Swapping pasta for mandoline-sliced zucchini started in 1990s Northern Italy, where chefs sought lighter ravioli without sacrificing the stuffed-pocket tradition.
Zucchini Ravioli
Dive into a delightful twist on traditional pasta with these zucchini ravioli! Handcrafted from thinly sliced zucchini and stuffed with creamy cheese and tender smoked trout, these vibrant pockets are the perfect canvas for a rich, homemade tomato sauce. Get ready to impress your taste buds with this fresh and flavorful dish!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
2
people
Level
beginner
The Story
This low-carb con comes from 1990s Emilia-Romagna, where ambitious trattoria chefs, fed up with gluten-obsessed tourists, ditched pasta sheets entirely and started slicing courgettes thin as prosciutto, stuffing them with whatever was lying about—here it's smoked trout, a very French Scandinavian-via-Brittany touch, proving Italians will steal anything if it makes nonna's ravioli recipe look slightly more virtuous on Instagram.
Regional Twist
Down in Liguria, cooks would swap the ricotta filling for prescinseua cheese and fold in crushed walnuts, while keeping the smoked trout but finishing the dish with Taggiasca olive oil instead of the standard stuff, because Ligurians think everyone else's olive oil is frankly an embarrassment.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 2🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- Basilic, poivre, sel et huile d’olive
- 1 courgette plutôt large
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 4 tranches de truite fumée
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 200g de fromage frais (@petitbillyofficiel ou ricotta) (7.06 oz)optionalcan also use ricotta
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- Sauce tomate
📦Other(1)
- Burrata ou stracciatellaoptional
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
418
Protein
25g
Carbs
14g
Fat
30g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the filling by mixing fresh cheese (or ricotta), smoked trout, fresh herbs (like basil), olive oil, and salt.
- 2
Slice the zucchini into wide strips using a peeler, discarding the small ends.
- 3
Sauté the leftover zucchini pieces in a pan with a bit of oil and garlic.
- 4
Layer the zucchini strips, place a bit of filling in the center, and fold to form ravioli.
- 5
In a hot pan, add some oil and cook the ravioli until golden, covering to finish cooking if desired.
- 6
Serve with tomato sauce, remaining zucchini pieces, burrata, smoked trout, basil, and pepper.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Salt your zucchini strips immediately after peeling and let them rest for 8-10 minutes before filling to remove 30-40% of their moisture, preventing soggy ravioli and allowing better browning in the pan.timing8-10 minutes | 30-40% moisture loss
- ✓Pat zucchini strips completely dry with paper towels after salting, then briefly sear each side (90 seconds per side) at 350°F before assembling to set the exterior proteins and create structural integrity that prevents tearing when folding.technique350°F | 90 seconds per side
- ✓Mix your fresh cheese filling with only 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil per 200g cheese (7.5% oil ratio) because excess fat prevents the ricotta from binding and causes the filling to leak during cooking.ingredient7.5% oil ratio
- ✓Cook filled ravioli uncovered for the first 2-3 minutes to develop a golden crust (Maillard reaction at 300-320°F), then cover and reduce heat to 250°F for 3-4 minutes to finish cooking without burning the delicate zucchini exterior.timing300-320°F uncovered 2-3 min | 250°F covered 3-4 min
- ✓Add burrata only after plating and just before serving because its 50% moisture content will begin breaking down within 2-3 minutes at serving temperature, losing its creamy texture if dressed with warm sauce too early.timing2-3 minutes maximum before breakdown
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
2
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Swapping pasta for mandoline-sliced zucchini started in 1990s Northern Italy, where chefs sought lighter ravioli without sacrificing the stuffed-pocket tradition.
Zucchini Ravioli
Dive into a delightful twist on traditional pasta with these zucchini ravioli! Handcrafted from thinly sliced zucchini and stuffed with creamy cheese and tender smoked trout, these vibrant pockets are the perfect canvas for a rich, homemade tomato sauce. Get ready to impress your taste buds with this fresh and flavorful dish!
The Story
This low-carb con comes from 1990s Emilia-Romagna, where ambitious trattoria chefs, fed up with gluten-obsessed tourists, ditched pasta sheets entirely and started slicing courgettes thin as prosciutto, stuffing them with whatever was lying about—here it's smoked trout, a very French Scandinavian-via-Brittany touch, proving Italians will steal anything if it makes nonna's ravioli recipe look slightly more virtuous on Instagram.
Regional Twist
Down in Liguria, cooks would swap the ricotta filling for prescinseua cheese and fold in crushed walnuts, while keeping the smoked trout but finishing the dish with Taggiasca olive oil instead of the standard stuff, because Ligurians think everyone else's olive oil is frankly an embarrassment.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 2🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- Basilic, poivre, sel et huile d’olive
- 1 courgette plutôt large
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 4 tranches de truite fumée
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 200g de fromage frais (@petitbillyofficiel ou ricotta) (7.06 oz)optionalcan also use ricotta
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- Sauce tomate
📦Other(1)
- Burrata ou stracciatellaoptional
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
418
Protein
25g
Carbs
14g
Fat
30g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the filling by mixing fresh cheese (or ricotta), smoked trout, fresh herbs (like basil), olive oil, and salt.
- 2
Slice the zucchini into wide strips using a peeler, discarding the small ends.
- 3
Sauté the leftover zucchini pieces in a pan with a bit of oil and garlic.
- 4
Layer the zucchini strips, place a bit of filling in the center, and fold to form ravioli.
- 5
In a hot pan, add some oil and cook the ravioli until golden, covering to finish cooking if desired.
- 6
Serve with tomato sauce, remaining zucchini pieces, burrata, smoked trout, basil, and pepper.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Salt your zucchini strips immediately after peeling and let them rest for 8-10 minutes before filling to remove 30-40% of their moisture, preventing soggy ravioli and allowing better browning in the pan.timing8-10 minutes | 30-40% moisture loss
- ✓Pat zucchini strips completely dry with paper towels after salting, then briefly sear each side (90 seconds per side) at 350°F before assembling to set the exterior proteins and create structural integrity that prevents tearing when folding.technique350°F | 90 seconds per side
- ✓Mix your fresh cheese filling with only 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil per 200g cheese (7.5% oil ratio) because excess fat prevents the ricotta from binding and causes the filling to leak during cooking.ingredient7.5% oil ratio
- ✓Cook filled ravioli uncovered for the first 2-3 minutes to develop a golden crust (Maillard reaction at 300-320°F), then cover and reduce heat to 250°F for 3-4 minutes to finish cooking without burning the delicate zucchini exterior.timing300-320°F uncovered 2-3 min | 250°F covered 3-4 min
- ✓Add burrata only after plating and just before serving because its 50% moisture content will begin breaking down within 2-3 minutes at serving temperature, losing its creamy texture if dressed with warm sauce too early.timing2-3 minutes maximum before breakdown