Kale Lasagna Roll Ups

These Kale Lasagna Roll Ups are a delicious vegetarian alternative to a traditional lasagna. Perfect for serving a large group or meal prepping ahead of time to feed the family.

Lasagna but Make it Cute!

Say hello to these flavor-packed kale lasagna roll ups! Not only is this meal delicious, but it is made with super simple vegetarian ingredients the whole family will love.

We really do think this meal is the perfect vegetarian dinner idea. Why?

• It is easy to prepare ahead of time! You can make it the night before or you can freeze it for another time.
• These lasagna roll ups are nutrient-packed.
• Pasta is a dish that the whole family loves.
• You can feed the whole family or have enough for leftovers throughout the week.

Lasagna Roll Ups — Star Ingredients

RICOTTA

Did you know that one cup of ricotta cheese has 28 grams of protein? Heck yes! Not only is ricotta a protein booster, but it also acts a delicious creamy base to pasta dishes like lasagna and stuffed shells.

Make your own ricotta for these lasagna roll ups! Follow are easy tutorial on how to make ricotta cheese here!

ONIONS + GARLIC

The base of so many delicious Italian dishes are onions and garlic. We used diced yellow onion and fresh minced garlic in this recipe and it adds great flavor to the whole dish! Feel free to use any type of onion you have on hand. 

Kale

Get your greens in! Kale is a great source of magnesium and iron! It’s also a great vegetable to add to pasta dishes because it loses its toughness when cooked down.

Sun-Dried Tomatoes

The sun-dried tomatoes add so much delicious flavor to these lasagna roll ups and complement the kale oh so perfectly.

It’s All About the Layers!

Even with lasagna roll ups, it’s all about those layers! You’ll want to make sure the marinara sauce, filling and noodles are all playing nicely together to ensure lasagna perfection:

Marinara Sauce: When layering the sauce underneath the roll ups, make sure you have enough sauce to cover the bottom of the pan so the roll ups don’t stick. And for the sauce you’ll pour over the top of the roll ups, be sure you add enough to almost completely cover the roll ups because it helps the noodles cook!

Roll Up Filling: We made the lasagna roll up filling with ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, kale, sun-dried tomatoes, and our favorite Italian spices! You want to combine all the ingredients for this filling in a bowl and spread it evenly throughout each lasagna roll up.

Noodles: Boil the noodles so they still have a little bite to them. This is important because they will continue to cook in the oven once they’re made into roll ups.

It is also very important that when you strain the water from the noodles, you lay the noodles out flat and sprinkle them with oil so they don’t stick together.

How to Make Lasagna Roll Ups

These lasagna roll ups are as easy the following 6 steps:

Prep Lasagna Noodles

First, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and then add lasagna noodles.

Cook the lasagna noodles until they have a bit more of a bite than al dente. They are going to continue to cook in the oven. Strain the water from the noodles and rinse the noodles with cold water. 

Lay the noodles out flat on a baking sheet or on top of parchment paper and drizzle the noodles with oil. This will ensure that the noodles don’t stick together and break when you make the roll ups.

Sauté Veggies

Next, heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add olive oil. When olive is fragrant, add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes before adding the garlic. 

When the garlic is fragrant, then add the sun-dried tomatoes, and kale to the pan sauté everything together over medium heat until the kale is wilted. Remove from heat and set the veggies aside. 

Make Cheese Mixture

Next, add the ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, fresh thyme, garlic powder, and salt to a large bowl and mix until combined. 

Mix Veggies with Cheese

Add the kale mixture to the cheese mixture and fold the kale into the cheese mixture until everything is combined.  

Preheat Oven + Assemble Lasagna Roll Ups

Preheat oven to 350ºF and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

While the oven is preheating, assemble the lasagna roll ups. 

Pour 1.5 cups of the marinara sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish and spread the sauce out on the bottom of the dish, making sure to cover the entire bottom of the dish. 

Next, spread 2 tablespoons of the cheese and kale mixture across the length of the whole lasagna noodle and then slowly roll the lasagna into a lasagna roll up. 

Place the roll up in the casserole dish on top of the marinara sauce. Repeat until you have 12 lasagna roll ups lined up in a 9×13 casserole dish. 

Pour another 1.5 cups of marinara sauce over the lasagna roll ups. 

Bake & Then Garnish

Place the lasagna roll ups in the oven and bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes. Sprinkle 1/4 cup parmesan and 1/2 cup mozzarella on top and bake again for 5 more minutes until the cheese is melty.

Remove from the oven and let the lasagna roll ups sit for 5 minutes and then ENJOY. 

How to Store Kale Lasagna Roll Ups

After the lasagna roll ups are baked, let it cool completely before placing it in an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

To reheat the lasagna roll ups, let them come to room temperature and then reheat in the oven at 350ºF until the cheese melts and the middle of the lasagna roll ups are warm.

To Freeze Lasagna Roll Ups

Let the lasagna roll ups cool completely before covering the entire dish with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Place the lasagna roll ups in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To reheat the lasagna roll ups, let the dish come to room temperature and then heat it up in the oven at 350ºF until the cheese melts and the middle of the lasagna roll ups are warm.