This low-carb, gluten free zucchini ravioli makes a savory meal featuring homegrown ingredients! Best of all, it can be enjoyed fresh or you can freeze it to preserve the harvest for later!
“There’s hardly any carbs in that whole thing! But it tastes like carb-y goodness!”
Those were the words that came out of Lindy’s mouth after tasting my homemade zucchini ravioli! And that’s a pretty good food review if you ask me!
Yes, it’s low carb. And, yes, it’s gluten free too! But, most importantly, zucchini ravioli is abso-freaking-lutely delicious! It has all the rich savory flavors of a traditional Italian dish… without the pasta!
In fact, you won’t even miss the pasta! Crazy, right?!
But, what I love most is that this dish can be made entirely from food grown and processed right here on our homestead! Yup! 100% homegrown food: zucchinis, basil, crushed tomatoes and homemade mozzarella from our own goat milk!
Absolutely nothing tastes better than that!
This dish is ideal for summer seasonal eating, meaning that all the ingredients are in supply at the same time. Zucchinis are abundant at the same time that basil and tomatoes are producing! And, milk production also increases in mid- to late-summer after weaning, making it the perfect time to stock up on homemade cheeses!
But, even if you can’t grow your own food (yet!), you can still source these ingredients from a fresh, local source – like your farmer’s market! That’s one of the many benefits of seasonal eating: you get to enjoy the flavors of the season when they are at their freshest and most flavorful! Check out this post if you want to learn more about how to get started with seasonal eating!
And, here’s another bonus: If you are growing your own produce, you’ve probably experienced “zucchini overwhelm” a time or two! Well, this is a fantastic way to use up that zucchini harvest! And, you can enjoy them fresh or freeze them for later!
I make large batches of these raviolis each summer when the ingredients are abundant. Then, I vacuum seal them and freeze them for winter eating. They are a perfect savory meal for a cold winter day!
And if you still have zucchini coming out your ears after making these raviolis, check out these other creative ways to use all that zucchini!
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Some Tips To Make Perfect Zucchini Raviolis:
Pick the perfect zucchinis:
For this recipe, you will need thin, long strips of zucchini. In order to achieve this, it’s most ideal to use zucchinis that are uniformly 8-10 inches long.
Don’t waste the crumbs!
This recipe is a great way to use up big overgrown zucchinis! When you peel the zucchini to make the thin strips, you only peel down to the level of the seeds. If the zucchini is large with hard seeds, simply compost what’s left or feed it to the chickens.
However, if the zucchini is still tender, cut the remaining core into slices and dry them in your dehydrator! These pieces are perfect for tossing into soups, stews and chills over winter! More about that here!
Salt the zucchini slices… or not!
For many zucchini recipes, it’s ideal to salt the zucchini to allow the moisture to weep out before using it. You can certainly do that with the zucchini strips before you make your raviolis. Or not! I’m lazy and impatient, so I don’t! It does produce a bit more moisture when you cook them. To remedy that, I just cook the raviolis a bit longer, until the moisture has reduced.
Become a zucchini origami master:
There is a very certain technique that I came up with to fold the zucchini properly so that the raviolis don’t fall apart. I’ve included pictures and a video below to help you out. It can take a couple tries to really get the technique down. But, rest assured, once you do it a few times, it gets much easier!
Stuff it how you like!
I like to keep things simple by stuffing my zucchini with just a bit of cheese and a basil leaf. I do use a variety of cheeses depending on what I have prepared that week. I’ve tried out both farmer’s cheese and chèvre, but mozzarella is still my favorite! However, the sky’s the limit when it comes to ingredients! You could even skip the cheese and stuff it with a savory quinoa mix! Yum!
Eat it fresh or freeze for later:
These zucchini raviolis are super versatile! You can use them fresh or freeze them for later. I try to put away at least a dozen meal packs of these each summer so that we have some delicious freezer meals to enjoy during the winter. Below, I’ve included instructions for both cooking it fresh or freezing it for later.
How to Make Zucchini Ravioli:
As you can probably tell from the notes above, I’m not a professional chef or baker. I’m more of a “what do I have from the garden and what can I make with it” kind of cook! Because of that, I rarely measure and just come up with techniques as I go! So, bear with me, my friends!
Here is a quick video showing the process in case you are more of a visual learner like I am!
Zucchini Ravioli
This delicious spin on ravioli uses fresh zucchini slices instead of pasta making it a savory meal that's gluten-free and low-carb!
Ingredients
- Zucchini, 1 medium
- Filling: Cheese (mozzarella or other favorite cheese), meat or veggies of choice
- Handful of fresh basil leaves or other seasoning of choice
Instructions
- Peel the zucchini. Begin by peeling the skin from your zucchini and composting it. This will make the slices more pliable and easier to fold.
- Slice the zucchini. Use a veggie peeler or mandoline to thinly slice the zucchini into long strips. Keep the strips as uniform as possible. Slice the zucchini only to the level of the seeds. Discard the core with the seeds in it (see the note above about how to put it to good use!)
- Lay out the slices for your first ravioli. Use four of the slices and lay them out in a basket-weave fashion, as demonstrated in the picture below.
- Fill the ravioli. Place a small amount of cheese and a basil leaf (or additional toppings of your choice) on the basket-weave section of the zucchini slices.
- Fold up the first layer. Working clockwise, begin folding up the “bottom” strips. These are the strips that have another strip overlapping them. There will be one strip folded up on each of the four sides. If your strips are long, fold under the extra or break it off.
- Repeat for the top layer. Begin folding up the top layer of zucchini strips, continuing to work clockwise. Do not break off any of these strips to shorten them.
- Weave the top strips: If done correctly, your strips should form a basket weave pattern as you fold them up over each other. Gently tuck the last piece under the opposite strip so that it completes the basket weave pattern. If your strips did not form this pattern, simply tuck them under the other strips as needed until you achieve the basket-weave pattern.
- Tighten the strips by gently tugging on the loose ends. This will help secure your fillings in place and keep your raviolis from falling apart.
- Set the finished ravioli aside and continue making the others. This will give the zucchini some time to weep excess moisture while you are working on the other raviolis. You can gently dab them with a towel to wick the excess moisture away.
Notes
See below for details on how to cook your zucchini ravioli or freeze it for later!
How to Freeze Zucchini Ravioli for Later!
One of the greatest things about these zucchini raviolis is that you can freeze them to enjoy later! I make several big batches of these during the summer to stock the freezer. It’s a great way to use up your seasonal produce and put food away for the winter months. Plus, there’s nothing easier than pulling these out of the freezer and heating them up for a quick, healthy and oh-so-delicious meal!
To freeze your zucchini ravioli: follow the instructions above to make your raviolis. You can then package them in a freezer safe container. Label and date them. Then pop them in the freezer. Easy-peasy!
I personally prefer to vacuum seal mine using my FoodSaver System
When you are ready to cook up your frozen raviolis, you can pull them out of the freezer and follow one of the recipes below. You can thaw them in the fridge the night before if you want, so that they will cook up faster. Or, you can adjust the cooking times below to ensure they are thoroughly cooked if you are using them frozen.
How to Cook Zucchini Ravioli – 2 Ways!
Ingredients needed for both methods:
- Fresh or frozen zucchini raviolis – I usually cook up 2 batches (16 raviolis) at a time
- Mozzarella or other cheese of choice for topping
- Pint jar of home-canned crushed tomatoes or pasta sauce of choice
- Herbs, dried or fresh, for seasoning
In the Oven:
This method is ideal for raviolis that are frozen, but it also works well for fresh zucchini raviolis.
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350oF.
- Place zucchini raviolis in pan or oven-safe dish. Spoon tomato sauce or pasta sauce around the raviolis.
- Top with shredded mozzarella, basil and seasonings of choice. You can also sprinkle some drops of balsamic vinegar on it for extra flavor!
- Loosely cover the pan with foil and place in the oven. Cook about 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and cook another 15-20 minutes or until the moisture in the sauce reduces and the raviolis are cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and let sit 5-10 minutes before enjoying.
On the Stove:
This is my favorite way to cook up fresh raviolis! It’s faster than the oven method and doesn’t heat up the house – making it perfect for a summertime meal!
Directions:
- Place zucchini raviolis in a heavy-bottomed pan. Spoon tomato sauce or pasta sauce around the raviolis.
- Top with shredded mozzarella, basil and seasonings of choice. You can also sprinkle some drops of balsamic vinegar on it for extra flavor!
- Cook, uncovered, on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until the moisture in the sauce reduces and the cheese melts.
- Turn off the burner and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Don’t forget it! Pin it for later!
This dish looks absolutely delicious. We’ve definitely had a time or two of zucchini over abundance from our CSA so this is a great recipe to have on hand. I’ve tried something similar with eggplant.
This is AMAZING! Such a clever low carb way to have ravioli! I have to try this!