My kids absolutely love pasta dishes. They almost always eat every bite of their dinner if pasta is involved. I always feel like this is such a miracle! One of my kids’ favorite pasta meals is lasagna, and I must admit that I really love lasagna too… all those yummy layers of cheese, sauce, and other deliciousness are just so perfect.
The recipe I am sharing today for lasagna roll-ups is a great way to update the traditional lasagna, while still getting the same great taste of homemade lasagna. I can’t remember where I first came across lasagna roll-ups, but I do know that they were a game-changer for me. I have made several versions over the years. I feel like they are much easier to serve and I like that each bite has lots and lots of layers!
Lasagna roll-ups involve the same ingredients as traditional lasagna, but you roll each individual lasagna noodle up with its own cheese and other fillings inside. Make sure your lasagna noodles (regular, not oven-ready) are cooked only to al dente, as they will soften just a little more in the oven. In this particular recipe, my lasagna filling is spinach and cheese, and the spinach is freshly sauteed. To make it extra convenient, I purchased a bag of pre-washed baby spinach from the store. It was so easy to use and make! You could also add some cooked ground beef, sausage, or shredded chicken to the filling mix for added protein.
My kids love to help roll up the lasagna rolls. Then the roll-ups are then covered in sauce and more cheese, making it a great recipe for homemade marinara sauce. I love homemade marinara (I make huge batches at the end of the summer and freeze it to use all year), but I also use Prego Traditional sauce very regularly too.
Lasagna roll-ups are a family favorite, and I hope your family enjoys them as much as mine! Serve these lasagna roll-ups with a salad and some bread, and you have a scrumptious meal. Enjoy!
Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups
Ingredients
Sauteed Spinach
- ¼ tsp freeze dried garlic (or fresh minced)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 oz bag baby spinach, washed and dried
- ¼ tsp seasoned salt
Cheese Blend
- 1 egg
- 16 oz container cottage cheese
- 15 oz container ricotta cheese
- 1 cup Italian style shredded cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Lasagna Rolls
- 15 lasagna noodles
- 24 oz jar pasta sauce (I use Prego Traditional)
- 1 cup Italian style shredded cheese
Instructions
Sauteed Spinach
- Add the garlic, oil, spinach, and salt to a medium saucepan.
- Turn the heat to medium-low, and stir the spinach occasionally until the spinach is wilted. This will take only a few minutes.
- Turn the heat off and set the pan with the spinach aside.
Cheese Mixture
- Add the egg, all cheeses, and seasoning to a large bowl.
- Mix to combine everything well.
- Add the sauteed spinach from the previous steps.
- Stir to combine well. Set the bowl aside.
Lasagna Rolls
- Bring a large bowl of water to a boil. Add salt to the water for more flavorful pasta.
- Add the lasagna noodles to the boiling water, allowing them to cook just to al dente based on the directions on the box of pasta.
- Strain the lasagna noodles and set aside to cool slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray.
- Spread about one cup of pasta sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan.
- On a plate or on the counter, take one cooked lasagna noodle and spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cheese mixture along one side of the noodle.
- Start rolling the noodle across the long end, along the cheese side of the noodle.
- Carefully lift the rolled lasagna noodle over to the prepared pan and place it seam-side down onto the pasta sauce.
- Repeat filling and rolling lasagna noodles until the pan is filled with all 15 noodles/roll-ups.
- Spread the remaining pasta sauce over the top of the rolled lasagna noodles in the pan.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the pasta sauce evenly.
- Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes, and then an additional 5 to 10 minutes uncovered to brown the cheese.
- Allow the lasagna rolls to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
