Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant.

Stir in crushed tomatoes and season everything to taste. Let the sauce simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, then pull it off the heat and set aside.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and break it apart with a spatula as it cooks, until it’s nearly cooked through.

Toss in sliced mushrooms along with a splash of olive oil if the pan looks dry. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms turn tender.

Add the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer everything to a paper-towel-lined plate and let it cool slightly.

Combine the cooled sausage and mushroom mixture with ricotta, Parmesan, chopped spinach, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Stir everything until fully combined.

Set your oven to 425°F while you finish prepping the zucchini.

Lay the zucchini ribbons out on a work surface and sprinkle them lightly with salt. Let them rest for about 10 minutes.

Blot each ribbon thoroughly with paper towels.

Spread the prepared tomato sauce evenly across the bottom of a baking dish.

Place a heaping tablespoon of ricotta filling at one end of each zucchini ribbon. Roll the zucchini around the filling gently, standing each roll upright in the baking dish.

Repeat this process until every ribbon and all the filling gets used, arranging the rolls snugly together.

Sprinkle the grated mozzarella evenly over the top of all the stuffed zucchini roll-ups.

Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes, until the zucchini turns tender and the mozzarella melts into golden perfection.

Let the dish sit for a couple of minutes before serving. Garnish generously with fresh basil or chopped parsley.