Lasagna Roll-Ups
Curly lasagna noodles spread with herby ricotta, rolled into spirals and baked in a beef, mushroom and pepper tomato sauce under melted mozzarella.
Roll-ups take every part of an American lasagna and turn the slab into single servings that bake faster and freeze in small pans. Ree Drummond's version in Food Network Magazine is built for exactly that, with directions for freezing the assembled pans for up to 4 months. Who first rolled a lasagna noodle is not documented in any source we found.
🇺🇸 This one is American
Curly lasagna noodles spread with herby ricotta, rolled into spirals and baked in a beef, mushroom and pepper tomato sauce under melted mozzarella.
🇮🇹 The original
In Bologna, lasagne are thin green spinach pasta layered with a slow meat ragù, béchamel and Parmigiano. No ricotta and no mozzarella. See the Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese recipe.
Why it works the kitchen science
Built-in portions
Each roll carries its own noodle, filling and sauce, so nothing slides apart when you serve it.
More edge, less wait
The rolls heat through faster than a deep slab and every one gets a crusty cheese top.
Step by step
- Step 1
Boil the noodles in salted water until al dente, rinse with cold water and lay them flat on oiled foil or parchment.
- Step 2
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the onion, mushrooms, pepper and garlic 4 to 5 minutes, until soft, then scoop them out. Brown the beef in the same pot 8 minutes, until no longer pink (160°F), and drain the fat.
- Step 3
Return the vegetables, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and 1 tbsp each parsley and basil, and simmer on low 30 minutes.
- Step 4
Meanwhile heat the oven to 375°F. Mix the ricotta, 1/3 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, the egg, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and the remaining herbs.
- Step 5
Spread a thin layer of sauce in a 9 by 13-inch dish. Spread 2 to 3 tbsp filling along each noodle, roll it up from a short end and set it seam side down in the dish.
- Step 6
Spoon the rest of the sauce over the rolls and cover with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until hot and bubbling and the center of a roll reads 165°F. Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Lasagna Roll-Ups
Serves 6 · 12 roll-ups (2 per serving) · 1 hr 40 min total
Meat sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 cup finely chopped mushrooms
- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/4 lb ground beef (85% lean)
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 1/2 can (3 oz) tomato paste
- 2 tbsp each chopped fresh parsley and basil, divided
- Salt and black pepper
Filling and assembly
- 12 curly-edged lasagna noodles (cook 14 in case some tear)
- 15 oz whole-milk ricotta
- 10 oz mozzarella, grated (about 2 1/2 cups), divided
- 2/3 cup grated Parmesan, divided
- 1 large egg
Method
- Boil the noodles in salted water until al dente, rinse with cold water and lay them flat on oiled foil or parchment.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the onion, mushrooms, pepper and garlic 4 to 5 minutes, until soft, then scoop them out. Brown the beef in the same pot 8 minutes, until no longer pink (160°F), and drain the fat.
- Return the vegetables, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and 1 tbsp each parsley and basil, and simmer on low 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile heat the oven to 375°F. Mix the ricotta, 1/3 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, the egg, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and the remaining herbs.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce in a 9 by 13-inch dish. Spread 2 to 3 tbsp filling along each noodle, roll it up from a short end and set it seam side down in the dish.
- Spoon the rest of the sauce over the rolls and cover with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until hot and bubbling and the center of a roll reads 165°F. Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Adapted from Ree Drummond, "Lasagna Roll-Ups", Food Network Magazine (serves 10 to 12 from 20 noodles). We scaled it to 12 roll-ups for 6 people, rounded to whole cans and containers, and added a 165°F center check because the filling contains raw egg. Food Network. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (2)
Tips
- To freeze, assemble in foil pans, wrap tightly and freeze up to 4 months. Bake from frozen at 350°F, covered, about 1 1/2 hours, then uncovered 30 minutes, until bubbling and 165°F in the center (Ree Drummond).
- Lay cooked noodles on oiled foil so they do not stick to each other.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Roll-ups are an American invention. Folklore: no source we found dates or credits them; avoid any origin claim.
- Meat sauce or plain tomato sauce. Disputed by recipe: Ree Drummond uses a beef sauce; America's Test Kitchen's Weeknight Lasagna Roll-Ups use plain crushed tomatoes with garlic and basil.
Every other lasagna
Lasagne Verdi alla Bolognese
Thin sheets of green spinach pasta layered at least six times with slow-cooked ragù, a light béchamel, butter and plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano. No ricotta, no mozzarella.
Neapolitan Carnival Lasagna (Lasagna di Carnevale)
Curly dried lasagna layered with a long-simmered Neapolitan tomato ragù, tiny meatballs, sliced sausage, ricotta, fresh mozzarella, hard-boiled eggs and salami: the Carnival feast before Lent.
Vincisgrassi alla Maceratese
The Marche's protected baked pasta: seven or eight layers of Marsala-scented egg pasta with a ragù of chunked chicken, veal and pork plus chicken livers, a little béchamel and a crisp Parmigiano top.
Classic American Lasagna with Ricotta and Mozzarella
The lasagna most Americans grew up with: a quick beef, pork and veal tomato sauce, a basil-flecked ricotta layer and a blanket of melted mozzarella, built with no-boil noodles.
White Chicken Lasagna (Alfredo-Style)
A tomato-free lasagna of tender poached chicken and golden mushrooms in a garlicky Parmesan white sauce, under a lid of melted mozzarella.
Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna
A meatless lasagna with a bright green spinach-ricotta filling, a fresh basil tomato sauce and plenty of mozzarella and Parmesan.
35-Minute One-Skillet Lasagna
Broken lasagna noodles simmered right in a meaty tomato sauce in one covered skillet, finished with Parmesan and creamy dollops of ricotta. No oven, no layering.
Restaurant-Style Lasagna Classico, Inspired by Olive Garden
Inspired by, not official: a big, saucy restaurant-style lasagna with a beef-and-Italian-sausage meat sauce and four cheeses: ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan and Pecorino Romano.
Meatballs of the World
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Swedish Meatballs (Köttbullar)
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Danish Frikadeller
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Königsberger Klopse
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Spanish Albóndigas in Almond Saffron Sauce
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Mexican Albóndigas with Chipotle and Mint
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Izgara Köfte (Turkish Grilled Meatballs)
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Lion's Head Meatballs
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Chicken Tsukune
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