Swapping pasta sheets for sliced zucchini started as a low-carb hack, but Italians actually layered vegetables this way long before noodles existed.
Zucchini "Lasagna"
A crockpot lasagna made with zucchini, cheese, and pasta sauce, perfect for a fresh and easy meal.
Prep
0
min
Cook
480
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This low-carb rebellion traces back to 1990s Atlanta, where Southern home cooks, wrestling with Italian grandmothers' lasagna traditions and America's Atkins obsession, swapped pasta sheets for zucchini ribbons—essentially smuggling Naples' comfort food past the carb police using nothing but a vegetable peeler and a crockpot, proving Emilia-Romagna's finest export could survive a makeover from the Deep South.
Regional Twist
Up in Quebec's dairy country, they'd swap half that ricotta for curd cheese and toss in fresh thyme instead of dried parsley flakes, because apparently the French-Canadians think everything needs to taste like a cottage in the Laurentians.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 8oz mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded (about 2 cups), divided
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 15oz container of part-skim ricotta cheese
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 1/2 cup of your favorite pasta sauce
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 teaspoon salt
📦Other(2)
- 2 eggs
- 4 small zucchinis, ends cut off
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
456
Protein
34g
Carbs
12g
Fat
31g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Thinly slice zucchini length-wise into thin strips.
- 2
Create cheese filling by combining 1 cup mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley flakes, salt, and pepper.
- 3
Create a layer of zucchini at the bottom of your crockpot.
- 4
Top zucchini with a rounded 1/2 cup of cheese filling and 1-3 tablespoons sauce.
- 5
Continue layering zucchini, cheese, and sauce until you only have enough zucchini left for the top layer.
- 6
Before you add the top layer of zucchini, add whatever sauce and cheese you have left.
- 7
Top with zucchini and remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- 8
Cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- 9
Turn off slow cooker and let rest for 15-30 minutes.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Salt your zucchini slices and let them rest for 15-20 minutes before layering to draw out 30-40% of their moisture via osmosis, preventing a watery lasagna.timing15-20 minutes rest time
- ✓Slice zucchini to 1/8-inch thickness (about 3mm) using a mandoline rather than a knife—this ensures even cooking and prevents thick slices from staying fibrous while thin layers overcook.equipment1/8-inch (3mm) thickness
- ✓Reduce your sauce to a 1.5:1 ratio (sauce to cheese filling) because zucchini releases ~2 tablespoons of liquid per pound during the 6-8 hour cook, thinning the final dish by 25-30% if not accounted for.ingredient1.5:1 sauce-to-filling ratio
- ✓Line your crockpot with parchment paper and reserve 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella to sprinkle directly under the top zucchini layer—this creates a moisture barrier that prevents soggy bottoms while allowing top cheese to brown.technique2 tablespoons reserved mozzarella
Share this recipe
Prep
0
min
Cook
480
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Swapping pasta sheets for sliced zucchini started as a low-carb hack, but Italians actually layered vegetables this way long before noodles existed.
Zucchini "Lasagna"
A crockpot lasagna made with zucchini, cheese, and pasta sauce, perfect for a fresh and easy meal.
The Story
This low-carb rebellion traces back to 1990s Atlanta, where Southern home cooks, wrestling with Italian grandmothers' lasagna traditions and America's Atkins obsession, swapped pasta sheets for zucchini ribbons—essentially smuggling Naples' comfort food past the carb police using nothing but a vegetable peeler and a crockpot, proving Emilia-Romagna's finest export could survive a makeover from the Deep South.
Regional Twist
Up in Quebec's dairy country, they'd swap half that ricotta for curd cheese and toss in fresh thyme instead of dried parsley flakes, because apparently the French-Canadians think everything needs to taste like a cottage in the Laurentians.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(2)
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 8oz mozzarella cheese, freshly shredded (about 2 cups), divided
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 15oz container of part-skim ricotta cheese
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 1/2 cup of your favorite pasta sauce
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 teaspoon salt
📦Other(2)
- 2 eggs
- 4 small zucchinis, ends cut off
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
456
Protein
34g
Carbs
12g
Fat
31g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Thinly slice zucchini length-wise into thin strips.
- 2
Create cheese filling by combining 1 cup mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley flakes, salt, and pepper.
- 3
Create a layer of zucchini at the bottom of your crockpot.
- 4
Top zucchini with a rounded 1/2 cup of cheese filling and 1-3 tablespoons sauce.
- 5
Continue layering zucchini, cheese, and sauce until you only have enough zucchini left for the top layer.
- 6
Before you add the top layer of zucchini, add whatever sauce and cheese you have left.
- 7
Top with zucchini and remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- 8
Cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- 9
Turn off slow cooker and let rest for 15-30 minutes.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Salt your zucchini slices and let them rest for 15-20 minutes before layering to draw out 30-40% of their moisture via osmosis, preventing a watery lasagna.timing15-20 minutes rest time
- ✓Slice zucchini to 1/8-inch thickness (about 3mm) using a mandoline rather than a knife—this ensures even cooking and prevents thick slices from staying fibrous while thin layers overcook.equipment1/8-inch (3mm) thickness
- ✓Reduce your sauce to a 1.5:1 ratio (sauce to cheese filling) because zucchini releases ~2 tablespoons of liquid per pound during the 6-8 hour cook, thinning the final dish by 25-30% if not accounted for.ingredient1.5:1 sauce-to-filling ratio
- ✓Line your crockpot with parchment paper and reserve 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella to sprinkle directly under the top zucchini layer—this creates a moisture barrier that prevents soggy bottoms while allowing top cheese to brown.technique2 tablespoons reserved mozzarella