My freezer is lookin’ a little bare these days, so it’s time to start making some stuff that I can freeze portions of for nights when I just want to pop something in the microwave. These Garden Vegetable Lasagna Roll Ups are the perfect “homemade microwave dinner.” I can freeze two roll-ups in individual containers and have a super hearty and delicious meal ready after only a couple minutes in the microwave (AND I can pair it with some Freezer Garlic Bread!).
What’s in Garden Vegetable Lasagna Roll Ups?
This recipe is a spin-off of my old (and wildly popular) Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups. This time, though, I packed it full of more vegetables and nixed the egg. Why did I do away with the egg? Because once the egg is removed, there are no more “raw” ingredients that need to be cooked for safety.
This means I can just roll the filling up in the lasagna noodles, pour sauce over top, and pop them in the freezer. No need to bake first. Of course, I did bake these Garden Vegetable Lasagna Roll Ups as if I was serving the whole pan for dinner so I could photograph them for the blog, but you wouldn’t have to if you didn’t want to. And to my delight, the filling was plenty firm after cooking, even without the egg.
How to Freeze Lasagna Roll Ups
I like to divide mine into single portions of two roll ups each before freezing. That way I can take out one serving at a time to reheat whenever I want. You can freeze the entire casserole whole, if you prefer, but that can make reheating a bit more complicated. To reheat a previously frozen whole dish of lasagna roll ups, let it thaw in the refrigerator over night first, then bake as directed in the recipe below.
Anyway, are you ready to see how to make these tasty little roll ups?
Garden Vegetable Lasagna Roll Ups
Servings 6 (2 roll ups each)Ingredients
- 1 lb. lasagna noodles ($2.15)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.70)
- 8 oz. button mushrooms ($1.78)
- 1 zucchini ($0.84)
- 2 carrots ($0.22)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- Salt and Pepper to taste ($0.10)
- 15 oz. ricotta cheese ($1.94)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella ($1.33)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.36)
- 1 24oz. jar pasta sauce ($1.98)
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of water. Once the water is boiling, add the lasagna noodles and boil just until tender. Drain the pasta in a colander and set aside.
- While the lasagna noodles are boiling, prepare the vegetable mix. Mince the garlic and dice the onion. Add the cooking oil to a large skillet, along with the garlic and onion, and sauté over medium heat until the onions are transparent.
- While the onions are cooking, rinse and thinly slice the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and continue to sauté. While the mushrooms are cooking, grate the zucchini and carrots on a large holed cheese grater. Add the zucchini and carrots to the skillet, along with the oregano, about 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Continue to sauté until most of the moisture has evaporated (juice should no longer pool on the bottom of the skillet). Remove the skillet from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
- Next, prepare the cheese mix. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir until they are evenly combined. Add the slightly cooled sautéed vegetables and stir to combine again. Taste and adjust the salt or pepper if needed.
- Carefully lay out a few lasagna noodles at a time on a flat surface. Add approximately 1/3 cup of the vegetable and cheese mixture to each noodle, then spread the mixture from end to end, leaving about a 1/2 inch bare at each end of the noodle. Once covered in the filling, roll the noodles up. You should get approximately finished 12 roll ups (you may have extra noodles).
- To bake the roll ups, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat a 9×9 casserole dish with non-stick spray. Spread about 1/4 of the pasta sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish, then arrange the roll ups on top. Pour the remaining sauce over top. Bake for 40 minutes, or until heated through.
- To freeze the roll ups, Place two roll ups each in a freezer and microwave safe container, then pour sauce over top. Freeze for up to three months. Reheat in the microwave when ready to eat.
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Nutrition
How to Make Vegetable Lasagna Roll Ups – Step by Step Photos
First, boil one pound of lasagna noodles according to the package directions. I didn’t use the entire pound of pasta, but it’s nice to have some extra because a few will undoubtably tear. Be careful while stirring them in the pot to help prevent tearing. Only boil until they are just tender. Over boiling will make them delicate and more likely to tear.
While the pasta is boiling, prepare the vegetable mix. I used 2 cloves garlic, 1 onion, 8oz. mushrooms, 1 zucchini, and two carrots. You can use different vegetables if you’d like.
Mince the garlic and dice the onion. Add both to a large skillet with 1 Tbsp canola oil and sauté over medium heat. While the onion and garlic are sautéing, rinse the mushrooms then slice them thinly. Add the sliced mushrooms to the skillet and continue to sauté until they are limp.
While the mushrooms are sautéing, grate the zucchini using a large holed cheese grater. Peel the carrots, then grate them in the same manner.
Add the zucchini and carrot to the skillet, along with 1 tsp dried oregano, about 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Continue to sauté until most of the moisture has evaporated away (about five minutes). There should no longer be juice pooling on the bottom of the skillet. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow it to cool a little (you don’t want it so hot that it melts the cheese).
To a large bowl add 15oz. ricotta, 1 cup shredded mozzarella, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, and another 1/4 tsp salt. Stir until evenly combined.
When the vegetables have cooled a little, add them to the cheese mixture.
Stir the vegetables and cheese together, then taste to see if it needs more salt or pepper. This is another advantage of not having the egg! You can safely taste the mixture to see if the seasoning is adequate before cooking it. Woot.
Carefully lay out a few of the cooked and drained lasagna noodles on a flat surface. Place about 1/3 cup of the vegetable and cheese mixture onto each noodle, then spread it from end to end (I like to leave about a 1/2 inch bare at each end). Then just roll ’em on up!
Once you have them all rolled up, you can either bake it like a casserole, or freeze individual portions. If you want to freeze them, just pop a couple of the Garden Vegetable Lasagna Roll Ups into a freezer and microwave safe container, pour sauce over top, and they’re ready to freeze.
To bake the Garden Vegetable Lasagna Roll Ups as a casserole, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9×9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray. Add about 1/4 of the pasta sauce to the bottom of the dish, then arrange the roll ups on top.
Pour the remaining sauce over top.
Bake for about 40 minutes, or until it’s heated through. I like my noodles a little crispy on the edges and I like it when the sauce gets nice and thick, so I did not cover the casserole dish. If you want the noodles to stay soft and moist from edge to edge, you can cover the dish with foil.
These little Garden Vegetable Lasagna Roll Ups are a lot more filling than they appear! Super good and gives me that pasta fix while sneaking in the vegetables.
Absolutely loved these! I didn’t have any carrots so I swapped in some chopped spinach and it worked great. Will definitely make again!
Hi! I love your site. Thank you for sharing your cheap, easy, DELICIOUS recipes!
No one in my family (husband + 3 teen boys) noticed there was no meat and they want this in the rotation!
A question about reheating from frozen. I’m planning to cook and then put in individual ziplock-style baggies (those square Ziplock containers are not available, at least not affordably, here in Norway). To reheat, my kids would slide it out of the baggie onto a plate and reheat in the microwave? Not on the defrost setting, but the regular setting? For 10 minutes or so?
Yes, take it out of the bag. You might want to cover it up with a paper towel so the sauce does not sputter everywhere. Reheat until steaming, as every microwave has a different power setting and timing depends on power settings and how much food is in it.
Thanks so much for the detailed response, Monti!
Thanks for being here, Cortsa!
I have veganized this recipe and made it many times, I love it! I plan to make these for a dinner party. Could I do all of the steps prior to pouring sauce on top & refrigerate until baking the next day?
I love that you’ve veganized it! Yes, do everything up until that sauce. If you’re freezing it in a casserole dish, remember to give it enough time to that overnight in the fridge. XOXO -Monti
I haven’t made these in years but my husband randomly requested them the other day (he never requests specific recipes) so obviously these were memorable. Made the mini garden Turkey loaves this week too since they use the same veg. Adding it back into my rotation. :) love your site and recipes!!
What is the best way to freeze these individually? I want to make these for someone whose spouse has just passed but I wasn’t sure if you bake these and then put them in individual containers ,so she could pop these in the microwave or freeze uncooked? What kind of individual containers did you use so as not to use to much space in the freezer? Im sorry if you’ve already answered this question. Thank you for the tasty recipes.
Hi Clarissa, I baked mine first and then divided them up (two rolls per serving) into those reusable Ziploc containers with the blue lid. They have a small square size that works pretty well for these. :)
Tried this recipe and my whole family loved it. It will be made often at my houise.
Ive been making this recipe for years and it’s still just as amazing as the first time. Great recipe Beth!
I haven’t made these yet but I’m looking forward to trying the recipe! A couple of questions: for freezing them, do you bake it first and then freeze? Or freeze them without baking and then bake them after freezing? If after, do you bake them straight from being frozen or allow them to thaw first? Thanks!
Hi Deana! I’d freeze them baked so that way they’re ready to go right when you thaw and reheat.
My husband these tonight and they were great. Can’t wait to have the left overs.