Lasagna Roll Ups

Loaded with a rich and meaty ragu and stuffed with gooey cheese, these lasagna roll ups are a fun twist on a classic dish. They’re packed with all your favorite Italian flavors and are so easy to make. You can prepare these roll ups ahead of time, and they are freezer-friendly, making for a convenient meal that reheats beautifully.

Easy Lasagna Roll Ups

Lasagna has always been one of my favorite foods. It’s everything I love about pasta, but with extra layers and so much cheese. What’s not to love? And these tender, savory, and comforting lasagna rolls are my new favorite way to make this iconic Italian dish.

Lasagna Roll Ups offer the traditional lasagna taste you crave, but they are quicker to bake, simpler to serve, and ready to be savored immediately. Each roll is filled with creamy ricotta, melt-in-your-mouth mozzarella, robust beef ragu, and herbs, all topped with melty cheese and robust marinara sauce.

Why You’ll Love This Lasagna Roll Ups Recipe

• Super easy. This is a straightforward and simple recipe to make. Even though it’s packed with different flavors it’s really easy to assemble, and the beefy, cheesy lasagna rolls only take about an hour to make. 
• So comforting. Lasagna roll ups really are the ultimate comfort food. They have tender noodles, a savory meat sauce, gooey mozzarella cheese, creamy ricotta, tangy marinara, and tons of herbs. This is a meal that will instantly put a smile on your face. 
• Good meal prep. As delicious as this hearty lasagna recipe is when it’s fresh out of the oven, it’s just as good the next day. Leftover lasagna roll ups store wonderfully in the fridge or freezer and are easy to reheat. It’s a great recipe to make on the weekend to have easy and delicious meals throughout the week. 

Ingredients For Lasagna Roll Ups

Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to make this herby beef and tomato lasagna roll up recipe. Make sure to head to the recipe card at the end of the page for the exact quantities of each ingredient.

• Ricotta cheese
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Grated parmesan cheese – For best results, grate your own cheese.
• Egg
• Fresh basil
• Salt & Pepper
• Olive oil
• Onion – A yellow onion is best for this recipe, but a white will work in a pinch.
• Garlic
• Ground beef
• Dried oregano & dried thyme
• Fresh basil
• Lasagna noodles
• Marinara sauce

Variation Ideas

One of the best things about lasagna is that it’s so easy to modify the pasta dinner so that it fits your tastes. This lasagna roll recipe is no exception. Here are a few variations that you can try out.

• Different meats. I make lasagna roll ups with a beef ragu, but you can replace the beef with almost any kind of meat. This recipe would be great with ground chicken, turkey, pork, or lamb, or with a meat substitute.
• Mushrooms. If you want to make vegetarian lasagna roll ups then you can replace the meat with mushrooms. Sautéed mushrooms give the sauce the same umami flavor as ground beef while making the recipe healthier and vegetarian-friendly. You can also add mushrooms in addition to the meat. 
• Veggies. Spinach lasagna is a classic dish, and you can easily add spinach to this recipe by putting it in the meat sauce right as it finishes cooking so the spinach wilts. You can also add other vegetables to the sauce, like squash, carrots, and peppers.
• Spicy. Feel free to kick this recipe up a notch and add some crushed red pepper flakes to the meat sauce to bring some spice to this hearty recipe. 
• Different pasta. I use basic lasagna noodles for this recipe, but feel free to use different types of lasagna noodles. The recipe works with gluten-free, whole wheat, or high-protein lasagna noodles. 

How To Make Lasagna Roll Ups 

• Cook the pasta. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the lasagna noodles. Cook until al dente, following the directions on the package. Drain the pasta and arrange the noodles out in a single layer on a clean kitchen towel to cool.
• Make the cheese mixture. Add mozzarella to a mixing bowl, along with the ricotta, parmesan, egg, and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and mix well. 
• Sauté the onion. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. When hot, add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook until fragrant.
• Brown the meat. Add the ground beef to the skillet, along with the oregano, thyme, and basil. Cook until the meat is browned and cooked all the way through, breaking it up as it cooks. 
• Add the sauce. Pour the marinara sauce for the ragu into the skillet and simmer for about 10 minutes, then set aside.
• Heat the oven. While you assemble the lasagna rolls, preheat your oven to 375˚F.
• Spread a layer of sauce, cheese, and meat. Spread half of the marinara sauce for assembling onto the bottom of a baking dish. Spread some of the cheese mixture over each lasagna noodle, leaving a little bit of each noodle uncovered at the end. Add the meat sauce on top of the cheese mixture and spread it evenly. 
• Roll. Carefully roll each lasagna noodle tightly, then place them in the baking dish with the seam facing down. Pour the rest of the marinara sauce evenly over the lasagna. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over the top of the lasagna roll ups. 
• Bake. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake until the cheese is bubbly and melted, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, garnish with fresh basil, and serve hot. 

Tips for Success

This hearty and cheesy lasagna roll up recipe is fool-proof, but here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks to use when making this dish.

• Really brown the meat. The key to getting flavor with meat is to really brown it. Make sure that the ground beef is getting a nice sear and is good and brown before adding the next ingredients. If your beef is grey but not browning, turn up the heat a little bit.
• Rotate the baking dish. Not all ovens heat evenly. If you know that your oven heats unevenly, or if you notice one side of the lasagna rolls cooking faster than the other, then rotate the baking dish halfway through cooking. Then, rotate again halfway through after removing the aluminum foil. 
• Really salt the water. When you cook the lasagna noodles, make sure to add a good amount of salt to the water, not just a pinch. Salting the water ensures that the noodles are well-seasoned, and it also gives them a better texture as they cook.
• Oil the noodles if you don’t have space. This recipe calls for laying the noodles out on clean kitchen towels. However, you might not have the counter space to do that. If you don’t, then you can add the drained noodles to a mixing bowl with some olive oil to keep them from sticking. Then, assemble them one by one on your workspace. 

Serving Suggestions

Since lasagna is a classic and popular Italian dinner, I like to serve these roll ups with some traditional Italian side dishes. Here are a few of my favorites.

• Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Bread
• Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad
• Romano Beans In Garlic Butter Sauce
• Garlic and Herb Focaccia
• Zucchini Tomato Gratin
• Easy Garlic Bread Bruschetta

Can Lasagna Roll Ups Be Prepared In Advance?

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can assemble it in advance to give yourself an easy take on dinner. After assembling the lasagna rolls, cover them with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and store them in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake the lasagna rolls, simply add an additional 5 minutes to the baking time, and you’re good to go.

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

These hearty and savory lasagna roll ups will last in the fridge for 4 days if you store them in an airtight container. To reheat, place them in a 350˚F oven for 15 minutes or in the microwave in 30-second increments until warmed all the way through. 

Can Lasagna Rolls Be Frozen?

Yes, you can freeze lasagna roll ups, and I do it all the time. Make sure the lasagna rolls are entirely cooled, then add them to an airtight container and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating in the microwave, or reheat straight from the freezer in a 350˚F oven for 25 minutes. 

More Lasagna Recipes To Try

While lasagna roll ups are one of my favorite ways to eat this traditional Italian dinner, I have a few more easy lasagna recipes for you to try making when you’re craving pasta with lots of cheese! 

• Slow Cooker Lasagna
• Zucchini Lasagna with Ground Beef
• Mexican Lasagna
• Lasagna Stuffed Pasta Shells
• Skillet Lasagna