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Because when life gives you zucchini, you turn it into something super cheesy.
Or at least thatโs the way I like to do it, but then you guys know how much I love cheese! And yes, I did make us ravioli using zucchini โnoodlesโ. I know I am typically all about real deal pasta, but you know, sometimes swapping veggies for carbs just works better. A tip thoughโฆserve this with bread. You know, for dipping into that homemade tomato sauce. <โoooops, you knew Iโd sneak those carbs in somewhere!
*side note*โ> I just re-read that very first line of this post and I swear I didnโt mean for it to sound so cheesy, but I kind of like it.
Anyway, I feel like this is a quintessential way to use up all the zucchini that summer has been offering us. I mean, what could be better than zucchini stuffed with not one, not two, but THREE cheeses. Answer? Nothing, this dish is so delicious even you pasta lovers out there will love this recipe.
Trust me, if we all love it over here, you will to!
Okay, hereโs the deal, Iโve been wracking my brain all summer long, trying to come up with some new and exciting zucchini recipes. I feel like zucchini noodles have been done over and over again. And I feel like zucchini lasagna is a pretty common thing as well. So then I got to thinking a little further and wondered about a cheese stuffed zucchini ravioli thing.
Originally this recipe was supposed to use real, deal pasta, but when I had the idea to use the zucchini noodles as pasta, I just knew I had to combine my two recipe ideas and make them into one. Itโs summer and I feel like lighter dishes are welcomedโฆright? Say yes!
So this (finally) brings us to the recipe!
Itโs zucchini (I also used yellow summer squash) wrapped around a bundle of cheese (hello to ricotta, feta, and parmesan), then served over a warm batch of homemade roasted tomato marinara sauce.
Yesssssss.
This is basically summer in a baking dish and I love it.
The recipe starts off by making the tomato sauce, but donโt worry thereโs nothing hard about this tomato sauce. Then add everything to a baking dish and throw it in the oven for fifteen minutes or so. Pretty stinking simple.
While the sauce is doing its thing in the oven, start making the ravioli. I like to use a mandolin to uniformly cut my zucchini into thin strips of eighth inch slices, but a vegetable peeler will work great too! Then mix up your cheeses in a bowl and itโs assembly time.
I took a few photos of the process for you guys so you could see how I wrapped up my ravioli, but itโs really as simple is taking four zucchini โnoodlesโ making a star with them and then wrapping the ends up and around the cheese. See? Simple!
Now take those ravioli and lay them in the baking dish with all those flavorful tomatoes and bake a few minutes more, until the ravioli are warmed throughout and that cheese is a melty inside.
Top with fresh herbs (I used basil and thyme), and plenty of shaved parmesan, and thenโฆdig in.
Oh, and lastly, add that piece of fresh bread for the extra sauce. <โ do it, I promise you will not regret it.
Iโve got to sayโฆThursday night dinner never looked so good. And even though this recipe is pretty easy and pretty healthy, itโs also fun enough to serve up on a Friday or Saturday night too. Maybe add a fun cocktailย or glass of wine and then finish the night off with a summer galette?
Yup, Iโd say that right there is my kind of Friday night.
Watch the How To Video:
3 Cheese Zucchini "Ravioli" with Roasted Tomato Basil Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- large handful fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and pepper
- 3 medium zucchini or summer squash
- kosher salt and pepper
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.In a baking dish, layer the tomato slices, garlic, and cherry tomatoes. Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, thyme, crushed red pepper, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Toss lightly to combine. Bake for 15 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to burst. Meanwhile, make the ravioli. Using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini into 1/4 inch wide strips and lay them flat on a paper towel lined counter. Sprinkle the zucchini with salt. In a medium bowl, combine the cheeses, basil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Grab 4 zucchini "noodles" and layer them to make a star. Start with 1 noodle, then add another to make a X. Now make another X with the remaining 2 noodles that will overlap with the current X (see above photo). Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling onto the center of the zucchini. Bring the ends of the zucchini together, laying them over the cheese. Repeat with remaining zucchini and filling. Remove the tomatoes from the oven and lay the ravioli seam side down in the sauce. Drizzle the ravioli lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes or until the ravioli is warmed though. Serve with fresh basil and grated parmesan. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Pretty healthy food you say? Yep, going with it!
There are 2 versions of this recipe on the site. One has feta in the cheese mixture, the other uses pesto. Which is the perfected recipe?
Hi Jenny,
The recipes are 2 different recipes:) I would pick the one that sounds best to you! Let me know which one you try! xx
I have made so many Half-Baked Harvest recipes, and they always turn out wonderfully, but this one is truly special. The flavors are absolutely amazing and have an unexpected depth to them. The zucchini ravioli make for such a pretty presentation and are not hard to do once you get the hang of it. My husband and I wait all year for it to be summer again so we can make this and the Rosemary Peach chicken when the ingredients are in season! SO good!!
Hey Brittany,
Fantastic!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, love to hear that it turned out well for you! Thanks so much for your kind message!๐๐ฅญ
This has become my go-to recipe when I have people over, and so far not a single person didn’t love it! I don’t usually rate things online but when I saw this recipe only had 4.2 stars, I had to give it 5 because it’s so worth it!! I don’t make it very often (maybe 3-4 times a year) so it’s a nice treat when I do ๐ Thank you for sharing!
Hey Adelaide,
Wonderful! Thanks so much for making this dish so often and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it is always enjoyed! Thanks for your kind message:) xTieghan
Another phenomenal recipe!!! Again, two of the pickiest ppl I know LOVED it. My sis even waited til after my husband tried it lol. She said she doesnโt โdo zucchiniโ. Would honestly just eat the tomatoes by themselves ??. Thanks again!!
I also had the zucchini very thin, using a peeler.
Hi April,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for sharing your review and making the recipe!! xTieghan
This recipe is very similar to Donna Hayโs recipe.
Hey Tristine,
Sorry, I am not familiar with that recipe, but please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
First of all, you need to rename your website as ProposalGuaranteed ๐ – seriously, my partner has drooled over every single dish I made according to your recipes and this was no exception. Both of us had seconds, which we normally don’t do on weeknights. Even my 4.5 year old who claims she hates zucchinis at it and thought it was delicious. I did smuggle frozen chopped spinach into the stuffing for extra veggies and everything was absolutely perfect. Thank you!
Hey Magda,
Happy Friday! I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed. I appreciate you giving it a try:) xTieghan
1/4 inch is to thick for the zucchini . Very difficult to stuff.
Hey Patricia,
Sorry you feel this way, you can certainly slice it thinner if needed. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Yes, she did not proofread her recipe instructions. It is shocking that no one else has pointed this out. I just cut 4 lbs of zucchini into 1/4″ strips for dinner guests tonight, and I can’t make this darned recipe because you can’t wrap such thick slices into raviolit. I am screwed.
I love this! But how do you get the โravioliโ to hold its shape? Iโm not sure if my zucchini slices were too thick or too short, but they wouldnโt wrap around the filling and hold their shape! I turned it into a zucchini โlasagnaโ and it was still delicious ๐
Hey Lyssa,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, sorry you had issues with the “ravioli” holding it’s shape. My guess is your zucchini slices were too thick, next time try making them super thin. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Tieghan, in your essay above the instructions, wrote, “I like to use a mandolin to uniformly cut my zucchini into eighth inch slices,” but in your instructions, you indicated, “Using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, peel the zucchini into 1/4 inch wide strips.” This is where the conflict is. If you print out the recipe, you do not know about the introduction.
Hi Alyssa,
Iโve made this recipe dozens of times and itโs one of my favorites. Thatโs said, Iโve always precooked my zucchini just a little before making this. Yes, itโs an extra step but it made it so much easier to wrap. Salt and oil the thinly sliced zucchini and bake it at 400 for a few minutes. I do mine just long enough to become pliable. This part can also be done in advance as it will be reheated when itโs assembled in the dish.