Who needs noodles when you have zucchini ribbons?
You’ve heard of pasta-free eggplant lasagna and dishes that use spaghetti squash instead of noodles, but have you ever seen anything as genius as this Easy Zucchini Ravioli? It’s brilliant–instead of using pasta as the ravioli wrapper, you use shaved strips of zucchini instead! It’s the perfect way to make gluten-free, low-carb pasta dishes that taste just as good as the original.
Because this recipe is low-carb and contains only vegetarian ingredients, it also happens to be a low-calorie dish, too. Each serving only contains 175 calories – that’s roughly 44 calories per ravioli! You can make them in advance and eat these tasty treats as a snack, or enjoy them as a low-calorie lunch or dinner. The choice is yours!
Ravioli Without Using Pasta Dough?
Homemade ravioli is definitely a daunting task, especially if you have to make homemade pasta. Even with our Easy Zucchini Ravioli, you may be worried that it will be difficult to form and fill the ravioli. Let me reassure you: it’s so simple, you could make these on a weeknight and still put dinner on the table in under an hour!
I’d definitely recommend investing in a really good vegetable peeler before getting started. The key to success is with this dish is having very thin, lengthwise strips of zucchini. You could use a mandoline to get even slices, but a vegetable peeler is actually easier to use. Just start on one end of the zucchini and press down firmly as you run the peeler along the length of the squash. Continue peeling until you’ve transformed the entire vegetable into a cutting board full of ribbons.
From there, it’s so easy to make cheese-filled zucchini pockets. Just take the zucchini strips and make a criss-crossed “X” shape, first laying two strips down on each other followed by two more intersecting in the middle. Using two layers on each side of the “X” helps the ravioli keep its shape as it bakes.
Then, just fill ‘em up and fold ‘em closed, bringing the ends of the zucchini into the center one side at a time. Place the ravioli seam-side down in the baking dish and pour the marinara over the top. That’s it–much easier than you’d think!
Looking for Extra Protein?
To make this Easy Zucchini Ravioli more filling, you can add an optional protein to the dish. You could fold 1/2 pound of chopped turkey bacon or sausage into the ricotta filling, or you can place a few chicken breasts on top of the ravioli, covering them with sauce to keep them nice and moist. You could also add leftover shredded chicken, sautéed shrimp, or baked tofu.
Let us know in the comments how you served these delicious gluten-free, low-carb zucchini ravioli. You never know, maybe you’ll inspire our next great recipe!
Easy Zucchini Ravioli
Ingredients
- 1 cup fat free ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 medium zucchini shaved lengthwise into long strips (see note below)
- 1 24 ounce jar no-sugar added marinara
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, basil, and garlic. Mix well until smooth.
- Lay two zucchini strips on top of each other on a flat surface. Place two more strips on top of each other, perpendicular to the first strip, creating an "X". In the center of the "X", scoop 1 tablespoon of the ricotta mixture. Bring the ends of the zucchini strips over the top of the filling, one side at a time. Place the ravioli in the prepared baking dish seam side down. Repeat with remaining zucchini and filling.
- Pour the marinara over top of the finished ravioli and bake for about 30 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Have you made this recipe?
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how do you shave zucchini? and would you put uncooked chicken breasts on top of the ravioli? Thanks! I’m excited to try this.
Hi Whitney, you can use a large vegetable peeler to carefully peel into long wide strips.
I used a cheese slicer 😂
How many calories is it per serving?
Yvette, There are 101 calories per serving.
How many are in a serving
Hi Shelby, serving sizes are listen with the nutritional information at the bottom of the recipe. This recipes is about 3 ravioli per serving.
It was delicious but very watery and some of the zucchini slices were hard even after cooking for almost an hour. I think the next time I might cook the zucchini slices until they’re tender. I also used vegan ricotta cheese because I can’t have dairy.
Rosa, Please see the note below the recipe regarding removing excess liquid from the zucchini. Thank you.
How do you think this would be with eggplant?
Eggplant would be delicious.