Hello everyone,

If you know me, you know that I love pasta, but sometimes I want something a little lighter with drastically less carbs. Spiralized carrot or zucchini is certainly on trend, but for whatever reason I simply want my noodles to taste like noodles. I can’t help it! Not to worry – there are many other healthy pasta alternatives, and my new favorite is a hearty helping of vegan zucchini roll ups.

This recipe includes all the flavor you seek in an Italian dinner, but no heavy pasta. You simply use finely sliced zucchini, sort of like a lasagna strip. The dish also includes my new favorite nut cheese which uses a mixture of pepitas, tofu, and Daiya mozzerella. It’s so, so good, and it’s much better for you than traditional ricotta cheese. Aside from the rich flavor, the best part of this recipe is that it has a quick cook time, and the “rolling” is actually quite fun.

I think this would be the perfect dish to make with your loved ones help! Please give it a try and let me know what you think!

Cheers and happy cooking!

Jocelyn

* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own!

Vegan Zucchini Roll Ups

***Please feel free to share widely, just give me some credit or a link back

Prep Time: ~25 minutes; Cook Time: ~15-20 minutes; Yield: ~9×9 Pyrex

Cookware

10-Cup Food Processor or blender

or blender Mandoline Slicer or other vegetable slicer

or other vegetable slicer 9×9 Pyrex Glass Baking Dish or metal baking pan

or metal baking pan 2 large kitchen towels

Ingredients

Primary 3 medium zucchini, finely sliced lengthwise 2-3 cups Classic Marinara Sauce ½ cup finely chopped carrot, cucumber, and zucchini into 1.5″ long sticks

Nut “Cheese” 1 cup Pepitas (Raw/ unsalted) 1½ tbs. nutritional yeast 1 tbs. finely chopped fresh basil ½ tbs. oregano or other Italian seasoning ½ bag of Daiya mozzarella 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 12 oz. package of tofu (I used soft, but if you want a thicker “cheese,” you can use firm)

Instructions Preheat the oven to 350 F. Slice zucchini using a mandoline Slicer or other vegetable slicer. Lay out zucchini strips on a large, clean kitchen towel. Salt the slices to draw out the moisture and set aside for at least 15 minutes. Slice your carrots, zucchini, and cucumber into 1.5″ sticks. In a food processor, pulse the pepitas and nutritional yeast until well mixed. Add in the tofu, basil, oregano, garlic, and Daiya, pulse until fully combined. Transfer the zucchini to a clean kitchen towel. Add 1 tablespoon dollops of filling to each slice and spread into an even, thin layer. Add 1 small stick of carrot, zucchini and cucumber, and roll up. Pour marinara sauce into a ~9×9 baking pan or pyrex dish, reserving at least a ½ cup. Add the roll-ups, spiral side up, and cover with a bit more sauce. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Garnish with vegan cheese, extra basil, and enjoy!