Food Recipes

Zucchini Ravioli Recipe with Spinach Ricotta Filling: Low Carb Dinner Idea

Name: Zucchini Ravioli Recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 medium zucchini (or 2 small zucchinis); 8 oz feta cheese (or ricotta cheese); 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped; 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese; 1 cup tomato sauce; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 2 Tablespoons avocado oil; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried basil; ¼ teaspoon sea salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

May 5, 2021

Make this tasty zucchini ravioli recipe as a low carb dinner idea for your family. This vegetarian zucchini recipe uses the popular summer squash in place of pasta noodles in this delicious meal. They add extra vitamins and minerals to your diet without adding carbs from pasta. So it not only tastes great, it is also an easy way to use extra zucchini from your garden for delicious meal ideas.

One zucchini plant can produce up to 10 pounds of squash each year. Zucchini also produces for several months in the summer, so there’s generally no shortage of zucchini to use for easy zucchini ravioli in the summer.

Zucchini is easy to grow, so most people plant one or two plants each year. If gardening isn’t your thing or you’re short on space, these squashes are overabundant from farmer’s markets or friends during the summer. Use them to learn how to make squash ravioli for a delicious light summer meal that’s packed with extra vegetables, including spinach and tomatoes.

Low Carb Zucchini Ravioli

I love to make delish zucchini ravioli using fresh vegetables from my garden. This healthy dinner idea can also help you save money by buying extra zucchini when squash is in season. Not only is this recipe a tasty alternative to traditional ravioli, it’s both vegetarian and low in carbs. It’s a great choice for meatless Mondays, those looking to reduce their red meat intake or as a meatless dish for vegetarians.

I make this ravioli using sliced zucchini in place of the pasta. I also make my own zucchini ravioli filling from scratch using fresh, vitamin rich spinach and ricotta cheese. (You can substitute the ricotta cheese with feta cheese to make zucchini ravioli without ricotta cheese, if desired.) While the tomato sauce for this dinner recipe isn’t homemade to save on time, you’re welcome to use your own or your favorite store bought brand.

You can also make this low carb dinner idea to freeze for later. The leftovers can be frozen in individual portions for lunch throughout the month. Or you can simply meal prep this dish and freeze it for an easy dinner on a busy weeknight. Be sure to check out my tips on how to freeze my zucchini ravioli with spinach ricotta filling after the recipe, which can be found at the end of this post.

How to Slice Zucchini

To make this easy zucchini ravioli, you will need to slice the squash. This is a quick and simple process. Following is information on how slice your zucchini squash:

There’s no need to peel your zucchini squash for this recipe. The peel is full of vitamins and minerals, so you can leave the zucchini peel on for slicing. While the peel is not tough to slice through, it can get tough on larger squash. Therefore I recommend using small to medium sized, bright green zucchini to make this low carb dinner as they tend to have softer peels.
As you’ll be slicing the zucchini, there won’t be much peel on each slice. The peel will also soften as it cooks. Therefore, I don’t peel my zucchini slices when I make low carb zucchini ravioli. However, you do want to make sure you rinse the zucchini well as part of your prep. You also need to chop off the ends before prepping the zucchini to peel.
I recommend using a mandolin slicer or a potato peeler to make slices for this zucchini ravioli recipe. The mandolin slicer is easier to use, so use that if you have one available. It also makes uniform slices that they cook evenly. It’s also better suited for larger vegetables.

Variations for Making Ravioli Using Zucchini

This zucchini ravioli with spinach ricotta filling is delicious on its own. However, you can also try one of these variations to create your own unique dish to suit your family’s tastes:

Chicken alfredo zucchini ravioli recipe – Add cooked shredded chicken and sauteed mushrooms to your ricotta cheese mixture. Swap the marinara sauce for alfredo sauce.
Chicken and mushroom low carb zucchini ravioli – Add shredded chicken and sauteed mushrooms to the cheese mixture and use marinara sauce.
Beef zucchini ravioli recipe – Add cooked ground beef to the marinara sauce.
Garlic pesto tasty zucchini ravioli – Add a spoonful of pesto to the cheese mixture. Add a sprinkle of garlic powder or a clove of fresh garlic if desired.
Pizza recipe for zucchini ravioli – Saute chopped pepperoni and add to the marinara sauce. You can also add green pepper, onions or mushroom.
For crunchy vegetarian zucchini ravioli, add ⅓ cup chopped walnuts.
Drizzle garlic infused olive oil on top of the zucchini ravioli with spinach ricotta filling. Top with fresh herbs.

Tips and Tricks for Making Easy Zucchini Ravioli

While my recipe for easy zucchini ravioli is fairly straightforward to make, here are some tricks to make prepping this dish even easier:

You can make this delish zucchini ravioli up to two days ahead of time. Simply prepare the filling and the zucchini slices. Do not prepare the sauce. Make your easy zucchini ravioli and place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. When you want to make it, simply add the sauce and bake.
For best results, use small or medium zucchini for low carb zucchini ravioli. You can use larger zucchini, but they may have large seeds that are edible but don’t taste that great.
Use a mandolin to slice your zucchini for zucchini ravioli without meat. It is easy to use and makes uniform thin slices.

Low Carb Zucchini Ravioli Ingredients

To learn how to make squash ravioli, you will need the following ingredients:

Two small or one medium sized zucchini
Feta cheese or ricotta cheese
Fresh spinach
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Tomato sauce
Garlic cloves
Avocado oil
Dried oregano leaf
Dried basil leaf
Sea salt
Ground black peppercorn

How to Make Zucchini Ravioli With Spinach Ricotta Filling

Follow these steps to make this vegetarian zucchini ravioli recipe:

1. Start by preparing the vegetables for this vegetarian recipe. Use a mandolin slicer or potato peeler to slice the zucchini into thin slices. (You should get about 20 slices from each zucchini squash. The strips should be thin so they can fold without breaking.) Mince the garlic cloves. Chop the spinach.

2. Next, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add one Tablespoon of avocado oil and add two cloves of minced garlic. Cook until fragrant, one to two minutes.

3. Once the garlic is ready, add the chopped fresh spinach to the skillet. Cook for two minutes, stirring constantly.

4. Remove the skillet from heat once spinach has wilted. Then add the feta cheese or ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, and the salt and pepper. Stir the ingredients until combined.

5. Transfer the cheese and spinach mixture to a food processor or bowl. Then use either the food processor or a hand mixer to mix the spinach and cheese mixture until smooth to make the zucchini ravioli filling.

6. Now preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. While the oven preheats, continue with the additional steps.

7. You will now make the tomato sauce for this recipe. To do this, combine the tomato sauce, one clove of minced garlic, and the dried oregano leaf into a blender. Pulse the tomato sauce until smooth.

8. Then pour the tomato sauce into an 8×8 baking pan. (I like this baking dish for a beautiful presentation.)

9. Now prepare the easy zucchini raviolis. To do this, place three slices of zucchini on top of each other. They should be spread out to make a star shape.

10. Add a spoonful of the cheese mixture to the middle of each zucchini star. Then fold the strips over the cheese, one strip at a time, until all of the zucchini is wrapped.

11. Next, set the prepared zucchini raviolis into the baking pan with the tomato sauce. Then sprinkle one cup of mozzarella cheese on top.

12. Place the pan into the preheated oven, The bake this low carb dinner for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the zucchini is soft.

How to Store Leftovers

You can store leftovers of this healthy zucchini ravioli in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Alternately, you can also freeze any leftovers.

Can You Freeze Leftover Zucchini Ravioli?

Yes, you can freeze any leftover vegetarian zucchini ravioli to save for later. You can freeze the leftovers in individual serving containers for up to three months.

However, it’s best to meal prep this easy zucchini ravioli and freeze it without the sauce. If you freeze the zucchini ravioli without meat in the tomato sauce, it can get soggy.

To freeze prepared, but unbaked ravioli, place the low carb zucchini ravioli in an airtight container or freezer bag. Then freeze it for up to three months. Thaw the ravioli in the fridge when ready to eat. Then bake it as usual, as indicated in the directions above.

Keep in mind that cheese may separate or change texture if you freeze it. However, it is still perfectly fine to use. Due to this however, I recommend adding the top layer of cheese after you thaw the zucchini ravioli.

Yield: 12 raviolis / 2 servings