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Pesto Zucchini Lasagna

Pesto zucchini lasagna is a no-noodle Italian pesto bake layered with ricotta and zucchini planks, finished with golden mozzarella. Vibrant green pesto ribbons show between layers for a low-carb, vegetarian-style lasagna you can slice cleanly.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
resting 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Zucchini layer
  • 4 zucchini Slice into thin planks.
  • 1 tsp salt For sweating zucchini; pat dry before roasting.
Pesto
  • 2 cup fresh basil Packed.
  • 0.33 cup pine nuts
  • 3 clove garlic
  • 0.5 cup parmesan Grated.
  • 0.33 cup olive oil
  • salt To taste.
Ricotta layer
  • 2 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 0.25 cup parmesan Grated.
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil Chopped.
  • salt To taste.
  • pepper To taste.
  • 2 cup mozzarella Shredded.
  • 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes Chopped (optional).
Serving
  • extra pesto For serving.
  • extra basil For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 oven

Method
 

Roast zucchini
  1. Salt the zucchini planks and rest for 20 minutes so they release moisture.
  2. Pat the zucchini dry and spread on a sheet pan, then roast at 425°F for 10 minutes until slightly tender.
Make basil pesto
  1. Blend basil, pine nuts, garlic, and parmesan until finely chopped.
  2. With the blender running, stream in olive oil and blend until smooth, then season with salt to taste.
Mix ricotta layer
  1. Stir ricotta, egg, parmesan, chopped basil, salt, and pepper until evenly combined.
Assemble and bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and spread 3 tablespoons pesto on the bottom of a 9x13 dish.
  2. Layer the zucchini planks, then spread the ricotta evenly over the zucchini.
  3. Dollop and spread pesto generously over the ricotta.
  4. Scatter sun-dried tomatoes over the pesto if using.
  5. Top with shredded mozzarella, then repeat layers ending with mozzarella.
  6. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  7. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes at 375°F until the top is golden.
Rest and serve
  1. Rest the lasagna for 15 minutes to set the layers before slicing.
  2. Serve with extra pesto drizzled over each slice and extra basil if desired.

Notes

For clean slices, don’t skip drying the roasted zucchini—excess moisture can make layers slide. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 4 days; reheat in a 350°F oven or microwave. Freezing isn’t recommended because the zucchini and dairy may weep after thawing. For a dairy-lite swap, replace part of the ricotta with strained cottage cheese for a similar texture (flavor will be slightly tangier).