These lasagna roll ups saved my sanity during one of those weeks when Max decided he hated anything that had different foods touching each other on his plate. He still wanted his favorite Italian flavors, but traditional lasagna was suddenly "too messy" and "all mixed up." Instead of fighting with him or making something completely different, I started rolling the ricotta and cheese mixture inside individual pasta sheets. What started as me trying to avoid a dinnertime meltdown has become our most requested dinner.
Why You'll Love These Cheesy Lasagna Rolls
Making these has completely changed how I think about weeknight dinners. If you've ever tried to make a regular lasagna on a Tuesday night and ended up frustrated because it took forever to cook or fell apart when you tried to serve it, you'll get why these work so much better. Each roll cooks in about thirty minutes instead of an hour and a half, and every single piece comes out perfectly instead of having some parts overcooked and others still cold in the middle.
The thing that really sold me on this recipe is how flexible it is. Max can have his rolls with just cheese and sauce, while I can stuff mine with whatever vegetables are hanging out in the fridge. When my sister brought her kids over last week, I made some with pepperoni for the boys and some with mushrooms and spinach for the adults. Same basic technique, but everyone got exactly what they wanted without me having to make three different meals.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love These Cheesy Lasagna Rolls
- Ingredients for Lasagna Roll Ups
- How To Make Lasagna Roll Ups Step By Step
- Smart Swaps for Your Lasagna Roll Ups
- Tasty Twists on Lasagna Roll Ups
- Equipment For Lasagna Roll Ups
- Storing Your Lasagna Roll Ups
- Why This Lasagna Roll Ups Recipe Works Every Time
- Top Tip
- The Recipe My Grandma Wouldn't Let Me Forget
- FAQ
- Related
- Pairing
- Lasagna Roll Ups
Ingredients for Lasagna Roll Ups
The Pasta Base:
- Lasagna noodles
- Ricotta cheese
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Large eggs
The Flavor Makers:
- Marinara sauce
- Fresh garlic
- Italian seasoning
- Salt and black pepper
- Fresh basil leaves
Optional Mix-Ins:
- Frozen spinach
- Ground beef or Italian sausage
- Mushrooms
- Bell peppers
- Fresh parsley
Basic Tools:
- Large pot for boiling noodles
- 9x13 baking dish
- Large mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- Sharp knife
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Lasagna Roll Ups Step By Step
Get Everything Ready:
- Boil lasagna noodles until just bendable
- Drain and lay flat on clean kitchen towels
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- Grease your baking dish
Make the Filling:
- Mix ricotta, one egg, and half the mozzarella
- Add minced garlic and Italian seasoning
- Stir in salt and pepper to taste
- If using spinach, squeeze out all water first
Roll Them Up:
- Spread thin layer of sauce in baking dish
- Lay one noodle flat on counter
- Spread about 3 tablespoons filling along the noodle
- Roll up gently from one end to the other
- Place seam-side down in baking dish
Finish and Bake:
- Pour remaining sauce over all the rolls
- Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan
- Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes
- Remove foil, bake 10 more minutes until bubbly
Smart Swaps for Your Lasagna Roll Ups
Cheese Options:
- Part-skim ricotta → Full-fat ricotta
- Cottage cheese → Ricotta (drain well first)
- Vegan ricotta → Regular ricotta
- Low-fat mozzarella → Regular mozzarella
Pasta Switches:
- Whole wheat noodles → Regular lasagna noodles
- Gluten-free noodles → Standard noodles
- No-boil noodles → Regular (skip pre-cooking)
Protein Changes:
- Ground turkey → Ground beef
- Chicken sausage → Italian sausage
- Lentils → Meat (for vegetarian version)
- Skip meat entirely → Keep it simple
Sauce Swaps:
- Homemade marinara → Jar sauce
- Alfredo sauce → Marinara
- Pesto → Traditional red sauce
- Sugar-free sauce → Regular
Veggie Add-Ins:
- Fresh spinach → Frozen (squeeze dry)
- Zucchini slices → Traditional filling
- Mushrooms → Whatever you have
- Bell peppers → Keep it basic
Tasty Twists on Lasagna Roll Ups
Meat Lovers:
- Brown some ground beef with Italian sausage
- Add pepperoni slices to the filling
- Use a meaty marinara sauce
- Extra mozzarella on top
Veggie Packed:
- Sautéed mushrooms and bell peppers
- Spinach and sun-dried tomatoes
- Zucchini and yellow squash
- Fresh basil and oregano
Chicken Alfredo Style:
- Cooked chicken pieces in the filling
- Use alfredo sauce instead of marinara
- Add some broccoli florets
- Top with extra Parmesan
Mexican Inspired:
- Season ricotta with cumin and chili powder
- Add black beans and corn
- Use salsa instead of marinara
- Top with Mexican cheese blend
Breakfast Version:
- Scrambled eggs in the ricotta
- Cooked breakfast sausage
- Use a white sauce
- Serve with hash browns
Equipment For Lasagna Roll Ups
- Large pot for boiling noodles
- 9x13 baking dish
- Large mixing bowl
- Sharp knife
- Clean kitchen towels
- Measuring cups
Storing Your Lasagna Roll Ups
Refrigerator Storage (3-4 days):
- Cool completely before covering
- Store right in the baking dish with foil
- Reheat individual rolls in microwave for 90 seconds
- Add a splash of water if they look dry
Freezer Storage (2-3 months):
- Cool completely first
- Wrap each roll individually in plastic wrap
- Put wrapped rolls in freezer bags
- Label with date and what's inside
Make-Ahead Tips:
- Assemble rolls but don't bake yet
- Cover tightly and refrigerate up to 24 hours
- Add 10 extra minutes to baking time if going straight from fridge
- The flavors actually get better overnight
Reheating from Frozen:
- Thaw overnight in fridge works best
- Or bake from frozen at 350°F for about 45 minutes
- Cover with foil so tops don't burn
- Check that centers are hot all the way through
Why This Lasagna Roll Ups Recipe Works Every Time
After making these hundreds of times and watching other people struggle with Lasagna Roll Ups that falls apart or cooks unevenly, I can tell you exactly why this method succeeds when others fail. The biggest problem most people have with regular lasagna is getting everything to cook at the same rate - the edges dry out while the middle stays cold, or the noodles get mushy while the cheese barely melts. These rolls fix all of that because each one is the same size and thickness, so they all cook evenly in the same amount of time.
The key is in how we handle the noodles and ricotta. Cooking the pasta just until it's bendable but still firm means it won't fall apart when you roll it, but it also won't get overcooked in the oven. Draining the ricotta like my grandmother taught me removes excess water that would otherwise make the rolls soggy and cause them to fall apart when you try to serve them.
Top Tip
- Max and I figured out something really cool about these make-ahead Lasagna Roll Ups during one of our Sunday afternoon cooking sessions. We were making a big batch to freeze for the week, and Max got tired of waiting for me to finish each roll before he could help with the next one. So he started setting up an assembly line on our kitchen counter - noodles laid out in a row, bowls of filling and sauce at different stations, and he assigned himself the job of "roll inspector."
- What we discovered is that if you let the filling sit for about fifteen minutes after you mix it, it gets way easier to spread on the noodles without tearing them. The ricotta absorbs some of the liquid from the egg and gets thicker, so it doesn't slide around as much when you're trying to roll everything up. Max calls this the "resting time" and he's become very serious about timing it with the kitchen timer.
- But our real breakthrough came when Max suggested we make some rolls with the filling on the outside instead of the inside. I thought it sounded weird, but we tried it with a few - spread marinara on the noodle, roll it up, then coat the outside with the ricotta mixture before putting it in the pan. Those rolls came out with this amazing crispy cheese crust that we'd never gotten before. Now we always make at least a few "inside-out" rolls because they're Max's new favorite, and honestly, they look pretty fancy even though they're just as easy to make.
The Recipe My Grandma Wouldn't Let Me Forget
My grandmother Rose never wrote anything down when she cooked, but when it came to these lasagna roll ups, she made an exception. She sat me down at her kitchen table when I was about twelve and made me copy every single step into a little notebook while she dictated. "This one you need to remember exactly," she told me, watching me write with her sharp eyes. "No guessing, no changing things around because you think you know better."
What made her version different was how she prepared the ricotta. Instead of just mixing everything together, she would drain the ricotta in cheesecloth overnight, then whip it with a fork until it was completely smooth before adding anything else. She said most people's Lasagna Roll Ups fell apart because they used wet, lumpy ricotta that couldn't hold the roll together properly. Her rolls never fell apart, never leaked, and somehow tasted richer than anyone else's even though she used the same basic ingredients.
What temperature do I cook lasagna roll ups at?
Bake lasagna roll ups at 375°F for about 35 minutes total. Cover with foil for the first 25 minutes, then remove foil for the last 10 minutes to get that golden, bubbly cheese on top that everyone loves.
How long do you bake frozen lasagna roll ups?
Frozen rolls need about 45-50 minutes at 350°F. Keep them covered with foil the whole time so the tops don't burn before the centers heat through. Check that they're steaming hot in the middle before serving.
What to serve with lasagna rollups?
These pair perfectly with a simple green salad and some garlic bread for sopping up extra sauce. Steamed broccoli or roasted vegetables work great too. Keep sides simple since the rolls are already pretty hearty and filling on their own.
What is a lasagna roll up?
Lasagna roll ups are individual portions made by spreading ricotta filling on cooked Lasagna Roll Ups noodles, rolling them up, and baking in sauce and cheese. They're basically personal-sized lasagnas that cook faster and serve neater than traditional layered lasagna.
FAQ
Now you have all the secrets to making lasagna roll ups that actually work from the proper noodle texture to our inside-out discovery that Max accidentally invented. These individual servings prove that sometimes the best comfort food comes from taking something complicated and making it simple enough for a Tuesday night.
Ready for more family-friendly pasta dishes? Try our Easy Cheesy Pizza Pockets Recipe
that uses the same creamy, cheesy approach but with noodles instead of rolls. Need something quicker? Our Healthy Ranch Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers Recipe comes together in half the time and feeds a crowd. Want to stick with the lasagna theme? Our Easy Hamburger Patty Recipe is perfect when you want to go traditional but still manageable.
Share your roll-up success! We love seeing your creative filling combinations!
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Pairing
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Lasagna Roll Ups
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cook lasagna noodles until just soft but still firm, then lay flat to cool.
- Combine ricotta, egg, cheese, and seasoning, then let rest to thicken slightly.
- Spread cheese filling onto noodles and roll them up tightly from one end.
- Place rolls in baking dish over sauce and top with more sauce and cheese.
- Cover and bake until heated, then uncover to finish with golden, bubbly cheese.
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