Pepperoni Pizza Lasagna Rolls
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These pizza lasagna rolls are a fun meal that the whole family will love — what’s not to love about pizza and lasagna? With a little planning ahead, they are a great weeknight meal.
This post is sponsored by KRAFT. All opinions are my own.
This recipe focuses on planning ahead, it’s a great one to prep the day ahead and eat the following day.
At first glance, this recipe might seem fancy and complicated. They are pretty little lasagna rolls, after all. The great thing about this recipe is that it can be prepared in advance. Even over a couple of days!
Make the sauce Saturday, make the rolls Sunday, and you’ve got an amazing dinner to look forward to on Monday. All you’ll have to do is throw it in the oven when you get home from work or your play date or whatever Monday might hold. We all know Monday could use all the help it can get, so having dinner waiting in the fridge for you is definitely something to look forward to at the end of the day.
About this recipe
The sauce used in these lasagna rolls is a simple pizza sauce made with diced tomatoes. You could use crushed tomatoes for this recipe and skip the puréeing step if you have those on hand. I like to use canned diced tomatoes because they are one of my pantry staples.
The easiest method to purée the sauce is with an immersion blender but you could also use a blender or a food processor. Always be careful when puréeing hot, red liquids! And wear an apron.
Plan to make this sauce a day or two in advance and have it ready for this recipe. The sauce is really simple to make and is mostly hands-off time, simmering and letting the flavors meld. The sauce is also really versatile. Use it on pizza or subs, too.
The next step is making the cheese filling with grated Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and some parsley. Add a beaten egg to help bind the mixture together. This mixture gets spread on cooked lasagna noodles and topped with slices of pepperoni. You could even add spinach or other veggies if you like.
Next, roll the noodles up and place the rolls seam side down in a prepared baking dish that you’ve already covered with a layer of that delicious homemade pizza sauce.
Repeat with each lasagna noodle until they are all filled!
Then spoon more of that delicious sauce over all the filled lasagna rolls.
Top with more great cheese….
… and decide when you’re going to bake the lasagna. If you’re planning on eating it today, pop it in the oven. If you want it tomorrow, cover the dish with foil and refrigerate. When you’re ready, put the casserole in a preheated oven and bake until heated through, golden brown and bubbling.
And clearly, the best part of the whole process is serving the lasagna rolls and eating them! Let the lasagna rest for about 10 minutes just to let everything settle a little — makes it much easier to scoop out.
Enjoy!
PS: Looking for lasagna with a little less fuss? Try this lasagna soup or one pan skillet lasagna. For something a little different, try Mexican lasagna with Swiss chard and chipotle salsa.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 of a medium yellow onion, diced small
- 1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (3 oz) can tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Lasagna Rolls
- 10 traditional lasagna noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed with cold water
- 2 cups prepared pizza sauce
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella cheese, divided
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 ounces sliced pepperoni (50-60 slices)
Instructions
For the Sauce:
- In a large pan over medium-low heat, heat the butter and olive oil until the butter is melted. Add the garlic and onion and saute until tender, about five minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Place a cover on the pan, tilted slightly to let some steam out.
- Simmer for 15 minutes. Cool slightly. With an immersion blender, CAREFULLY blend until sauce has desired texture. I love it slightly chunky. If you like it really smooth you can also throw it in a blender. Store in fridge unless using immediately. (It makes more than is needed for this recipe. Refrigerate or freeze extras.)
For the Lasagna Rolls:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook noodles according to directions on package — once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water and lay out on sheets of wax paper so they don’t stick together.
- Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and spread 1/2 cup of pizza sauce into the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, prepare filling in a large bowl by mixing beaten egg, ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, parsley and pepper until well combined.
- To prepare lasagna rolls, lay out one lasagna noodle and spread it with about 2 tablespoons of cheese filling. Lay out 5-6 pepperoni on top of cheese filling. Roll up each noodle starting at one of the short ends. Place in prepared baking dish, seam side down. Repeat until all noodles have been filed and rolled. Pour 1 and 1/2 cups pizza sauce over the rolls and top with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes (remove foil for last 10-15 minutes) or until hot and cheese is melted. Let stand about 10 minutes prior to serving.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Disclosure: I am working in partnership with the KRAFT brand and I am receiving compensation for my participation in this campaign. All thoughts/opinions are 100% my own.
Olga says
This is by far, the BEST recipe I have gotten off Pinterest!! It is easy, and taste amazing!!!!!! Thanks for sharing!!
Rachel Gurk says
That is such a great compliment! Thank you!
Bev @ Bev Cooks says
Oh haaaayell yes.
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love. says
Thee look awesome! I love making lasagna rolls because they are so easy!
Nicole ~ Cooking for Keeps says
Love this idea. These would seriously be gone in like five seconds in my house!
Happy Valley Chow says
Love this idea! Bookmarking and trying :)
Happy Blogging!
Autumn@Good Eats Girl says
These would be a hit at our house…the kiddos would love them. I agree…spinach would be a great addition!
Traci says
Yum! I would add spinach too.
Rachel Gurk says
I add spinach to everything. ;)
Meagan @ A Zesty Bite says
We pretty much love pepperoni pizza in our house. Now that you’ve made it into an easy pasta dish – it makes it even better.
Rachel Gurk says
We do too! We had it last night as a matter of fact. ;)
Anna @ Garnish with Lemon says
I love lasagna rolls on their own, but PIZZA lasagna rolls takes them to a whole new level of goodness!
Rachel Gurk says
Thanks Anna! I don’t think I’ll ever do them any other way ;)
Liz @ Virtually Homemade says
Looks so yummy!
Rachel Gurk says
Thanks Liz!
Jeanie says
How did you know I had leftover pizza sauce, pepperoni and parmesan cheese in my fridge? :-) Also that I need a meal for tomorrow night. I just hope I can find gluten-free lasagna noodles. :-P Thanks for this; I’ll try it even if it’s not gluten-free!
Rachel Gurk says
Oooh I hope you love it!
Philia (from sweetphi.com) says
These look fantastic-gorgeous pictures! What a great suggestion for quick meal planning too! I checked out the pinterest board and have pinned away because all those ideas are great and look so yummy.
Rachel Gurk says
Thanks girl!
Vanderbilt Wife says
YUMMM! My kids will basically eat anything with the word pizza in it, so I bet these would be a big hit. Can’t wait to try them.
Rachel Gurk says
My daughter loved them!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
This suits me down to the ground. I would be perfectly happy eating this until it was all gone.
Rachel Gurk says
Me too! It’s a little dangerous ;)
denise says
kid-friendly meal, but I’d probably have to double the recipe for my teenagers’ appetites (boy athletes), though, the 8yob will sometimes surprise me
Rachel Gurk says
Haha! I don’t blame you. I could eat the whole pan myself. ;)