This is such a delightful, family friendly dish, and this vegetarian version with spinach is a great crowd-pleaser. If you've never tried lasagna roll ups before, you're in for a super fun treat!
In addition to a great weekend lunch or dinner, this easy lasagna roll ups recipe can be made in advance of a busy week or frozen for make ahead meals.
It pairs well with any type of simple salad, like basic greens topped with this easy apple cider vinaigrette. Or for a fun kids meal, pair with healthy strawberry banana smoothie for some extra cheers. 😉
🌿 Ingredients
These recipe features wholesome, real food ingredients available at any grocery store.
- olive oil
- lasagna noodles
- baby spinach
- large egg
- ricotta cheese
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- marinara sauce
- coconut sugar or brown sugar
- Italian seasoning
- garlic powder
- sea salt
- pepper
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
📝 Instructions
First, heat the oven to 350° F and grease a two-quart square or round pan with some olive oil. Note: a two-quart square pan will hold 9 roll ups (3x3) while a two-quart rectangular pan will hold 10 (2x5).
Pro tip: For easier cleanup, line the pan with parchment paper which can be thrown away after cooking.
Next, fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil, and cook the lasagna noodles al dente according to the package's directions. Add a little olive oil and salt to the water too, and push the noodles under the water once they soften so that everything is submerged.
Pro tip: Cook an extra noodle or two just in case one breaks while cooking or assembling the lasagna roll ups.
Then, carefully drain the noodles in a colander and place them in a large bowl filled with enough cold water just to cover them so that they don't stick together. (You can use the same cooking pot to save a bowl--just make sure it's cooled off enough and has plenty of cold water for the noodles to sit in.)
While the noodles cook, you can start getting the lasagna filling and sauce ready. Finely chop the spinach leaves and place in a medium mixing bowl with the egg, ricotta and half of the mozzarella; then mix everything well and set aside.
In a smaller mixing bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients together to make the sauce.
Spoon about a third of the sauce into the prepared baking pan to coat the bottom.
Assembly
And now the fun part: assembling your lasagna roll ups!
First, grease a large cutting board or baking sheet with the rest of the oil and then carefully place three noodles lengthwise on the board (or as many as will fit). Cover the length of each noodle with a coating of the filling mixture, and then starting from one end of each, roll them up and place into the baking pan.
Continue with the rest of the noodles, and then scoop the rest of the sauce over the roll ups to cover, followed by the mozzarella.
📋 Substitutions
- Gluten free - simply use gluten free lasagna noodles in place of regular noodles
🔪 Equipment
You'll need a few basic pieces of equipment to make this recipe:
- 2-quart baking dish
- large pot
- colander
- 1 medium and 1 small mixing bowl
- cutting board
🍱 Storage
This recipe works great for storing, short or long term! You can store any leftovers in a tightly covered container for up to 4 days, or freeze some or all of the roll ups for up to two months for an easy anytime dinner. Just be sure to use a freezer-safe container for storage, and make sure that the roll ups have cooled off completely before transferring and freezing.
🎉 Top tip
This lasagna roll ups recipe is not only kid-friendly, it also contains parent-approved nutrition like healthy protein, calcium and fiber thanks to two kinds of cheese and healthy spinach. 👍
Enjoy!
🍳 Recipe
Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil divided
- 10 uncooked lasagna noodles or gluten-free lasagna noodles to make gluten free
- 2 ½ ounces baby spinach leaves
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 1 ¼ cup marinara sauce
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- sea salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep: Heat the oven to 350° F. Grease a two-quart square or round pan with half the oil, or line with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- Cook the noodles: Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil, add the rest of the oil and a little salt and cook the lasagna noodles al dente according to the package's directions. Then, carefully drain the noodles in a colander and place them in a large bowl filled with enough cold water just to cover them.
- Prepare the filling: Meanwhile, finely chop the spinach leaves and place in a medium mixing bowl with the egg, ricotta and half of the mozzarella. Mix everything well and set aside.
- Make the sauce: In a smaller mixing bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and mix to incorporate. Spoon about a third of the sauce into the prepared baking pan to coat the bottom.
- Assemble: Grease a large cutting board or baking sheet with the rest of the oil. Carefully place three noodles lengthwise on the board (or as many fit) and cover the length of each noodle with a coating of the filling mixture. Starting from one end of each noodle, roll them up and place into the baking pan (see notes). Continue with the rest of the noodles, and then scoop the rest of the sauce over the roll ups to cover, and sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella over everything.
- Bake: Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.
- Enjoy: Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving, and divide the roll ups among serving plates. Store any leftovers in a tightly covered container for up to 4 days, or freeze some or all of the roll ups for up to 2 months once they've cooled off.
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