These lasagna roll-ups are filling, delicious, fun to prepare and they're easier to serve than traditional lasagna. Plus, the leftovers are always better than the initial meal. Simply pop a few of these roll-ups in the oven to reheat them, and your meals are set for days!
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Ingredients
- 12 lasagna noodles cooked according to package directions (see note)
For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- 2 large portabella mushrooms chopped
- 1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
- 6 ounces baby spinach
- 1 egg
- 1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
- 2 ½ cups grated mozzarella cheese divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
To Prepare the Filling:
- In a large skillet, heat the oil to medium and add the onion. Sauté until very soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
- Add the portabella mushrooms and jalapeno and continue to sauté, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have softened, browned, and cooked down, about another 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the spinach and cover the skillet, allowing the leaves to steam and wilt, about 3 to 5 minutes (lift the lid periodically to stir everything together). Remove the skillet from heat and allow the veggies to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the egg. Add the ricotta, 1 ½ cups of mozzarella cheese (saving the rest for later), and salt and mix everything together. Add in the cooled veggies and mix together well. Set aside.
To Prepare the Sauce:
- Note: you can prepare the sauce ahead of time, or use your favorite store-bought sauce. I made this sauce while I was cooking the veggies.
- In a skillet, heat the oil to medium and add the onion. Sauté until the onion is beginning to brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients, stir the sauce together well, and allow it to cook until it comes to a gentle simmer. If you have time, allow the sauce to simmer for 30 minutes. If not, simply keep it on the burner until you’re ready to use it.
To Assemble the Roll-Ups:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Pour ½ cup of the sauce into a 9” x 13” casserole dish to coat the bottom.
- Take one of the lasagna noodles and lay it flat on a plate. Spread a layer of the cheese/vegetable mixture evenly over the length of the noodle. Roll the noodle up and place it in the casserole dish.
- Repeat for the rest of the noodles & cheese mixture. Once all noodles are in the casserole dish, pour the sauce evenly over the noodles. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over the roll ups.
- Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes, then remove the foil and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is just beginning to brown. Allow the roll-ups to cool about 5 to 10 minutes after removing them from the oven before serving.
Notes
Cook the lasagna noodles until they're soft but still al dente. Pour most of the hot water out of the pot, then fill it with enough cold water to cover the noodles. This is the trick I use to make sure the lasagna noodles don’t dry out while I’m waiting to use them. This way, the noodles don’t continue to cook and they will be cool enough to handle once I’m ready to assemble the roll-ups.
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Ooh this looks yummy - I've been really getting into adding chili flakes to lasagna lately and jalapenos would be a nice new twist!
Chili flakes sound awesome, too! There's something about adding spice that gives the recipe a little je ne sais quoi 😉 Let us know if you try the jalapeno action! 🙂
I totally agree - lasagna and winter go hand in hand! This look soo yummy and comforting. And it gave me a huge craving for pasta!
Wow, these look yummy Kiersten! The Mr. has been ON me since I made lasagna for him when we first started dating, but traditional lasagna takes so long! I'm going to try these; looks way easier but just as tasty!
Julia you sneaky lady! So happy to see you here today. What a lovely surprise. And these lasagna roll-ups…. I need to get on this!
Haha! I'm just a little food ninja, jumping in and out of blogs 😉 YES, you will LOVE these!!
Mmmmm why are roll ups SO much more fun than regular old lasagna noodles? YUM.
Prior to making these, I was all, "what's the big deal with the roll up?" Post making them, I'm sold on the roll up. Lots of fun!
Yes, if only I still had the metabolism of a 14 year old, I would happily eat this all winter long! Your photos are great!
Thanks so much, Kalyn! I try to avoid eating heavy winter meals on the reg, too so these are definitely an every-once-in-a-while treat. 🙂
Ohhhh YUM. You can't go wrong with cheesy pasta! I would DEVOUR this (if it wasn't still vegan January!!) 😀
The SECOND Feb 1 hits, I say we throw a pizza and lasagna party. Meet me half way...in the middle of the ocean...? Let's do this!
Oh god YES. I am going to eat soooo much cheese on 1st Feb 😉
These roll-ups look so good, I often make a spinach filling but haven't thought to add mushrooms - great idea!
Thanks, lady! I love the portabellas because they add a meatiness to the meal and make the filling SOOOOO full of flava!!
I can't do winter without lasagna. It's a physical impossibility! Can't wait to try these roll-ups.
Lasagna was made for you and me 🙂
Ooh I bet my husband would LOVE these! I owe him a special dinner and lasagna is perfect! You're right, winter is all about the comfort food 🙂
Tastiest looking roll-ups I've ever seen... yum! 🙂
Mmmmmmm ... the umami richness of mushrooms, plus healthy spinach! Just beautiful ... and mouthwatering! Pinning, of course! As much as I love spaghetti squash, sometimes it's still just gotta be a lovely pasta-filled lasagna! 😀
Yum! I love lasagna, and these roll ups look so much more elegant than the usual lasgna serving.
Mmm I love lasagna roll-ups. Last time I made them I burned my fingers though. lol
I love playing with wet noodles too! These look amazing - so much cuter than regular lasagna! Thanks for the awesome dinner idea!
Oh my goodness, this looks AMAZING! I really, really wish I had regular lasagna noodles instead of those "no boil" weird ones. :/ Looks like I'll be making another trip out to the store today.
Btw, I feel like I have your blog to thank for gearing me towards a more vegetable based life. I've always been trying to cut out meat but man, do I lack imagination! So thank you so much for all the wonderful inspiration!
I made these last night and all I can say is ...I almost put myself in a food coma! Deeeeeee lish! I did add some finely chopped carrot to both the filling and the sauce. I also added some garlic and herbs to the sauce. I wish that I could tell just how good in words, but alas, I cannot! I can say that I ate one and knew that as good as that was, two was going to taste even better. Here's where I confess ... that about an hour later as I was checking to see if the leftovers were cool enough to wrap....ate #3! yep, I'm not proud to say that my pants are just a wee bit tighter today, but oh was it worth it!
I'm so glad you enjoyed them, Jacquline! There really is nothing like a hearty hunk of lasagna. Great thinking with adding finely chopped carrot - love it! To lasagna roll-ups being sinfully addicting and oh so satisfying! 😉
This looks great and would make a great dinner for one of my friends who husband is deployed and is at home with 4 kids (!!), the youngest of which are twins not yet 18 months old. I can make it and she can heat it up when she needs it. Thank you!! I need more help-out-a-friend recipes like this! Or maybe that can be a future compilation?!! ;D
"You get to play with wet noodles to your heart’s delight."
Lol. Thank you for that. 😀
This looks SO good! I love that you can kind of personalize them, too. Like for me, I'd skip all the veggies but if I have normal veggie-eating people over, I can toss some in theirs. Brilliant! 🙂
I made these two days ago for my niece and myself -delicious! When my parents dropped by yesterday I threw the leftovers in the oven and served it with a simple arugula salad. My dad said the meal was "restaurant quality." Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
You're welcome, Holly and thank you so much for your feedback! I'm glad your family enjoyed the recipe. Lasagna lovers, unite!! 🙂
Ohhhh, didn't see that jalapeno coming at ALL! Love it! And you now have me convinced to play with some pasta! 🙂
It's been forever since I've made lasagna roll-ups, and looking at these has given me a craving. In some ways I prefer them to traditional lasagna -- those layers never seemed to stay together in the traditional version when you first cut into them, though they're sturdy enough the next day. And I like how each roll-up is its own portion (well, a couple of roll-ups, anyway). Must make soon, and it'll be great comfort food for the coming snow.
This looks delish! I am only cooking for 2 of us, could I split this in two and freeze half? Would you bake before or after freezing? Thanks!
Hi Stephanie - you could definitely freeze half of the recipe and there's no need to bake twice, so the half you freeze you can leave un-baked until you're ready to heat it 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Julia,
I tried this recipe tonight! It was easy, healthy, and delicious! It is definitely a "keeper." Thanks so much for sharing this!
Shelley
Yaaaay! Great!! It's definitely perfect for feeding a crowd and awesome to pack up for work lunches. So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Freaking yummy! I am so trying this out.
Haha! I'm glad you're as enthusiastic about the roll-ups as I am 😉 Let us know if you try them!