Skip to content

Lasagna Roll Ups

Tender lasagna noodles filled with a creamy ricotta cheese filling and a flavorful meat sauce. These lasagna roll ups are an easy dinner idea that your family will request again and again. 

Lasagna roll up on white plate.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read disclosure policy.

Perfect Dinner for Guests

Lasagna rolls ups are one of my favorite meals to make for guests! They come together in no time and are always a crowd pleaser. You get all the same delicious layers and flavors as traditional lasagna, however they are much easier to serve. No more messy squares falling apart as you try to dish them from the pan!

Lasagna roll ups are one of my favorite comfort food meals. I love the heartiness from the meat sauce and the creamy ricotta filling. Whenever I’m craving Italian food, these or my easy lasagna soup are always top of mind.

This recipe makes a lot, so it’s the perfect dinner to serve for guests or freeze half for later. We love serving them with a big chopped salad and warm garlic bread. This is one meal that the whole family always loves!

Making lasagna filling.

How to make Lasagna Rolls

  1. SAUCE. Cook the meat and onions in a pan until the meat is brown and the onions are soft. Drain any excess grease and then add in the crushed garlic and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes. Pour in the jar of spaghetti sauce and Italian seasoning and let simmer for about 15 minutes.
  2. FILLING. Make the ricotta filling while the sauce simmers. Whisk the egg in a medium bowl, then mix in the ricotta and basil until smooth.
  3. ASSEMBLY. Spread 1 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9×13″ casserole dish. Lay the noodles down flat, then spread about 3 Tablespoons of the ricotta filling onto each noodle. Next add 1/4 cup sauce down the middle. Then roll up the noodles and place in the baking dish. Top with remaining sauce and add a sprinkle of mozzarella on each.
  4. BAKE. Cover the pan with foil and bake in oven at 375°F for 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake another 10 to 20 minutes, or until the rolls are golden and bubbly. Remove from oven and let set for about 5 minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Rolling up lasagna noodles.

Cooking Tips

  • Cook the lasagna noodles with 1-2 Tablespoons of salt. I always cook 2 extra in case one cracks.
  • Make sure to not overcook your lasagna noodles. I like to cook them al dente (a few minutes less than the package says) since they’re baking in the oven too.
  • Make sure to add enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan and around the edges after the noodles are in. The noodles will soak up some of the sauce, so you don’t want them to be dry.
  • Add additional mozzarella cheese to the middle layer if you like your lasagna extra cheesy.
  • To make assembly easier, place 6 noodles on a cookie sheet and then spread the sauce down the middle and roll up. Then move to casserole dish.
  • Freeze half the batch after assembling for another easy freezer meal down the road.
Lasagna rolls in casserole dish.

Make Ahead + Freezer Instructions

  • Assembling in advance: Prepare the sauce and filling as directed, then assemble the lasagna rolls in the pan. Instead of baking, simply cover with lid or foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking. The meat sauce can also be made up to 3 days in advance if you’d like to knock out an extra step beforehand.
  • Freezing: Assemble the rolls as directed in a freezer container (or foil pan for an even easier clean up). Cover with lid or foil and place in freezer. Let thaw in the fridge overnight and then bake according to directions. If you’re baking the dish from frozen, let it bake in the oven for about an hour.

Sides for Serving

Below are some of our favorite sides to serve these lasagna rolls with:

Lasagna roll up on plate.

Love lasagna recipes? Try this white chicken lasagna soup next! It’s easy to make in one pot!

More Pasta Recipes

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the newest recipes!

lasagna roll up on plate

Lasagna Roll Ups

5 from 5 votes
↑ Click stars to rate now!
Author: Jamielyn Nye
Tender lasagna noodles filled with a creamy ricotta cheese filling and a flavorful meat sauce. These lasagna roll ups are an easy dinner idea that your family will request again and again. 
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12

Video

Ingredients 

  • 12 lasagna noodles (cooked 2 minutes less than package says)
  • 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Red sauce:

  • ½ pound ground beef (or Italian sausage)
  • ½ cup chopped onion (or 1/2 teaspoon onion powder)
  • 3 cloves crushed garlic (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
  • 26 ounces spaghetti sauce (or marinara sauce)
  • 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning (more to taste)
  • salt and pepper (to taste)

Filling:

  • 1 large egg (whisked)
  • 2 cups ricotta cheese (could use cottage cheese or half of each)
  • 2 Tablespoons freshly chopped basil (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Optional: Fresh basil for serving

    Instructions

    Making the sauce and filling:

    • Brown the hamburger with the onions in a pan over medium-heat. Drain grease and then add the garlic and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Cook until onions are soft. Then add in spaghetti sauce and Italian seasoning. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add more Italian seasoning or fresh basil if desired.
    • While the sauce is simmering, whisk the egg in a medium-sized bowl. Then add in the ricotta cheese and basil. You could also do half ricotta and half cottage cheese. Set aside.

    Assembling:

    • Preheat oven to 375°F. Add about 1 cup sauce to the bottom of a 9×13" casserole dish.
    • I find it easiest to assemble 6 noodles at a time on a cookie sheet. Spread about 3 Tablespoons of the filling onto each noodle. Then add about 1/4 cup of sauce down the middle of each noodle. Roll noodles up and place in casserole dish. Add remaining sauce on top and around the sides of the pan. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.

    Bake:

    • Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10-20 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. Allow to set 5 minutes before serving. Top with fresh basil, if desired. 

    Notes

    Adding vegetables: You can absolutely sneak vegetables in. Just add it in when cooking the onions. Some vegetables we like to add are spinach and/or mushrooms.
    Assemble ahead of time: You can make this ahead of time and leave in the refrigerator up to 24 hours before baking. You can also make the sauce up to 3 days in advance. 
    Freezer instructions: Assemble rolls in a freezer container or foil pan. Then cover with foil and freeze. When ready to use allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then bake accordingly. From frozen, bake about an hour.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1roll | Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 528mg | Potassium: 409mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 626IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 230mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.

    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: Italian

    Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!

    Let’s connect

    Join our community of over 5 million!

    Featured on

    • Taste of Home
    • Martha Stewart
    • Country Living
    • BuzzFeed
    • Yahoo
    • Food Network
    • Today