Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups with a Slow Simmered Meat Sauce
We had friends over for dinner so I decided to make lasagna roll-ups. I slow simmered a meat sauce for hours which made it so flavorful and delicious. I combined ricotta, basil, spinach, garlic, mozzarella, and Parmesan together to make a delicious lasagna roll-up filling. These roll-ups were quite simple to make and looked beautiful when presented. My husband and I loved this meal and so did our dinner guests.
Side Note: This recipe makes a large batch of meat sauce so I put the remainder into a large zip lock freezer bag and have put it into the freezer for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
How to Make Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups with a Slow Simmered Meat Sauce
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the ground beef and the onion. Cook, stirring often to crumble the beef for 4-5 minutes. Add the carrots, roasted bell pepper, garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, and tomato sauce to the beef mixture as well as the sugar. Stir until well combined. Cover with a lid and reduce heat then simmer for 3-4 hours. Before serving add the fresh basil and parsley then stir to combine.
After the sauce has simmered, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cook lasagna noodles per instructions then lay them out on top of some parchment paper.
Combine the ricotta, spinach, mozzarella, parmesan, egg, nutmeg, basil, parsley, garlic, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, together in a large bowl; mix until well combined. Spoon a thin layer of the ricotta mixture down the entire length of the lasagna noodle. Repeat with the remaining noodles. Starting from one end, roll up. Repeat.
Coat a baking dish with cooking spray then spoon a layer of the slow-simmered meat sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Place the lasagna rolls, seam side down, into the baking dish. Cover each roll with sauce then add a bit of mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese to the top of each roll.
Cover with tin foil, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the tin foil and continue baking for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Enjoy.
Equipment
Ingredients
Slow Simmered Meat Sauce:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 sweet yellow onion diced
- 3-4 carrots finely diced
- ½ cup of roasted bell pepper diced
- 5 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes more if desired
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 1 cup of beef stock
- 1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 1 28 oz can of chopped tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
- 3 tbsp of tomato paste
- 1-2 tbsp of sugar
- 1 tbsp fresh basil chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups:
- 8 lasagna noodles cooked per instructions
- 1 15 oz container of ricotta cheese
- 2 cups of baby spinach chopped finely
- 1 ½ cups of mozzarella cheese (divided)
- ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese (divided)
- 1 egg
- ⅛ tsp fresh nutmeg grated
- 2 tbsp fresh basil chopped finely
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped finely
- 1-2 cloves of garlic minced
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the ground beef and the onion. Cook, stirring often to crumble the beef for 4-5 minutes. Add the carrots, roasted bell pepper, garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, and tomato sauce to the beef mixture as well as the sugar. Stir until well combined. Cover with a lid and reduce heat then simmer for 3-4 hours. Before serving add the fresh basil and parsley then stir to combine.
- After the sauce has simmered, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook lasagna noodles per instructions then lay them out on top of some parchment paper.
- Combine the ricotta, spinach, 1/2 cup of mozzarella, 2 tbsp of Parmesan, egg, nutmeg, basil, parsley, garlic, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste, together in a large bowl; mix until well combined. Spoon a thin layer of the ricotta mixture down the entire length of the lasagna noodle. Repeat with the remaining noodles. Starting from one end, roll up. Repeat.
- Coat a baking dish with cooking spray then spoon a layer of the slow-simmered meat sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Place the lasagna rolls, seam side down, into the baking dish. Cover each roll with sauce then add the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese and 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese equally to the top of each roll.
- Cover with tin foil, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the tin foil and continue baking for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
My favorite dish!!!!! it look delicious this one!
what a lovely recipe! I love the presentation — they’re so beautiful! i make a vegan GF version of roll ups:) thanks for sharing! gorgeous photos!
I absolutely LOVE lasagna roll-ups! Your version looks so hearty and meaty, and I bet the leftovers tasted even better!
This looks amazing! Even though this might take all day, I have to try this.
With the cooler weather we have been having this is comfort on a plate.
I just love that pretty lasagne with the pretty edges – this looks really yummy and what a great idea. Diane
Wow Pam – totally awesome looking and sounding. The presentation is great in both the casserole dish and plated. Next time I’m over please serve this.
Always a great dish for entertaining!
Hi! 🙂 great recipe 🙂 I was just wondering how much beef stock did you use? 🙂
I have corrected the recipe… I used 1 cup of beef stock.
Cheers,
Pam
I love lasagna roll ups – it’s like your own personal lasagna! These look gorgeous!
First I have to say Thank You. We have enjoyed many of your recipes, with some of them becoming family favourites. This recipe looks just great, but how much beef stock is missing from your recipe. Could you please correct, as I print the recipes off for my book and I am not the only one cooking from that book. Keep posting these fabulous recipes.
These turned out beautifully, Pam. They sound delicious as well. I love the spinach in them.
This sounds wonderful!
What a delicious, gorgeous dish! The presentation is perfect…who doesn’t love their own little portion? Great job, Pam!
Like your presentation.
Everything is neatly lined up and photographed that it is easy to follow 🙂
Lasagna roll ups are my go to dish when have a bunch of people over because its easy to dish out and plan per serving!
Great pics of your dish! I know if I tried to take pictures during the assembly process, 2 things happen: 1. My camera gets yucky. 2. Dinner is very late.
What a great idea to make the little individual roll ups, this would be perfect for someone like me who cooks just for myself on most nights!
How much sugar do you use?
Jessica,
Thanks for letting me know it was missing. I used 1-2 tbsp of sugar… start with one, taste, then add more if desired.
I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Pam
And who says I dont eat enough greens, at least it has some spinach in it! Richard
I love lasagna rollups. They’re so pretty and delicious too.
I am in LOVE with these roll-ups! Ever since I made the sweet potato pesto ones, I’ve been obsessed. Need to try this version!
What an outrageously creative recipe! Loved it!! Looks beautiful, and I can only imagine it will taste delish.
Sounds and looks amazing.
i love lasagna but if it comes out of the pan easily with no mess, then it obviously isn’t saucy enough. this is a fine way to solve that–very classy dish!
What a great party dish! talk about ease of serving and gorgeous presentation! excellent, Pam!
Hi There, Wow…this recipe is looking Wonderful and I’m loving it so much. Today I was out of ideas and was wandering what to make. Got the answer now…! I can’t wait to try it on my island. Have a wonderful week ahead. Thanks & Regards, Sonia !!!
Gorgeous!
You know what I like about your posts? When I Stumble them, I never have to enter the information because someone else has already stumbled that post too! Damn you’re popular 😉
Fantastic suggestion. So moreish and moist…
The presentation is great!!
Cheers,
Lia.
Just made this! Delish!!!
Made this today and it was absolutely delicious. We used some crusty bread to sop up every last bit of the sauce!! Thanks for another great recipe, Pam!
Can this be completely assembled one day in advance and baked just before eating?
Edie,
I have not personally tried it but I think it should work just fine. Please let know how it turns out if you give it a try.
-Pam