This low-carb version of ravioli uses ricotta cheese and is healthful. Thin zucchini strips are packed with a magro (lean) filling and pesto, then baked with tomato sauce and cheese on top. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese and topped with fresh hot chile peppers or pepper flakes.
| Prep Time: | 35 mins |
| Cook Time: | 20 mins |
| Total Time: | 55 mins |
| Servings: | 4 |
| Yield: | 9 zavioli |
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup basil leaves, torn
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or more to taste
- ½ clove garlic (Optional)
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 extra large zucchini
- 9 toothpicks, soaked in water
- ¼ cup pasta sauce
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Make filling: Mix together ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, and pepper in a bowl until well combined. Set aside.
- Make pesto: Grind together basil, extra-virgin olive oil, and garlic into a chunky paste using a mortar and pestle. Add pine nuts to pesto; crush until nuts are coarsely ground. Set aside.
- Slice zucchini lengthwise into 18 strips using a mandoline. Lay 2 zucchini strips in the shape of a cross on a work surface. Drop a spoonful of filling in the middle of the cross. Top with a dollop of pesto. Fold ends into the center to create a parcel, starting from the bottom end and moving clockwise. Secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining zucchini strips, filling, and pesto.
- Spread a thin layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Arrange zucchini parcels on top, about 1/2-inch apart. Top each parcel with remaining pasta sauce. Sprinkle with Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven until sauce and zucchini begin to brown, about 20 minutes.
- You can toast the pine nuts if desired.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 267 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 14 g |
| Cholesterol | 73 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Protein | 15 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Sodium | 240 mg |
| Sugars | 5 g |
| Fat | 18 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
This was awesome, easy to make and went over well with our young kids 7 – 9. I added a bit of salt to the pesto to taste. I would recommend a fair amount of sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour extra around the Zavioli when plating. The extra is good to have to add to each bite as the filling is on the bland side.
great way to use zucchini in my new Cuisinart! however for me, the little pouches didn’t work but I had enough slices to make it like a traditional lasagna
My entire family absolutely loved it! It was so flavorful!
It’s a nuisance and they break . Not worth it.
So simple, with a ton of flavor. My wife and I grow tons of zucchini every year and are constantly looking for new ideas. This one gets a repeat for sure. New family favorite.
Fantastic! Best when all ingredients are fresh! Would do it again!
A nice carb friendly option, just a few modifications to up flavor. By the driest ricotta as possible or strain. I added some flavorful cheese to the ricotta (aged prov./asiago/fontina) and a few red pepper flakes. I also incorporated a tbsp. of flour into the cheese blend to stiffen. Any good pesto works. You could also add some crab meat. I brushed the zuke with garlic-infused oil and seasoned with S & P.
Surprisingly delicious! There’s a bit of work involved, but well worth it. The second time I made these, I parboiled the zucchinin to make them easier to work with and after baking, less a few minutes recommended, I put them under the broiler for a few mintes. A marvelous tasty change for eating our vegatables!
I did not like this recipe! I just couldn’t get passed the Zuchinni taste and texture. That being said, I loved the idea of this recipe!
Pretty good. I thought something was missing at first but after getting into it I was satisfied with the taste.
I added Italian seasoning in with the ricotta, spinach and egg, and used petite diced tomato with chili in place of the pasta sauce. Delicious! I’ve already made it twice.
Everything was fine other than the zucchini. I made it 3-4 bites before I threw the whole tray out. The zucchini was still hard and very bland. Needed to be softened prior to cooking.
I added spinach and diced mushrooms inside. It was absolutely amazing
It was fun to make and enjoyed the short cooking time. The texture was tantalizing having a slight crunch followed by gooey rush from the filling. A great combination of ingredients and color. I really enjoyed this dish.
Maybe would have rated it better but the zucchini didn’t get cooked good and had to put it in for another 20 minutes.
This is wonderful. I used store bought pesto and made my own tomato sauce. Great recipe – thank you!
tasted amazing ,will make it again but the Zucchini in my part of the world isn’t big enough so next time I’m going to cut them in half and scoop out the inside and fill.
very wet, definitely pre cook the zucchini, and strain the cheese
Make sure to use a extra long zucchini. Making the pouch is difficult with a normal length zucchini.
This was really great and not as heavy as real pasta. I added some garlic powder to the ricotta mix and I think I would add some red pepper flakes to the pasta sauce just for a little more punch. I’ll be making it again.
this is an amazing dish. made ammendments. mixed egg, spinach and ricotta.crossed sliced zucchini and add a mixture to the cross. spinkled whole toasted pine nuts. everything else by recipe. amazing!!!