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A close-up view of two individual grilled Zucchini Ricotta Lasagna Stacks layered with marinara, ricotta, and topped with golden melted mozzarella cheese on a black plate.

Zucchini Ricotta Lasagna Stacks

An elegant, low-carb, and gluten-free twist on a classic comfort food favorite. These individual Mediterranean Zucchini Ricotta Lasagna Stacks layer perfectly grilled zucchini planks with savory marinara sauce, creamy seasoned ricotta cheese, and melted mozzarella. Beautifully portioned and packed with fresh, health-conscious ingredients.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Greek, Italian, Middle Eastern
Calories: 285
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Zucchini Layers:
  • * 3 large zucchini sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick planks
  • * 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for brushing
  • * 1/2 tsp sea salt for sweating the vegetable
  • * 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
For the Creamy Ricotta Filling:
  • * 15 oz full-fat ricotta cheese 1 container
  • * 1 large egg
  • * 2 cloves garlic finely minced
  • * 2 tbsp fresh basil or parsley finely chopped
  • * 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • * 1/2 tsp black pepper
For Assembly & Top Crust:
  • * 2 cups high-quality thick marinara sauce
  • * 1.5 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
  • * 1/4 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
  • * Fresh whole basil leaves for garnish

Method
 

Sweating the Zucchini:
  1. Lay the sliced zucchini planks flat across a
  2. surface lined with paper towels. Sprinkle evenly with salt. Let
  3. sit for 15 minutes to extract moisture. Pat firmly and completely
  4. dry with fresh paper towels.
Grilling the Planks:
  1. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Lightly
  2. brush both sides of the dry zucchini slices with olive oil. Grill
  3. for 2-3 minutes per side until prominent grill marks appear and
  4. the slices soften slightly. Set aside.
Mixing the Filling:
  1. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese,
  2. egg, minced garlic, chopped fresh herbs, salt, and pepper. Stir
  3. vigorously until the mixture is uniform and creamy.
Building the Stacks:
  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a
  2. large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place four wide grilled
  3. zucchini slices separate from each other to act as the base. Spread
  4. a dollop of the ricotta mix, a spoonful of marinara, and a pinch
  5. of mozzarella on each. Repeat layers until stacks are 3-4 layers high.
Baking:
  1. Top the final zucchini layer with remaining marinara sauce,
  2. mozzarella, and a generous dusting of grated parmesan cheese.
  3. Bake for 20 minutes until the inner cheese layers melt and bubble.
Broiling & Serving:
  1. Turn the oven to broil for the final 2-3 minutes
  2. until the cheese develops a beautiful golden-brown crusted finish.
  3. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes to set structural integrity.
  4. Garnish with whole fresh basil leaves and serve hot.

Notes

* To make this recipe vegan, replace the dairy cheeses with meltable
plant-based alternatives and omit the egg binder.
* Never skip the salting and grilling steps; skipping these will cause
your individual stacks to collapse into a watery pool while baking.