It’s 7 p.m. on a weeknight. You’ve washed the zucchini, sliced the planks, and layered the dish with the best intentions in the world. Forty minutes later you pull it from the oven and the fork slides through the middle like it’s soup.
I’ve had that watery mess more than once, so I kept adjusting the recipe until the layers set firm every single time. This is that recipe: roasted zucchini noodles, a garlicky tomato sauce with a little tarragon, and three cheeses that pull into golden, stretchy layers. It’s also gluten free and keto friendly, if that’s your thing. Honestly? I might pick it over a classic lasagna now.
One reader put it well: “This is, quite possibly, THE BEST zucchini lasagna I have ever made or eaten, period.” I’d say that’s the bar this bake clears.
Why this dish works
Zucchini is over 90% water. That’s the whole problem — and the whole solution. Instead of salting the slices and waiting for them to weep, I roast the noodles first. The oven cooks the water out before the lasagna ever hits the pan, so the layers stay defined.
Two more guardrails keep it dry:
- The tomato sauce is thickened with a little cornstarch, so it clings instead of pooling.
- The whole dish rests 15 to 20 minutes after baking, which lets it absorb whatever moisture is left and set like it should.
Ingredients
You don’t need a big shop for this. Everything is pantry stuff plus a few fresh things:
- 2 pounds zucchini (3 large or 5 small–medium)
- 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes (fire roasted if you can find them)
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
- ¾ cup shredded Parmesan, divided
- 2 cups (7 ounces) shredded mozzarella, divided
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (or arrowroot starch)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon (oregano works too)
- 2 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from about ½ lemon)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Freshly ground black pepper
Two notes. Bigger zucchini layer more cleanly in the pan, but small or medium work fine if that’s what you have. And if you can’t find dried tarragon, oregano is a perfectly good stand-in.
5 simple steps
Prep takes about 45 minutes, baking takes 40, and it rests 15. Total: an hour and a half, and most of that is hands-off.
- Make the sauce. Mince the garlic and melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Turn the heat down and add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, tarragon, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir ¼ cup of the sauce together with the cornstarch, then whisk it back in. Simmer for at least 15 minutes while you prep the rest.
- Roast the zucchini noodles. Heat the oven to 450°F. Slice the zucchini into ¼-inch planks with a knife or mandoline, and toss away any peel-only pieces. Lay the slices on two parchment-lined baking sheets, drizzle with olive oil, rub them lightly with your hands, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, until just tender.
- Make the cheese filling. Destem the thyme and chop it roughly. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons thyme, the lemon zest, ricotta, ½ cup Parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella, the nutmeg, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Stir to combine.
- Assemble. Drop the oven to 375°F. In a 9″ x 9″ baking dish (or similar volume), spread ½ cup sauce on the bottom. Layer on the zucchini noodles, then dollop in half the cheese mixture and spread ½ cup more sauce over it. Repeat: noodles, the rest of the cheese, ½ cup sauce. Finish with a final layer of noodles and the last ½ cup sauce, then top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella, ¼ cup Parmesan, and the reserved ½ tablespoon thyme.
- Bake and rest. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Then let it stand for at least 15 minutes before you cut — this is what makes it hold its shape. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days and reheat nicely at 375°F.
Make it your own
Scaling up. You can only roast 2 pounds of zucchini at a time, which fills one 9 x 9 pan. Feeding more people? Use 1.5 times the recipe for a 9 x 13 pan, or make two 9 x 9 pans — just cook the zucchini in two batches.
Make ahead. Roast the noodles and chill them ahead (pat them dry before assembling, since they’ll gather a little moisture in the fridge). The sauce also improves overnight, so it’s perfect to make the day before and bake when you’re ready.
Serve it. This becomes a full dinner with a sharp arugula or Caesar salad, garlic bread or a slab of focaccia, and blistered green beans or sautéed greens on the side.
Start today
- ✓ Grab two 9″ x 9″ pans and parchment paper this week — they’re the only special tools you need.
- ✓ Keep a can of crushed tomatoes, ricotta, and shredded mozzarella in the pantry so this is a 20-minute decision, not a 40-minute one.
- ✓ Pick a slow Sunday to make the sauce in advance; it tastes better the next day.
Today’s tiny step
Next time a zucchini comes home, don’t toss it — slice it thin and remember: roast first, layer second. That one swap is the whole secret.
— E, your habit neighbor