Lasagna Roll Ups combine the best of classic Lasagna but are much easier to serve, bake faster and can be enjoyed right away – no resting time required! They are make-ahead, freezer-friendly, and reheat well.
We love comforting pasta dishes like Chicken Tetrazzini, traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs and Mom’s Chicken Alfredo. These are among the most requested meals in our family. Try this Lasagna Roll-Ups recipe and you will make it over and over.
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Lasagna Roll-Ups:
We love lasagna in all forms including Skillet Lasagna, make-ahead Slow Cooker Lasagna, and of course Classic Lasagna. These Lasagna Roll-ups are beefy, saucy, cheesy and definitely satisfy the craving for lasagna, but they are way easier to serve. No more messy lasagna squares sliding apart as you struggle to remove them from the pan.
The Ultimate Cheese Sauce:
We make a 3-cheese sauce with ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. Once the sauce is baked, it tastes almost like an alfredo sauce – rich, creamy, and cheesy.
Beefy Lasagna Meat Sauce:
The best meat sauce for lasagna is essentially a ragu – a meat sauce with ground beef, onion, seasonings, and marinara. We don’t skimp on the meat and use a full pound of ground beef which makes this lasagna supremely satisfying. You can use homemade marinara or your favorite store-bought marinara.
Can I Substitute the Ground Beef?
You can swap out the ground beef for Italian sausage or use ground turkey or ground chicken if you want a leaner lasagna.
How to Make Lasagna Rolls:
The process here is simple and you have all the elements of a classic lasagna but they are rolled rather than layered. This results in 12 perfectly portioned servings of lasagna. It’s brilliant for parties! The process for lasagna rolls is simple:
- Cook the noodles
- Make the meat sauce and spread 1/2 cup in a 9×13 casserole
- Make the cheese sauce
- Spread cheese sauce and meat sauce on each noodle.
- Roll up noodles, transfer to the casserole dish, spread with remaining meat sauce and mozzarella, then cover and bake.
Tips for Assembling Lasagna Roll-Ups
- Cook 2-3 extra noodles as some may break while boiling.
- Cook noodles according to package instructions in salted water until al-dente (do not over-cook). We use about 3 Tbsp salt for a large soup pot of water.
- Drain cooked noodles then cover them with cold water until ready to use so they don’t stick together.
- To contain the mess, arrange the noodles 6 at a time on a rimmed non-stick baking sheet (keeping remaining noodles in cold water until ready to use).
Can I Make Lasagna Roll-Ups Ahead?
There are 2 options to make these lasagna roll-ups ahead of time.
- Fully assemble and bake, then cool to room temperature, cover, and chill. To serve, reheat portions in the microwave or oven until roll-ups are heated through and cheese is melted.
- Fully assemble roll-ups in a casserole dish (without baking), cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight or freeze up to 3 months. Bake refrigerated lasagna roll-ups at 375˚F for about 45 minutes. Bake from frozen at 375˚F for about 1 hour.
Watch Natasha Make Lasagna Rolls:
If you enjoyed this Lasagna Roll-Ups video tutorial, please (P.S. Make sure you click the BELL icon so you can be the first to know when we post a new video).
Lasagna Roll Ups Recipe (VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 12 lasagna noodles, cooked to package instructions
- 16 oz ground beef, 85% lean
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste for red sauce
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped, plus more to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F. Cook noodles in a large pot of salted water according to package instructions then drain and fill pot with cold water to stop the cooking process and keep noodles from sticking together.
- In a deep pan or dutch oven, over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink, breaking up with a spatula (2 min). Add onion and cook until softened (3 minutes). Add garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp oregano and sautee another minute. Add marinara, bring to a simmer and turn off the heat. Spread 1/2 cup meat sauce over the bottom of a casserole dish
- In a large bowl, stir together: ricotta, 1 egg, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup parsley.
- To contain messiness, arrange noodles over a large baking sheet in a single layer. Spread 1/4 cup (1 scant ice cream scoop) of cheese mixture over the top of each noodle. Add a heaping Tbsp of meat sauce in a strip down the center of the noodle. Roll noodles up and arrange in the prepared casserole dish.
- Spread remaining meat sauce over the tops of roll-ups and sprinkle on the remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil, making sure foil isn't touching cheese (if your pan is on the shallow side, you can put toothpicks into rolls to keep the foil away from cheese.
- Bake covered at 375˚F for 40 minutes. Remove foil and broil another 2-3 minutes or until cheese is lightly golden. Garnish with parsley to serve.
Nutrition Per Serving
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
I made this recently but the only problem was that my lasagna sheets all stuck together when I tried to boil them. How did you stop your lasagna sheets from sticking?
Hi Christina, I haven’t had that happen. As soon as they start to soften I look to keep them moving around a bit with a gentle stir to keep them separated.
Add a little olive oil to the pot of boiling water – noodles will not stick.
Natasha I made this last night for dinner and my family loved it! I’m now only allowed to make this type of lasagna! Thank You Natasha!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
What kind of pot did you use to cook the lasagna noodles in. I have a pasta pot thats 6 quart and I dont think that’s deep enough for the lasagna noodles.
Hi Shantrell, we used one of our larger pots, I’m not sure exactly how many quarts it was. I think it may still work in a 6 quart, you may need to get the noddles in sideways as they soften instead of up and down.
Not a ricotta fan, can cottage cheese be a substitute?
Hi Maria! That should work! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Cottage cheese is a great substitute. I have been making my lasagna with it for many years. Not a ricotta fan either. 🙂
I’ve used cottage cheese before. I suggest that you put the cottage cheese in a blender or something like the ninja chopper and mix it up till its a nice spreadable constancy. Your Lasagna will come out perfect.
It was truly delicious, but I ran out of meat sauce, and could only do 9 noodles, I had plenty of ricotta filling and of course cheese, I watched the video and and thought I was putting the same amount of meat on noodle, but must have put too much, also I may have simmered just a tad too long and maybe too thick….I will definitely make again…it was super good,..I love your very entertaining comical videos…and love your style.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Susan!! Thank you for sharing that with us.
I was wondering if the total calorie count in your nutritional info was for one lasagna roll or more? Can you please clarify?
Thanks!
Hi Kristal, that is per lasagna roll. This recipe makes 12. I hope that helps.
We went from never eating lasagna to making this at least once a month. Also my go-to for bringing meals to friends! Thanks for a great recipe, Natasha. I also really appreciate that you make a video of the recipe. Helps me so much!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite! I’m so glad our videos are helpful, Irene!
I would like to make this for Christmas. Do you have any suggestions on how soon it could be made ahead and kept in the fridge or freezer?
Hi Mary, we have a note on that on the recipe. Here’s what it says: “There are 2 options to make these lasagna roll-ups ahead of time.
Fully assemble and bake, then cool to room temperature, cover, and chill. To serve, reheat portions in the microwave or oven until roll-ups are heated through and cheese is melted.
Fully assemble roll-ups in a casserole dish (without baking), cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight or freeze up to 3 months. Bake refrigerated lasagna roll-ups at 375˚F for about 45 minutes. Bake from frozen at 375˚F for about 1 hour.”
I must have missed the note in the recipe. Thank you for posting it here!
You’re welcome!
Just made this and it turned out amazing!! Thank you for so many easy quick dinner recipes!
You’re welcome, Ella!
This Lasagna Rollup recipe was absolutely heavenly! I used Ragu with Sautéed Onions and Garlic for my marinara. However…next time I will layer the pasta flat instead of rolling them up. It was messy and the filling kept using out when I rolled them up. It’s easier and faster to just cut it in squares after baking.
Thank you for sharing that feedback with us, Sandra!
This recipe was AMAZING! I must admit, I don’t like to cook often but your recipes sincerely pushes me to do it. I get excited to cook now and it doesn’t hurt that my significant other and friends love it too!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m all smiles!
We made this for dinner tonight. It was a fun and fairly quick take on lasagna and we really enjoyed. We are a family of two, so I made two 8×8 pans and froze the second after assembling for another meal later this month. Thanks for a yummy recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Jeni!
Very good idea. I love lasagna and this was a neat redo. I also like to add vegetables, so I added chopped zucchini and mushrooms to my meat sauce. This is a great way to add vegetables-kids know no difference. It still does take time, but always worth it.
That’s a great idea! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Barbara!
Made this yesterday. Super easy to make, and tasted great. Only thing I did differently was add chilli flakes however I wish I added alot more than I did. Small thing, when overall it was a quick easy meal!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that! Thank you for sharing that great review with us!
Is there a vegetarian option ?
Hi Christine, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. One of our readers made a comment making this vegetarian & loving it. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Christine, maybe you could try salted, part cooked egg plant slices and top with mix of lentils and roasted vegetables (blitz them in the blender if you want a more ‘mince like’ look.) Jen
You can actually use thin sliced eggplant for the roll ups in lieu of lasagna noodles for a low carb option! Also excellent
Thank you for sharing that with us, Barb!
If I make this for Christmas, what do you suggest to make with it?
Hi Fran, we enjoy it with salad and a few other sides.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I just made this last night for my wife, my brother and myself. It was great! So delicious and not soupy like other lasagna recipes turn out. This is now my regular lasagna recipe.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Love this recepie and my child loved it too but he eats everything but still it was very delicious and I served it to my mother in law and sister they loved it as well. One question though how do you heat it up in the oven or microwave?
Hi Viktoriya, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for that great review. To reheat it you can do it in the oven covering it with foil again. Or using the microwave in a microwave-safe dish. Time will depend on how much you have.
Hi Natasha, quick question. For the lasagna roll ups why use maranara sauce. And I have t sneak in with one more ? How much crushed garlic in a jar is equal to one clove. Thank you for all the deliciousness you create
Hi Linda, the jar of garlic we used has the amount listed on the side. I believe half of a teaspoon is approximately one clove. I hope that helps. You are also welcome to use a sauce you choose. We like it with marinara.
THANK YOU NATASHA FOR SHARING YOUR RECIPES WITH US, ALL THE RECIPES I HAVE TRIED FROM YOU HAVE JUST BEEN WONDERFUL! THANK YOU. HAVE A GREAT DAY!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed our recipes! Thank you for that thoughtful feedback.
Made this ok assigns roll ups. It’s delicious
And yes much easier to serve
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Can I make this earlier in the day and just wait to put in the oven until dinner time?
Hi Denis, yes absolutely! If it’s going into the oven from being refrigerated, you might add 5 minutes of bake time.