Lasagna roll ups are a fun twist on a traditional meat lasagna. Tender lasagna noodles are filled with a delicious ricotta cheese mixture, topped with meat sauce, rolled up into individual portions, and topped with more cheese, making this the ultimate comfort food. This family-friendly recipe is also easy to make ahead, freezer-friendly, and reheats really well. Plus, they are so much easier to scoop out of the pan and serve.
Why You'll Love Lasagna Roll Ups
- Ultimate comfort food. It doesn't get any more comforting that lasagna. Tender lasagna noodles, hearty meat sauce, and gooey melty cheese just hits the spot every time. Some other comfort foods to try are: Pasta Bake with Sausage, Stovetop Mac and Cheese, and Ham and Potatoes au Gratin.
- More fun than traditional lasagna. Meat Lasagna is a classic go-to meal to feed a crowd. But it's always fun to switch things up a little. With a special twist, lasagna roll ups bring all the flavors of lasagna into easy single servings.
- Easy to serve. These lasagna roll ups hold their shape after baking. Since the meat and cheese are rolled up in between each piece of lasagna, you can rest assured it’s not going anywhere. And because the lasagna roll ups are already pre-portioned, there’s no cutting involved, making them incredibly easy to dish out.
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make these homemade lasagna roll ups, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in recipe card below):
- lasagna noodles - boiled in olive oil and salt.
- meat sauce - made with olive oil, ground beef, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, and parsley.
- cheese layer - ricotta cheese. mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, and salt.
- mozzarella cheese - more mozzarella on top.
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, large pot or 4 qt. Dutch oven, medium mixing bowl, large baking pan, 10x15-inch casserole pan, and aluminum foil.
How to Make the Best Lasagna Roll Ups
- Cook the lasagna noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium high heat. Add lasagna noodles, olive oil and salt and cook until al dente (fully cooked but still firm), or according to package directions, about 10 minutes. Rinse the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside in the pot.
- Rinsing the lasagna noodles with cold water will stop the cooking process. If you transfer it to a bowl without cooking, it will continue cooking and will be overcooked. Soft pasta can break when you are trying to assemble the roll-ups.
- Make the meat sauce. Heat oil in a large saucepan for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until the oil is sizzling hot. Add ground beef and cook for 5-7 minutes until browned. Make sure to break up beef into small pieces to help even browning. Add onion and garlic. Stir well to combine and continue cooking until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add tomato sauce and stir well to mix. Bring the meat sauce to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the lid and let it simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in parsley and set aside.
- Prepare the cheese mixture. In a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, beaten egg, and parsley. Stir well to combine together. Set aside.
How to Assemble Lasagna Roll Ups
Assembling lasagna roll ups is actually not too difficult. First, lay out the lasagna noodles. Spread cheese mixture evenly on top, and top with meat sauce. Roll up each noodle tightly and set aside.
Then, arrange the pan. Spread meat sauce on the bottom of a 10x15-inch casserole pan. Place assembled lasagna roll ups seam side down in the pan. Top with more meat sauce and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top.
How to Bake Lasagna Roll Ups
Lightly grease a large piece of aluminum foil and cover the pan with the greased side inside. Optionally, you can put toothpicks into the rolls to create a tent with the foil. This helps to prevent the melted mozzarella cheese from sticking to the foil while baking.
Then, bake.
- Bake covered in a 375F preheated oven for 45 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 5-10 minutes or until the melted cheese turns golden brown and bubbly.
- Optionally, turn the oven to broil and broil on high for 1-2 minutes to get the crispy and brown cheesy crust. Keep a close eye on the roll ups because things can burn quickly in the broiler.
- Let the lasagna cool for at least 10-20 minutes before serving (to avoid it being sloppy). Serve with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley on top, if desired.
Storing Instructions
- How to store lasagna before baking: Store assembled uncooked lasagna roll ups in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, covered with aluminum foil.
- How to store and reheat lasagna after baking: Store in the pan, sealed with aluminum foil, or transfer to an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven at 350 F for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through. You can also reheat a single roll up in the air fryer uncovered at 350 F for 10 minutes, or in the microwave for a few minutes.
- How to freeze lasagna before or after baking: Store lasagna roll ups (either uncooked or cooked) in the freezer for up to 3 months, covered in foil. I would recommend using a disposable aluminum pan for assembling the lasagna in if you are planning to freeze it. To cook frozen uncooked lasagna roll ups, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then bake according to recipe instructions.
- How to reheat frozen lasagna:
- To reheat frozen uncooked lasagna roll ups, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then bake according to recipe instructions.
- To reheat frozen cooked lasagna roll ups, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator or kitchen counter. Then, reheat in the same way that you would with lasagna stored in the refrigerator.
More Pasta Recipes
- Creamy White Chicken and Spinach Lasagna
- Easy Meat Lasagna
- Creamy Spinach and Tomato Vegetarian Lasagna
- Mascarpone Pesto Pasta
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta
- Pasta Bake with Sausage (Baked Ziti)
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Lasagna Roll Ups
- Total Time: 1 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 lasagna roll ups
Description
Lasagna roll ups are a twist on traditional lasagna. Lasagna noodles are filled with cheese and meat sauce and rolled up. Make ahead and freezer-friendly!
Ingredients
For the lasagna noodles:
- 12 dry lasagna noodles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the meat sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 2 (14 oz.) cans tomato sauce (about 3.5 cups)
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
For the cheese mixture:
- 1 (15 oz.) package ricotta cheese (about 2 cups)
- 2 + ½ cups mozzarella cheese, divided
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
Cook the Lasagna Noodles:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium high heat. Add lasagna noodles, olive oil and salt and cook until al dente (fully cooked but still firm), or according to package directions, about 10 minutes. Rinse the noodles under cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside in the pot.
Make the Meat Sauce:
- Heat oil in a large saucepan for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until the oil is sizzling hot. Add ground beef and cook for 5-7 minutes until browned. Make sure to break up beef into small pieces to help even browning.
- Add onion and garlic. Stir well to combine and continue cooking until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce and stir well to mix. Bring the meat sauce to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the lid and let it simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
- Stir in parsley and set aside.
Prepare the Cheese Mixture:
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, beaten egg, and parsley. Stir well to combine together. Set aside.
Assemble the Lasagna Roll Ups:
- Arrange cooked noodles (6 noodles at a time) on a large half sheet baking pan in a single layer (Rolling up the lasagna in a pan helps reduce the mess).
- Spread ¼ cup of the cheese mixture evenly over each noodle and top with 3-4 tablespoons of meat sauce. Roll up each noodle tightly and it place seam side down.
- In a 10x15-inch casserole pan, add and evenly spread ½ cup meat sauce.
- Arrange 12 assembled lasagna roll ups, seam side down in the pan.
- Spread the remaining meat sauce over and sprinkle the remaining 1.5 cups mozzarella cheese on top.
Bake the Lasagna Roll Ups:
- Lightly grease a large piece of aluminum foil and cover the pan (greased side down). Greasing the foil prevents the melted cheese from sticking to the foil while baking. Optionally, you can put toothpicks into the rolls to create a tent with the foil.
- Bake covered for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 5-10 minutes or until the melted cheese turns golden brown and bubbly.
- Optionally, turn the oven to broil and broil on high for 1-2 minutes to get the crispy and brown cheesy crust. Keep a close eye on the roll ups because things can burn quickly in the broiler.
- Let the lasagna cool for at least 10-20 minutes before serving (to avoid it being sloppy). Serve with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley on top, if desired.
Notes
How to store lasagna before baking: Store assembled uncooked lasagna roll ups in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, covered with aluminum foil.
How to store and reheat lasagna after baking: Store in the pan, sealed with aluminum foil, or transfer to an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, cover with aluminum foil and place in the oven at 350 F for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through. You can also reheat a single roll up in the air fryer uncovered at 350 F for 10 minutes, or in the microwave for a few minutes.
How to freeze lasagna before or after baking: Store lasagna roll ups (either uncooked or cooked) in the freezer for up to 3 months, covered in foil. I would recommend using a disposable aluminum pan for assembling the lasagna in if you are planning to freeze it. To cook frozen uncooked lasagna roll ups, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then bake according to recipe instructions.
How to reheat frozen lasagna:
- To reheat frozen uncooked lasagna roll ups, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then bake according to recipe instructions.
- To reheat frozen cooked lasagna roll ups, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator or kitchen counter. Then, reheat in the same way that you would with lasagna stored in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
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