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Pesto Zucchini Lasagna

Pesto zucchini lasagna layers tender roasted zucchini with a smooth basil pesto and a creamy ricotta center, then finishes with golden mozzarella. This zucchini bake pesto delivers vibrant green pesto ribbons in every slice—no noodles needed.
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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: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Zucchini
  • 4 large zucchini Slice into thin planks.
  • 1 tsp salt For sweating.
Pesto
  • 2 fresh basil, packed For pesto.
  • 0.33 cup pine nuts Roughly 1/3 cup.
  • 3 garlic cloves 3 cloves.
  • 0.5 cup parmesan, grated Grated.
  • 0.33 cup olive oil Stream in while blending.
  • salt To taste for pesto.
Ricotta Layer
  • 2 cup ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 0.25 cup parmesan, grated
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
  • salt and pepper To taste for ricotta mixture.
  • 2 cup mozzarella, shredded
  • 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped Optional.
To Serve
  • extra pesto and basil For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 oven
  • 1 9x13 baking dish

Method
 

Prepare zucchini
  1. Salt the zucchini planks and rest 20 minutes, letting them sweat out moisture.
  2. Pat the salted zucchini dry and roast at 425°F for 10 minutes until lightly tender.
Make basil pesto
  1. Blend basil, pine nuts, garlic, and parmesan until the mixture starts to come together.
  2. Stream in olive oil while blending until smooth, then season with salt to taste.
Mix ricotta layer
  1. Stir ricotta with the egg, parmesan, chopped basil, and 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 baking dish.
  2. Layer the roasted zucchini planks over the pesto, then spread the ricotta layer evenly.
  3. Dollop and spread pesto generously over the ricotta, then scatter sun-dried tomatoes if using.
  4. Top with shredded mozzarella, then repeat layering zucchini, ricotta, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes, ending with mozzarella.
  5. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
  6. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more at 375°F until the mozzarella is golden.
Rest and serve
  1. Rest the lasagna 15 minutes before slicing to help the layers set.
  2. Serve with extra pesto drizzled over each slice and garnish with extra basil.

Notes

For cleaner slices, let the baked lasagna rest the full 15 minutes and spoon pesto onto each layer evenly (don’t skimp near the edges). Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat individual portions in the oven or microwave until hot. Freezing is not recommended for best texture. To make it vegetarian, ensure your pesto and cheese are vegetarian-friendly (most are), and pair with a fresh side salad for extra crunch.