Lasagna roll ups are a unique way to serve this iconic dish! Roll the noodles around the filling for tasty and fun dinner recipe.
What’s more fun than a classic lasagna? Whip up a pan of Lasagna Roll Ups! This unique spin on the iconic Italian dish is a fun way to put a spin on dinner. This recipe features a comforting vegetarian filling of spinach, basil and ricotta, topped with a garlicky easy homemade tomato sauce. Roll up the noodles and cover them in melty mozzarella cheese, and it’s fun, a crowd-pleasing dinner recipe. This one was a big hit in our house (our 5 year old loved the roll shapes!).
Ingredients for lasagna roll ups
This lasagna roll ups recipe brings big flavor with a minimal ingredient list. The best part? The zingy homemade tomato sauce, which requires no cooking at all! Fire roasted tomatoes are key to a developed, complex flavor with no simmering time. If desired, you could substitute your favorite lasagna sauce with meat. Here’s what you’ll need for this lasagna roll ups recipe:
- Lasagna noodles
- Fire roasted crushed tomatoes
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Dried oregano
- Frozen spinach
- Fresh basil
- Ricotta cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Whole milk mozzarella cheese
- Lemon zest
- Egg
- Salt
Ingredient notes
As with any Italian dish, it’s important to use best quality ingredients for the best results. We recommend making the homemade marinara using fire roasted canned tomatoes. And 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 the garlic and oregano in the recipe. This helps to infuse homemade flavor into the purchased sauce.
- Or, you can 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 make lasagna roll ups
Once you’ve assembled 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 refer to the photo above. Here’s what to do:
- Spread half the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan.
- On a baking sheet, place 4 noodles flat.
- Spread ¼ cup cheese mixture down each noodle.
- Then top with a bit of tomato sauce.
- Gently roll up each noodle, then place it into the pan. Repeat for each of the noodles.
Leftover storage and make ahead tips
Lasagna roll ups take about 1 hour to make, which doesn’t always work for weeknights. So this one is ideal for dinner parties or on weekends! However, you can prep some of the components in advance to make for a simpler 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 degree 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 degree 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 ultra-simple Arugula Salad or Watercress Salad
- Try our best Chopped Salad, Romaine Lettuce Salad or Italian Salad
- Go for Crisp Apple Salad or Grapefruit Salad with Almonds
- Saute up some Green Beans Almondine, Haricot Verts, Sauteed Broccolini, Quick Sauteed Brussels Sprouts, Best Ever 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 simple Cacio e Pepe
- Opt for classic Vegetarian Lasagna with Ricotta
- Try Easy Stuffed Shells
- Bake up Baked Ziti or Baked Rigatoni Pasta
This lasagna roll ups recipe is…
Vegetarian. For gluten-free, use gluten-free lasagna noodles.
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Lasagna Roll Ups
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Lasagna roll ups are a unique way to serve this iconic dish! Roll the noodles around the filling for tasty and fun dinner recipe.
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 pan. 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 it into the pan. Repeat for each of the noodles.
- Finish the pan: Once all noodles are rolled, 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
Keywords: Lasagna roll ups, lasagna roll ups recipe
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
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!