or jarred tomatoes from your garden
- 1 x can or half-tube of tomato paste
- 1 head of garlic peeled and chopped (use at your discretion)
- 2 x medium-sized onion peeled and chopped
- 1 x carrot peeled and chopped into small pieces (keto leave out)
- 3 x stalks of celery chopped into small pieces
- Dry Oregano 2 tablespoons
- Bay Leaf x 2
- Dry Basil 2 tablespoons
- Fresh Bunch of Basil chopped or 2 homemade basil cubes (optional if using dry)
- Paprika 1 teaspoon
- ½ cup red dry Italian wine (keto leave out)
- Salt 1 tablespoon- adjust as needed.
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (non-keto) (monk fruit or another keto-approved sugar substitute)
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large can of about 2 cups of cold water
Let the sauce cook for a minimum of 2 hours or you can put it in your crockpot on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
If you have an instant pot, you can blast this sauce through it in an hour until it thickens.
I typically make the sauce ahead of time so it cuts down the time it takes to make this recipe.
Layering The Stuffed Zucchini
I used a 10×13 baking dish for the stuffed zucchini as they are a bit jumbo and need space.
At the bottom of the baking dish add a layer of the Italian pasta sauce and sprinkle with fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
If you don’t have good grated cheese any other brand of pre-grated parmesan will do such as Kraft.
Layer all 6 stuffed zucchini over the pasta sauce, then top them all with additional sauce.
Using 2 cups of shredded Italian mozzarella sprinkle that over top of the sauce followed by more grated cheese.
Bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes or until bubbling and hot.
Let it cool once it comes out for a few minutes, then serve it with some freshly baked keto bread and a garden salad.
Printable Recipe- Keto and Non-Keto Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini
Discussion: What would you fill your keto-stuffed zucchini with?
Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini Roll-Ups Keto
This recipe is two versions, one being keto and the other non-keto. Stuffed Zucchini Roll-Ups filled with a fresh ricotta mixture and topped with homemade Italian pasta sauce, freshly grated Parmigiano, and mozzarella cheese.
Ingredients
- 4 small-medium sized green zucchini
- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano for bottom layer over the sauce
- Ricotta Cheese Filling
- 1/2 cup crushed pork rinds (keto) or bread crumbs (if not keto)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
- 1 tbsp dry Basil or 3 or 4 fresh basil leaves washed and chopped
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- 450g (1 pound) tub of Ricotta Cheese
- 1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- Italian Sauce
- 2 x large cans of crushed tomatoes, or jarred tomatoes from your garden
- 1 x can or half-tube of tomato paste
- 1 head of garlic peeled and chopped (use at your discretion)
- 2 x medium-sized onion peeled and chopped
- 1 x carrot peeled and chopped into small pieces (keto leave out)
- 3 x stalks of celery chopped into small pieces
- Dry Oregano 2 tablespoons
- Bay Leaf x 2
- Dry Basil 2 tablespoons
- Fresh Bunch of Basil chopped or 2 homemade basil cubes (optional if using dry)
- Paprika 1 teaspoon
- ½ cup red dry Italian wine (keto leave out)
- Salt 1 tablespoon- adjust as needed.
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (non-keto) (monk-fruit or another keto-approved sugar substitute)
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large can about 2 cups of cold water
- Topping
- 2 cups shredded Italian Mozzarella
- 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
Instructions
- Make the pasta sauce ahead of time if you can. (see notes for making a sauce in the blog post)
- Turn the stove on to medium heat and pull out a large deep pot
- Put the olive oil in the bottom to heat up
- Then add in the garlic and onion to sauté
- When the onion and garlic feel soft, add the carrots and celery and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the paprika, salt, pepper, dry basil, dry oregano, and bay leaf and stir for 2 minutes.
- Add in the 1/2 cup of red wine until it reduces 1 minute or so
- Add in the two large cans or jars of crushed tomatoes and stir
- Add in the whole can of tomato paste
- Add in the tablespoon of sugar or sugar substitute.
- Add in one whole can of water- I use the jar, or can the tomato come in?
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
- Carefully peel four long zucchini slices for each packet using a vegetable peeler or mandoline.
- On parchment paper or a baking sheet, lay two slices vertically and two pieces horizontally over the top.
- Ricotta Cheese Filling (see notes in the post if you want to add beef instead)
- Add all of the ricotta cheese ingredients in a medium to large bowl and stir to combine.
- Add three scoops to the middle of each zucchini pocket using a mini ice cream scoop or a spoon.
- Once completed, you fold each one into stuffed zucchini packets. (should make 6)
- Pull up the two ends of each side to fold the stuffed zucchini until it forms a packet.
- Use a 13×10 Baking Dish.
- At the bottom of the baking dish, add a layer of the Italian pasta sauce and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese or a substitute.
- Layer the stuffed zucchini over the pasta sauce, then top them with more sauce.
- Sprinkle over the sauce with 2 cups of shredded Italian mozzarella, followed by grated cheese.
- Bake in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes or until bubbling and hot.
Did You Make This Recipe?
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MR.CBB
I made this recipe for dinner last night since we have lots of zucchini. I carried the mixture with either beef, chicken and ricotta as we have fussy eaters. Overall 5 stars and kid and husband approved. Love your keto recipes.