Lasagna Roll Ups

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These easy lasagna roll ups (vegetarian pasta rolls) have all of the flavors of a classic lasagna, but they are ready in less time and are a healthier option. Covered in a rich marinara sauce, these healthy lasagna rolls are family-friendly and are an easy make-ahead meal!

We love vegetarian Italian recipes in my house, like my red lentil pasta with superfood marinara sauce, or my veggie gnocchi recipe! And one of my family’s favorite meals is my hearty and healthy veggie lasagna.

I love lasagna too – it’s an Italian classic! But for just the four of us (2 of whom are kids), it ends up being a TON of food, and it takes up to 2 hours to make.

So one weeknight, I was looking to get the same gooey yumminess that comes from traditional lasagna, but without the long cooking time it generally requires.

That’s when I came up with these super simple and quick lasagna roll ups! They are like vegetarian pasta rolls, with all the delicious fillings you love, but without the long cooking time! This is seriously one of the best recipes. If this is your first time making lasagna, make this recipe first!

These are perfectly portioned, cheesy, veggie-filled easy lasagna rolls, with all of the great flavors of your traditional vegetarian lasagna. They are one of our favorite recipes – you have to try them for dinner tonight!

If you love lasagna, you will love this lasagna roll-ups recipe. It might even become your new favorite lasagna recipe!

👩🏽‍🍳 Why You’ll Love These Vegetarian Pasta Rolls

• Classic Lasagna Flavor: This easy recipe has all the great flavors of a traditional lasagna recipe, but with way less effort. Plus, you get individual portions which are great for portion control (perfect for meal prep!) or serving smaller portions as an appetizer to a crowd!
• Healthier Recipe: This vegetarian lasagna roll ups recipe has fewer calories and grams of fat per serving compared to regular lasagna recipes and is loaded with veggies, fiber, and protein so you can feel good about serving it to your family.
• Make Ahead: You can do the prep work for this dinner recipe ahead of time, making this a great option for busy weeknights or serving to friends or guests. It even freezes well and reheats easily.
• Save A Little Time (Actually A Lot!): This recipe only requires 30 minutes of prep time and only 10 minutes cooking time, which means you can have dinner on the table in only 40 minutes. You can have it on the table in only 10 minutes if you do the prep work ahead of time! Both options are way less time consuming than classic lasagna, giving you extra time with your family.

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🥘 Ingredients

Add these great ingredients to your next grocery store pick up and start cooking the most delicious spinach lasagna roll ups! See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for nutritional information.

• Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles: You can find whole wheat lasagna noodles in your grocery store next to the regular noodles. I recommend getting whole wheat as they are higher in fiber, and full of healthy carbohydrates.
• Olive Oil: I use a high quality extra virgin olive oil to sauté the vegetables with spices.
• Red Onion: Finely diced so you get the flavor without big chunks of onion in these vegetarian stuffed pasta rolls.
• Fresh Garlic: You can’t have lasagna without some garlic! It adds tons of flavor and helps this recipe taste truly authentic!
• Chopped Frozen Spinach: With frozen chopped spinach, there can be quite a lot of water. I recommend defrosting the spinach and squeezing any extra water out with your hands. This will help avoid the vegetable mixture from becoming too wet and soggy.
• Red Bell Pepper: Fresh red peppers are chopped and added to the spinach filling.
• Crushed Red Pepper: Red pepper flakes give this recipe a subtle kick and hint of spice!
• Oregano and Italian Seasoning: These spices are added to the sautéed vegetables—it gives them a great flavor that’s authentically Italian.
• Low-Fat Ricotta Cheese: Look for a low-fat ricotta cheese to reduce the overall fat and calories.
• Shredded Mozzarella: A combination of ricotta and mozzarella give these vegetarian lasagna rolls the cheesiness we all love in a homemade lasagna. 
• Marinara Sauce: I recommend using a marinara sauce that is organic, and low in sodium and sugar.

🍲 Ingredient Substitutions

• Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles: Regular (white) lasagna noodles will work in this recipe if you don’t want to use whole wheat.
• Olive Oil: If you don’t have olive oil, use what you have on hand like grapeseed oil or avocado oil.
• Red Onion: You can use yellow or sweet Vidalia onion instead of red onion in this recipe. You could even use 2 shallots or a tablespoon of onion powder to the sautéed vegetables if you’d like.
• Garlic: Leave it out if you can’t have garlic, but I highly recommend including it. If you don’t have garlic, try adding a teaspoon of garlic powder to the sautéed vegetables.
• Chopped Frozen Spinach: You can also use chopped frozen kale. If you’d like to use fresh spinach, use about a pound of fresh spinach. Baby spinach is the easiest to wash and use. If using bunch spinach, give it a rough chop before using.
• Red Bell Pepper: You can use orange or yellow bell pepper if you prefer. Green pepper is fine but it does tend to be a little bitter when compared with the other colors.
• Crushed Red Pepper: You can substitute black pepper for a milder spice. If you don’t like a touch of spicy flavor, you can leave it out.
• Oregano And Italian Seasoning: Feel free to add dried basil, parsley, or even a little ground fennel seed too if you like.
• Low-Fat Ricotta Cheese: You can substitute full fat ricotta cheese or even small curd cottage cheese.
• Shredded Mozzarella: You can also use a combination of mozzarella and parmesan cheese to change things up. You could even try shredded provolone cheese in the cheese mixture! Use whatever types of cheeses you and your family enjoy.
• Marinara Sauce: Any jarred marinara sauce or pasta sauce should work. For best results, I wouldn’t recommend just using a big can of tomato sauce and tomato paste, since we want good flavor in our lasagna sauce. You can also make your own sauce using this low carb marinara sauce recipe!

🔪 How To Make Lasagna Roll Ups

Delicious lasagna roll ups without meat come together with simple steps and minimal effort! Here is how to make these stuffed pasta rolls:

Cook The Lasagna Noodles And Preheat The Oven

Preheat The Oven & Boil Lasagna Noodles: If baking right away, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F / 230 C. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the lasagne sheets to the boiling water and cook according to package directions.

Drain The Pasta: Drain the pot and lay out the tender lasagna noodles flat in a single layer (on aluminum foil, wax paper, or parchment paper on your work surface) so they don’t stick together.

Cook The Vegetables

Sauté The Veggies: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and the red pepper – sauté with a wooden spoon or a firm spatula for 5 minutes or until tender.

Add Spinach And Simmer: Add the thawed spinach and all of your spices. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add Half The Sauce: Add one of the jars of sauce to your veggie mixture – simmer for 5 minutes.

Assemble The Meatless Lasagna Roll Ups

Make The Ricotta Cheese Mixture: Mix the ricotta and ⅔ cup mozzarella cheese in a medium or large bowl. 

Start To Assemble: To assemble, place cooked noodles on a flat surface. Spread ⅛ cup (2 tablespoons) of the cheese filling.

Continue To Assemble The Individual Rolls: Add ⅛ cup veggie mixture over each noodle. Repeat with each lasagna sheet (top with ricotta mixture and then veggie mixture).

Roll Up The Sheets: On your work surface, roll up the lasagna sheets, jelly-roll fashion, starting with the short side. Place the rolls, seam side down, in a small baking dish or casserole dish that has been smeared with ¼ cup of sauce. 

Add Sauce And Mozzarella: Pour the remaining sauce over each roll and top each of these veggie lasagna roll ups with 1 tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake: Bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese on top has melted and is golden brown.

Serve: Serve vegetable lasagna roll ups immediately and garnish with fresh basil if desired.

💭 Expert Tips

• Cook Till Al Dente: Cook the lasagna noodles al dente (with bite) so they don’t get mushy.
• Make A Few Extras: Cook 2-3 extra lasagna sheets as sometimes a couple may break while boiling.
• Skip The Boiling Step: Buy fresh lasagna noodles (find them in the deli section of most grocery stores).
• Shred The Cheese Yourself: Shred your own cheese from a block instead of buying pre-shredded cheese which doesn’t taste as good. Use the coarse side of a box or handheld cheese grater and your cheese will melt better too.
• Don’t Overstuff: Don’t add too much ricotta filling or veggies to the pasta rolls. ⅛ cup of each is the perfect amount for each roll.
• Lay Noodles Flat: After cooking, lay the noodles flat (and not touching each other) so they don’t stick. Some people recommend rinsing the cooked noodles in cold water, but this does affect the flavor negatively.
• Lasagna Roll Ups For Kids: These healthy pasta rolls are a fun way to sneak some extra veggies into your child’s diet, especially if they are picky eaters—because most kids love these pasta rolls! The pasta + cheese + sauce is super kid-friendly, and you can feel good that they’re getting a nutritious meal that they’ll actually eat! My kids just requested these again last night!

📖 Variations 

I think it’s a good idea to try this lasagna roll up recipe at least once as written. Then the next time you make it, you can try one of these variations!

• Lasagna Roll Ups With Meat: Use or make a meat sauce, or add ground beef, ground Italian sausage, chicken or turkey sausage, or ground turkey. Just make sure to fully cook any meat you’re adding, since the lasagna rolls are not in the oven long enough to cook meat.
• Lasagna Chicken Roll Ups Recipe: Add cooked shredded or ground chicken to the veggie mixture before rolling up the pasta sheets.
• Lasagna Alfredo Roll Ups: Use my alfredo sauce without heavy cream (or purchase one) instead of the marinara sauce for white lasagna roll ups! You can also add cooked chicken here to make alfredo chicken pasta rolls.
• Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups: You can use thinly sliced zucchini (I recommend using a mandoline slicer to carefully slice the zucchini lengthwise in slices about ⅛-inch thick) instead of lasagna noodles to lower the carbohydrate and calorie count of this dish. You may want to use a little less filling in that case, since zucchini noodles are thinner than lasagna noodles.
• Skillet Pasta Rolls: Place the individual servings in a large oven-safe skillet. Don’t forget to add ¼ cup of marinara sauce to the bottom! Bake as directed.
• More Veggies: Feel free to add your favorite veggies to these pasta rolls for a simple twist on this recipe. Diced zucchini, squash, artichoke hearts, colored peppers, and more would make a nice addition.
• A Little Lemon Zest: Add a teaspoon or two of lemon zest to the cheese mixture. This is a very simple twist that adds another dimension of flavor.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

Serve these spinach ricotta roll ups as an appetizer, side, or main dish for a delicious meal! Here are a few of my favorite pairings:

• With Salad: For the perfect meal, serve these pasta rolls with a green salad such as spinach and arugula salad or this tomato avocado cucumber salad! Yum!
• With A More Indulgent Side: For a more indulgent meal, serve these cheesy lasagna roll ups with vegan garlic bread, vegan bruschetta, or stuffed zucchini flowers!

🙌 Dietary Adaptations

• Gluten-Free Option: Use certified gluten-free lasagna sheets for this recipe, or try making zucchini roll ups with cheesy filling!
• Vegan-Option: Make vegan lasagna roll ups by using tofu ricotta and replace the mozzarella with a vegan shredded cheese like vegan mozzarella or vegan parmesan.

🫙 Storage Directions

• Refrigerating: Allow these veggie lasagna rolls to cool completely (to room temperature) before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Freezing: Prepare recipe through step 5 (on the recipe card). I recommend preparing the spinach lasagna rolls (but not baking them), and placing them in a freezer safe container with a lid. Place in the freezer with a label and date. This recipe will be good for 2-3 months. When ready to serve, remove from the freezer, and place in the oven at 350 F (180 C). Bake for 20 minutes covered. Remove the cover, increase the heat, and bake for an additional 10 minutes at 400 F (200 C).
• Reheating: To reheat individual lasagna roll ups, you can microwave them or bake them in a 400 F (200 C) oven until warmed through.
• Make Ahead: Prepare the recipe through step 5 (on the recipe card). Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to bake the next day or up to 5 days. Then preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C), and bake for 10-12 minutes until warmed through and the cheese is melty.

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