These lasagna roll ups are my fun little twist on classic lasagna. For me, traditional Italian lasagna is the ultimate comfort food, but it can be a little heavy. True to my nature and my taste, I tried to incorporate all the flavors of lasagna, but with more nutrition and less fuss.
I’ve played with different versions of lasagna throughout the years including my gluten-free eggplant lasagna or turkey lasagna soup, but this vegetarian lasagna roll up recipe has to be one of my favorites.
I keep it simple with store bought sauce, but if you have a little time on your hands you can always make homemade spaghetti sauce. Then it’s as simple as layering lasagna noodles, cheese, and strips of zucchini and rolling them up like a sleeping bag. Just like stuffed manicotti pasta, you simply tuck them into your favorite casserole dish and bake.
Just 40 minutes in the oven and their tops turn golden brown, the three-cheese filling gets melty and delicious, and I can barely let them cool down before digging in. If you’re looking for a quicker version of lasagna that’s just as tasty, satisfying, and a bit lighter, these lasagna roll ups are just the ticket.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for this Lasagna Roll Ups Recipe
This lasagna roll ups recipe uses mostly pantry staples that you may already have on hand. If not, they’re all easy to find. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Cheese: The lasagna roll ups are stuffed with a combination of tangy goat cheese, milky mozzarella, and slightly sweet ricotta. A final sprinkle of parmesan adds a nice golden brown crust.
- Garlic: The creamy stuffing benefits from a bold amount of chopped garlic.
- Seasonings: Salt and black pepper enhance the flavor. Optionally, crushed red pepper flakes add a nice kick.
- Oil: Use a high quality extra virgin olive oil, like our buttery and smooth Italian Nocellara.
- Zucchini: Adds texture, flavor, and enriches the lasagna roll ups with healthy nutrients, like vitamin C and potassium.
- Lasagna noodles: Opt for standard lasagna noodles (not the no-cook variety), as you’ll need to boil them until they’re just tender enough to roll.
- Pasta sauce: Grab a jar of tomato and basil pasta sauce from the store to save time, or make your own batch of simple spaghetti sauce for a fully home-cooked feeling.
- Herbs: A healthy amount of parsley adds a depth of flavor to the creamy cheese stuffing. A basil garnish adds freshness and a bright pop of color just before serving.
How to Make Lasagna Roll Ups
These lasagna roll ups are a fun activity with kids on a Sunday afternoon, or easy enough to throw together on a weeknight. To make this lasagna roll up recipe:
First, get your zucchini and noodles ready to roll
- Get ready. Preheat your oven to 450°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Line a large flat surface or tray with parchment paper.
- Bake the zucchini. Thinly slice 4 large zucchini lengthwise and brush with olive oil on both sides. Season lightly with salt. Arrange on a very large baking sheet (or two baking sheets) without overlapping. Bake until tender, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the heat down to 350°F. Set aside to let the zucchini cool briefly.
- Cook the noodles. While the zucchini roasts, cook 1 pound of lasagna noodles in the salted boiling water according to the package instructions (mine took about 12 minutes or so). Drain and immediately transfer to the cold water to stop their cooking. Drain and lay the noodles flat on the prepared parchment paper.
Next, make the filling, stuff, and bake
- Make the filling. In a large bowl, mix together 20 ounces of ricotta, 6 ounces of goat cheese, 2 cups of shredded mozzarella, chopped parsley leaves from 1 bunch of parsley, and 3 tablespoons of chopped garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and (optionally) red pepper flakes to taste. Add a drizzle of olive oil, no more than 1 tablespoon. Mix until the cheese mixture is well-combined.
- Begin layering. Spread an even layer of the cheese filling on each of the lasagna noodles. Top the cheese with a slice of the roasted zucchini, then roll the noodles tightly, keeping the seam-side down.
- Get ready. Pour 2 1/4 cups of pasta sauce and 1/2 cup of water into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Add the roll ups. Carefully turn the rolls onto their side and arrange in the baking dish. Top with the remaining 3/4 cup of pasta sauce, 1/4 cup of grated parmesan, and more shredded mozzarella to your liking.
- Bake. Bake on the center rack for 40 minutes. Halfway through, check to ensure the bottom isn’t dry, adding up to a 1/4 cup water if necessary.
- Serve. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve.
Getting Ahead and How to Freeze
One thing I love about this lasagna roll ups recipe is it is to store and reheat. If you have an extra dish, you may want to consider doubling the batch and freezing it for a rainy day. Here’s how to freeze and meal prep this recipe:
- To make one night ahead: Fully assemble the lasagna rolls in your baking dish with the tomato sauce but do not bake. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight until ready to bake.
- To freeze: Fully assemble the lasagna rolls in a freezer safe baking dish with the tomato sauce but do not bake (most baking and casserole dishes are freezer safe, but you should confirm). Cover tightly (I use multiple layers of plastic wrap and foil) and freeze the unbaked lasagna rolls for up to one month. Thaw in the fridge for 36 hours or so before baking.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat in a 325°F oven, tented with foil. (You may need to add a splash of liquid to the bottom of the pan.)
What to Serve with Lasagna Roll Ups
For a particularly decadent dinner party, you can serve these lasagna roll ups as a side dish to meat, like pork chops or chicken breasts.
Most of the time, though, I serve these lasagna roll ups as a vegetarian main course alongside a fresh salad and some good focaccia. Peach salad, lemon parmesan lettuce salad, Italian salad, and panzanella salad all come to mind.
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Lasagna Roll Ups
Ingredients
- 4 large zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
- Salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound lasagna noodles
- 20 ounces ricotta cheese (you can use part-skim or fat-free if you prefer)
- 6 ounces goat cheese
- 2 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella, plus more for topping
- 1 bunch Italian parsley, leaves chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- Ground black pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 24 ounce jar tomato basil pasta sauce or easy homemade spaghetti sauce
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Get ready. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Line a large surface or tray with parchment paper. You will use this to roll up the lasagna noodles.
- Bake the zucchini. Arrange zucchini slices on a very large baking sheet. It’s ok if they touch you just don’t want them to overlap. You may have to use two baking sheets. Brush zucchini slices with olive oil on both sides and season lightly with salt. Place in the oven and bake until tender, 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 350°F. Set aside to let the zucchini cool briefly.
- Cook the noodles. While the zucchini roasts, fill a large pot or bowl with cold water, and set aside. Add the noodles to the salted boiling water and cook according to the package instructions. (Mine took about 12 minutes or so.) Drain and immediately transfer the noodles to the cold water to stop their cooking. Drain and lay the noodles flat on the prepared parchment paper.
- Make the filling. In a mixing bowl, mix together the ricotta, goat cheese, mozzarella, parsley, and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and (optionally) red pepper flakes to taste. Add a drizzle of olive oil, no more than 1 tablespoon. Mix until the cheese mixture is well-combined.
- Begin layering. Spread an even layer of the cheese filling on each of the lasagna noodles. Top the cheese with a slice of the roasted zucchini, then roll the noodles tightly, keeping the seam-side down.
- Get ready. Pour 2 1/4 cups of the pasta sauce and 1/2 cup of water into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Add the roll ups. Carefully turn the rolls onto their side so the spiral is facing up and arrange in the baking dish. Top with the remaining 3/4 cup of pasta sauce, the parmesan, and more shredded mozzarella.
- Bake. Bake on the center rack of the oven for 40 minutes. Halfway through, check to ensure the bottom isn’t dry. If needed, add up to a 1/4 cup of water.
- Serve. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve.
Video
Notes
- To make one night ahead, fully assemble the lasagna rolls in your baking dish with the tomato sauce but do not bake. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight until ready to bake.
- To freeze, fully assemble the lasagna rolls in a freezer safe baking dish with the tomato sauce but do not bake (most baking and casserole dishes are freezer safe, but you should confirm). Cover tightly (I use multiple layers of plastic wrap and foil) and freeze the unbaked lasagna rolls for up to one month. Thaw in the fridge for 36 hours or so before baking.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. reheat in a 325°F oven, tented with foil (you may need to add a splash of liquid to the bottom of the pan).
- Visit our shop to browse quality Mediterranean ingredients including olive oils, honey, jams, and spices.
Nutrition
*This post has recently been updated with new information for readers’ benefit.
Yummy!!! After I used up all the zucchini slices, I still had some noodles and cheese left. I chopped up some baby spinach, stirred it into the chese mixture (also added oregano), spread that on and rolled them up. They were every bit as good as the ones with zucchini. Better yet, we had enough leftovers for another night. Great recipe!! Definitely a keeper, but then, I haven’t tried one of your recipes that wasn’t. Thanks a bunch!!
Awww! Thanks, Margaret 🙂
Hi Suzy, we made this this week and it was so tasty, a very enjoyable dinner and leftovers. I had a question- love the cheese filling, but wondered if it might be improved by a couple of tablespoons of fresh lemon juice to brighten it up somewhat. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Hello- I don’t like goat cheese but every other cheese – I like to cook but unfortunately I’m not creative and don’t have that gift to think on my own !! 🙂 what cheese do you recommend to substitute for goat cheese?
Lisa
Hi Suzy, I made this with homemade pasta and mushroom marinara last night and it was outstanding. I had to lie my rolls down though as my casserole dish was too large to stand the rolls up, and I need to remember to make my lasagna noodles more narrow for that to work as well. What size casserole dish do you use for that presentation? I really love it.
Do you have any suggestions for what to with extra cheese filling? I ended up with quite a bit more than needed and this stuff is gold- it tastes amazing but I’m not sure what to do with it, it would be a shame to throw it out.
Thanks for sharing, Valerie! So glad! A couple of ideas to use up any extra cheese fillings. 1) Just toss it with plan pasta (pasta should be just cooked and warm); my kids really like that. 2) Make an indulgent omelet with a bit of the cheese filling folded in.
Hello – I’m actually writing about your recipe for baked artichokes, which looks wonderful. Do you ever substitute the dill with another herb like basil or rosemary? I have so much of that!
Thanks,
Lynne
Hi Lynne, sure, you can use basil in that recipe.
I have so much zucchini in my garden right now and this sounds like the perfect solution. This sounds so yummy!
Great! This will be perfect to use up those garden zucchini
This looks fantastic. I love good vegetarian versions of the classics. Can’t wait to try it.
Yay! so glad
What a great way to make lasagna, I can’t believe I have never tried this before this recipe! It was a hit!
Awesome, Noelle! Thanks for sharing.
This is actually one of my all time favorite dishes to make, never tried it less fat I guess its time to cut them calories back for my diet!
Lol! Glad you enjoyed it
We made these for dinner last night and they were absolutely incredible! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it
This is such a great way to use zucchini!
It is! I’m so glad you like it!
Love this! Perfect way to change up your classic lasagna game! I loved the freezing instructions too, perfect for those long days when you don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking but want a delicious meal!
I’m glad those instructions were helpful to you!
This was really amazing!! My family loved it!
Glad to hear it!
Absolutely love lasagna rolls! I am loving how easy this is and the zucchini that is added to it!
We love adding zucchini to this, but you could try other veggies!
Definitely a restaurant worthy recipe-wow! This looks amazing; can’t wait to make this for my family!
Thanks so much! Glad you liked it
My family enjoyed this so much! Delicious!