I love lasagna in all its forms, especially these cute little Lasagna Roll Ups that are perfectly portioned for meal prep. Stash a few portions of these in your freezer for a rainy day and you will THANK yourself later. Promise. Lasagna roll ups are flexible and you can fill them with whatever you like, sausage, beef, or even make them vegetarian as I have here with a light spinach-ricotta filling. No matter the flavor, they’re delicious and fun to eat!
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What Are Lasagna Roll Ups?
Lasagna roll ups have all the same components of lasagna, but they are combined in different form. Instead of layering the ingredients into a casserole dish, the filling is spread onto each lasagna noodle and then rolled into a perfect little portion. Sauce is poured over the top and then they’re baked to perfection!
Ingredients for Lasagna Roll Ups
As with traditional lasagna, the filling for these lasagna roll ups is quite flexible. Here is what you’ll need to make the vegetarian spinach and ricotta-filled version below:
- Lasagna Noodles: Each lasagna noodle makes one bundle. I like to get the flutter edge noodles instead of flat noodles because they make the prettiest roll ups.
- Cheese: We use a mix of ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese to create the most flavorful filling for the roll ups.
- Egg: Egg helps bind the cheese filling and keeps the filling moist and rich. I have, on occasion, forgotten the egg and the lasagna roll ups still turned out quite delicious, just not as moist.
- Frozen Spinach: I chose to make a vegetarian version of lasagna roll ups to save on money, using an inexpensive block of frozen cut spinach, but you can swap for Italian sausage or ground beef if you want a meat version. Sautéed mushrooms also work well.
- Pasta Sauce: To make this recipe extra easy, I used a simple jar of pasta sauce to drench the lasagna roll ups. If you prefer to make your own, you can use our Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce, or our quick Weeknight Pasta Sauce and have meat in addition to the spinach.
What to Serve with Lasagna Roll Ups
Some homemade garlic bread and a nice side salad would be perfect to pair with this meal and will add some color and freshness to the plate. But the roll ups are pretty filling on their own, so you won’t need to add much to make it a meal!
Meal Prep It!
These lasagna roll ups will stay good in the refrigerator for about five days, so make sure to portion them out into air-tight containers after cooking for quick grab-and-reheat meals for the rest of the week. After the portions are chilled in the refrigerator you can transfer some to the freezer for longer storage (up to three months).
To reheat the frozen lasagna roll ups, either let them thaw in the refrigerator over night before reheating in the microwave, or go straight from the freezer to the microwave, making sure to use the defrost function first.
Lasagna Roll Ups
Servings 8 (2 rolls each)Ingredients
- 12 oz. lasagna noodles ($2.19)
- 15 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese ($3.39)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided ($2.33)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.38)
- 1 large egg ($0.09)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed ($1.20)
- 1 24oz. jar pasta sauce ($1.99)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add 1 tsp salt to season the water, then add the lasagna noodles. Boil the noodles just until al dente (they become too delicate to roll if they are too soft). Drain the noodles in a colander.
- While the noodles are boiling, drain the thawed spinach, squeezing out as much of the excess water as possible. Add the spinach to a bowl with the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper. Stir until everything is evenly combined.
- Once the lasagna noodles have cooled enough to touch with your hands, lay a few noodles out onto a clean surface. Spread about ¼ cup of the spinach and cheese filling onto each noodle, spreading it from edge to edge. It's okay if the filling is thin or doesn't create a solid layer. Roll the noodles up, then place in a large casserole dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles until you've used all of the filling. You should get about 16 roll ups and you may have a few noodles left over (those will be back up in case any tear).
- Once all of the noodles are filled, rolled, and placed in the casserole dish, pour the jar of pasta sauce over top. Top the lasagna roll ups with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake the lasagna roll ups for 30 minutes in the preheated 400ºF oven. Serve hot and enjoy!
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Nutrition
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How to Make Lasagna Roll Ups – Step by Step Photos
Thaw one 10oz. package of frozen chopped spinach (either use the defrost function on a microwave or transfer it to the refrigerator the day before to thaw). Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Once the spinach is fully thawed, squeeze out as much water as possible from the spinach. You should have about one cup tightly packed spinach after squeezing.
Add the spinach to a large bowl with one large egg, 15oz. ricotta cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. Stir everything together until evenly combined.
Boil 12oz. lasagna noodles until al dente, then drain in a colander. Do not let the noodles overcook or they’ll be too delicate to work with. You’ll only need 12 noodles, but you’ll likely have a few more if you boil an entire 12oz. box. It’s always good to have a few back up in case they tear as you’re filling and rolling.
Lay a few of the lasagna noodles out onto a clean surface and spread a thin layer of the cheese filling onto each noodle from edge to edge. The filling does not need to be thick or in a solid layer because it adds up when the noodles are rolled. I used heaping ¼ cup of filling per noodle.
As you fill and roll the noodles, place them in a large casserole dish. Pour one 24oz. jar of marinara sauce over the lasagna roll ups.
Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella over the lasagna roll ups.
Cover the baking dish and bake the roll ups for about 30 minutes in the preheated 400ºF oven, or until the sauce and cheese are bubbling up around the edges.
Serve and enjoy! (Garnish with parsley for a little extra color, if desired.)
I cooked the pasta, left it in the strainer and went to do the grocery shopping. I think that was a mistake, because when I got back they were all stuck together and dry in the middle. I should have listened to you and rolled them when they were just warm enough to handle. As I had already defrosted the spinach, I ended up making a sort of messy pasta casserole.
I make spinach lasagna roll ups all the time. If you really want to take it over the top, add some pesto. I freeze my own pesto as ice cubes so just add one or two of them, defrosted of course. 😋
Yessss, that’s such a great idea!
Any suggestions for ricotta cheese substitute? I’m currently living in a foreign country and I have looked in every grocery store and I’ve been unable to locate ricotta cheese but desperately want to try these!
Hi Jessica- try mascarpone or cottage cheese. You can also make your own ricotta. Heat a half gallon of whole milk and a few generous pinches of salt on medium until it starts to steam (but not boil). Turn the heat down to low and add 3 tablespoons of distilled vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Stir until curds start to form. Take the pot off the heat and let it sit (covered) for about a half hour. Drain through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. Tie the cheesecloth into a bundle and then squeeze as much liquid as possible out of it. xoxo -Monti
Thanks so much!
Another good option is to make a bechamel sauce – the main ingredients are butter, flour, and milk. It’s common to use bechamel instead of ricotta in lasagna recipes!
I used to make these for my children 35 or so yrs ago, and lost the recipe. My friend who I got it from lost hers too.
So delighted you posted this so that I-can once again delight my grown 40 something kids and my grandchildren to food Daddy and Mommy enjoyed when they were their age. Easy peasy, relatively nutritions & eye appealing.
Can fresh spinach be substituted for frozen? And if so what is the new ratios?
I think with some tweaking you could definitely use fresh spinach! I would cook it down separately and make sure to get out as much water as I can before adding it to the cheese mixture. 10 oz. of frozen spinach equals around 1.5 cups cooked. To get that much with fresh greens, you will need about 16oz of fresh spinach (cooked and drained.) ~Marion :)
I can vouch that this lasagna is delicious. I have been married 47 years and my husband declared that this was the best meal I have ever served. I won’t lie. This is a labor intensive preparation; but worth it in the end, with that kind of compliment! I created an assembly line on my kitchen counter. First in line was the drained, cooked lasagna noodle. Next in line was the ricotta/spinach mixture. Then the cooking vessel (I used disposable aluminum pans) then the sauce, then the mozzarella cheese, then the foil. I added browned ground beef and browned mild Italian sausage to the tomato sauce.
This is a favorite of mine and I love that it’s cheap and easy, just like me! 😂
I’ve used this as a base recipe but with several adaptations.
I’ve drained the noodles and sprinkled a bit of olive oil on to prevent the noodles sticking together.
More marinara sauce. I put a layer on the bottom of the cooking dish and then add the filled rolls. I finish with another layer of marinara and a sprinkle of mozzarella and Edam cheese on the top.
I use all the noodles including the broken ones. Start rolling at the end that is a bit broken and finish with the end that is intact. Once baked together the “pieces” will stay intact in the roll.
Leftover noodles are used to make a separate “lasagna” dish with all the leftover broken noodles and filling. I also add marinara sauce to this dish. I find using a glass bread pan works perfect for the amount left over.
To the filling I add Italian seasoning, shredded garlic and dried onion pieces. (I’m not sure fresh onions would cook through in 30 mins).
I found the recipe as is quite dry and my family’s preference is for a moister “lasagna”.
I’ve also used other fillings such a mushrooms, red peppers and 1/2 creamcheese 1/2 ricotta, with seasonings. (fabulous)
Overall it’s a good base recipe which allows you to customize for your own tastes.
Thank you!!
This is one of my favorite websites for recipes. I appreciate the time you take to break down the costs and help show that good food doesn’t have to be expensive! It has helped me a lot especially since 2020 and soaring food prices. Will try this recipe soon on date night with my husband!
Thanks for being here, Beth! XOXO -Monti
Hi, if I want to make these and serve them 3 days later what is the best way to do it? I wont be able to cook them only warm them up. how can i freeze it or will they stay in the fridge?
They’ll be good in the fridge for about 3-4 days. Any longer than that and I suggest freezing them. Go ahead and bake them first, then after baking divide them into single portions and either store in the fridge or freezer. You can just use the microwave to reheat. :)
Great recipe although to taste better I added onion powder and garlic powder to the mixture and I was only able to get 12 roll ups from this recipe
I struggled with rolling up the noodles on this one. Not sure if I used the wrong kind or cooked them too long, but they just kept falling apart. In the end I just gave up and made regular lasagna, with the broken noodles in the middle to hide them. It was really tasty, though! Next time I’ll be more careful to only boil the noodles JUST until they’re soft.
I loved this recipe, my husband jumped in and wanted to help liking how Different it looked. Mother in law was impressed as well!
I made these with pesto in the filling according to your stuffed jumbo shells recipe. Easy to make, absolutely delicious and really filling! Thank you for a great recipe for our Valentine’s Day meal. :)
Yummie I’m making this. Looks delicious. Thank you for sharing. Happy holidays