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Try lasagna roll ups for a fun twist on the classic dish! These individual portions are packed with cheesy goodness and make a perfect weeknight dinner. Plus, it’s a protein packed vegetarian meal!
Why we love this recipe
What’s more fun than a classic lasagna? A pan of lasagna roll ups! This is one of Alex and my favorite dinner ideas because it’s so hearty and delicious. Mix up a vegetarian filling of spinach, basil and ricotta, then stuff it into noodle rolls with a garlicky, tangy tomato sauce.
Bake it up with melty mozzarella cheese and it’s an over-the-top crowd-pleasing dinner recipe we love to make for entertaining! This one was a big hit in our house—our kids love the roll shapes. It’s also a high protein vegetarian meal with 30 grams of protein per serving.
Ingredient notes for lasagna roll ups
As with any Italian dish, it’s important to use best quality ingredients for best results with lasagna roll ups. We recommend making the homemade marinara using fire roasted canned tomatoes for best flavor in this lasagna roll up recipe. Keep in mind, the types of cheese do matter! Here are a few specific ingredient notes to keep in mind:
- Use fire roasted tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes make the best flavor: they taste sweet and smoky right out of the can. If you can’t find them, substitute best quality tomatoes for the sauce.
- If using purchased marinara, add garlic and oregano. This helps to infuse homemade flavor into a purchased sauce.
- Alternatively, make your own homemade lasagna sauce with meat. This is a typical way to add meat to this recipe, but we prefer it as a vegetarian main dish!
- Whole milk mozzarella cheese makes a difference. This type of cheese melts much better than part skim mozzarella and has a richer flavor. It also melts better when reheating. You can taste the difference!
How to assemble lasagna roll ups
Once you’ve got all the ingredients, it’s time for the fun part: assembling the lasagna roll ups! It’s easiest to understand the process by seeing it, so here’s what to do:
Step 1:
- On a baking sheet, place 4 noodles flat.
- Spread ¼ cup cheese mixture down each noodle, then top with a bit of tomato sauce.
Step 2:
- Spread half the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan.
- Gently roll up each noodle, then place it into the pan. Repeat for each of the noodles.
Storing leftovers and make ahead tips
Lasagna roll ups take about 1 hour to make, which doesn’t always work for weeknights. This recipe is ideal for dinner parties or on weekends, but you can also prep some of the components in advance to make for a quicker assembly. Here are a few make-ahead tips:
- Cook the lasagna noodles and make the tomato sauce in advance. This saves about 20 minutes off in the timing of recipe. Refrigerate both until ready to fill.
- Leftovers store refrigerated for up to 3 days. You can make the entire dish in advance and refrigerate if you like. Leftovers tastes great after re-warming in a 375°F oven. Using whole milk mozzarella cheese is nice because it re-melts nicely when left over.
- Freeze leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Place on the counter or in the refrigerator to thaw. Or, you can place it right into a 375°F oven and reheat until warmed through and the cheese is melted.
Sides to serve with lasagna roll ups
These lasagna roll ups bake for 30 minutes, which gives you ample time to put together a side dish! We like serving lasagna roll ups with a crisp salad or simple sauteed vegetables. You could also go traditional Italian American with garlic bread. Here are a few of our top sides to serve with lasagna:
- Go for simple Arugula Salad or Watercress Salad.
- Try our fan-favorite Chopped Salad, Romaine Lettuce Salad, or Italian Salad, or make elegant Crisp Apple Salad or Grapefruit Salad with Almonds.
- Try quick veggie sides like Green Beans Almondine, Haricot Verts, Sauteed Broccolini, Sauteed Brussels Sprouts, Sauteed Kale or Sauteed Rainbow Chard.
More pasta recipes
Love a good showy pasta? Us too! Here are a few more Italian dinner recipes that celebrate the pasta noodle:
- Go for Cacio e Pepe, Sun Dried Tomato Pasta or Tagliatelle Pasta
- Opt for classic Vegetarian Lasagna, Stuffed Shells, Baked Ziti or Baked Rigatoni.
- Browse our top 40 Pasta Recipes for Dinner.
Dietary notes
This lasagna roll ups recipe is vegetarian. For gluten-free, use gluten-free lasagna noodles.
Frequently asked questions
You can, but this recipe is optimized for standard noodles. You may also want to add a few tablespoons of water to the bottom of your baking dish.
Reheat individual roll-ups in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Alternatively, bake them in a preheated 375°F oven for about 15 minutes.
Yes! Get creative with your fillings. Try using spinach and ricotta, sausage and peppers, or even a vegetarian filling with sauteed mushrooms or sauteed zucchini.
Lasagna Roll Ups
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Try lasagna roll ups for a fun twist on the classic dish! These individual portions are packed with cheesy goodness and make a perfect weeknight dinner. Plus, it’s a protein packed vegetarian meal!
Ingredients
- 12 lasagna noodles (10 ounces)
- 28-ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes*
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 10 ounces frozen spinach
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, plus more for garnish
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups whole milk mozzarella cheese, divided
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 egg
- Chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Boil the noodles: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Boil the noodles until just al dente, according to the package instructions, stirring often. Drain the noodles, then drizzle a baking sheet with a bit of olive oil. Lay the noodles flat onto the sheet, then turn them over so they become coated with olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce: In a medium bowl, mix the fire roasted tomatoes, grated garlic, olive oil, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and ¾ teaspoon kosher salt. Mix well until all the olive oil is incorporated.
- Make the filling: Thaw the spinach following the package instructions, then squeeze out as much water as possible with your fingers (the spinach should feel dry and crumbly before using it). In a medium bowl, mix it with the basil, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, ½ cup mozzarella cheese, lemon zest, egg, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper.
- Roll the noodles: Spread half the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. On a baking sheet, place 4 noodles. Spread ¼ cup cheese mixture down each noodle, then top with a bit of tomato sauce (see the photos). Gently roll up each noodle, then place the noodle roll into the baking dish. Repeat for each of the noodles.
- Finish: Once all noodles are rolled and in the baking dish, pour the remaining tomato sauce on top, and sprinkle the remaining 1 ½ cups mozzarella on top.
- Bake: Cover the pan with foil (so it’s not touching the cheese) and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover the foil and bake for 10 minutes. If desired, broil 2 minutes until the cheese is browned. Garnish with chopped parsley or basil and serve. Leftovers last refrigerated for 4 days; reheat in a 375°F oven until warmed through. You can also freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
Notes
*If desired, you can use purchased marinara sauce instead of making your own, or make your favorite lasagna sauce with meat. If using purchased marinara, still add the 1 clove grated garlic and 1 teaspoon dried oregano to enhance the flavor.
- Category: Main dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
This looks great, but you have said to make up the rolls on a baking sheet? Do you then put the baking sheet in with the rolls in the dish with the tomato sauce? I’m from the UK maybe it’s lost in translation! Thank you
The rolls are assembled on the baking sheet, then you’ll transfer them to the baking dish for adding the sauce! See Step 5!
Hello,
I love your recipes. Everything we have made is perfectly seasoned, easy to follow and delicious. Why do you add an egg to the cheese and spinach mixture?
Great question! Adding egg to the ricotta mixture helps to bind together the texture. However if you prefer, you can leave it out!
In the ingredients list, you don’t say how much — and even in the directions some amounts aren’t specified (e.g. cheeses, roasted tomatoes, spinach). Also in the directions you say bake 20 minutes, but in the tips area you say it takes 30 minutes to bake. Which is correct? I’d love to try making the roll ups but don’t want to mess up by not having enough ingredients. I hope you can email me when you’ve posted a response. Thank you.
Hi there! Looks like you are looking at the post and not the recipe itself! Click this link to go to the recipe: https://www.acouplecooks.com/lasagna-roll-ups/#tasty-recipes-137746-jump-target