Lasagna Roll-Ups

This is one of my favorite pasta recipes! In my opinion, the roll-ups are easier to make than full pot lasagna, they reheat well, and the portions cut, store and freeze without any hassle.

When I make these, I often double the recipe and store several individual size servings in the freezer to heat up when I don’t feel well enough to cook dinner for my family.

Another option I sometimes take advantage of is to prepare the whole recipe (serving 12) and only cook half. You can freeze the remaining 6 prepared rolls, and just bake them later on.

A pasta recipe for Crohn’s disease?

These are usually safe for me to eat with Crohn's – flare or not! Sometimes I find that red pasta sauce irritates my stomach, so I use red sauce and Alfredo sauce interchangeably. I also don't usually add meat, but doing so is delicious and adds a good amount of protein to your meal.

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients for lasagna roll-ups recipe

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 minced cloves of garlic
• 2 tsp dried basil
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 (15oz) canister of ricotta cheese 1 egg
• 2 ½ cups grated mozzarella cheese
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ⅓ cup grated Romano Cheese
• 12 uncooked lasagna noodles
• Large (32oz) can of Red sauce or Alfredo sauce
• Optional: 8 oz lean ground beef (can substitute ground turkey)

Instructions to make lasagna roll-ups

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. If you’re using meat: Spread one tablespoon of olive oil into a large non-stick fry pan. Over medium/high heat, crumble ground beef into pan and cook until brown, stirring occasionally. Drain fat and put into a food processor (on pulse) for about 5 seconds until it’s ground into fine pieces.
3. Back in the pan, add the meat to your red sauce, combining garlic, basil, oregano and another tablespoon of olive oil. Season sauce with salt and pepper, then simmer, covered, over low heat.
4. Cook lasagna noodles in a large pot along with 1 teaspoon of salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, until al dente.
5. Drain noodles and line them up in a single layer on wax paper or a cookie sheet (lightly creased with non-stick cooking spray).
6. While noodles are cooking, prepare cheese mixture by stirring together ricotta cheese, egg, salt and pepper to taste until well combined. Next, add 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and 1/3 cup Romano cheese, stir until well combined.
7. Stir sauce and spread 1/3 cup evenly into a 13x9 baking dish.
8. Spread 1/4 cup cheese mixture evenly onto each cooked lasagna noodle, making a thin layer, and then spread 1 heaping tablespoon of sauce on top of the cheese.
9. Roll noodles up jelly-roll style, and arrange seam side down in the baking dish.
10. Cover rolled noodles with remaining sauce and sprinkle ½ cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese evenly over rollups.
11. Tent baking dish with foil, and bake for 35 minutes.
12. Serve warm!

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Crohn's and ulcerative colitis recipes

When it comes to cooking with IBD, we're all working from a different set of ingredients. Food sensitivities and dietary restrictions vary greatly from person to person, and there is no one diet recommended for Crohn's or ulcerative colitis. Check out our full list of recipes for more ideas – all from people who cook, eat, and live with IBD!