These sausage and three-cheese lasagna roll-ups are the kind of dinner that disappears fast. Each noodle gets rolled up with a creamy ricotta-mozzarella-parmesan filling and savory Italian sausage, then baked in marinara until the cheese on top is golden and bubbling. They’re hearty, satisfying, and honestly — way easier to serve than a traditional lasagna.
Why You’ll Love It
Three cheeses in every bite — ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan all in one creamy filling that holds together beautifully
Individual portions — no messy slicing; everyone gets their own perfectly rolled piece Try our Chicken Pot Pie Noodle Skillet next.
The sausage makes it — Italian sausage brings more flavor and richness than ground beef, but either works
That broiled cheese finish — a few minutes under the broiler gives you golden, bubbling cheese on top that you just can’t get any other way
Great the next day — leftovers reheat beautifully, making this a solid meal-prep win
Ingredient Notes
The sausage — use Italian sausage with the casings removed, which I’ve started doing too. You just squeeze the meat out of the casing and break it up as it browns. It’s a little annoying but it takes about thirty seconds and the texture of the finished dish is better for it.
For the pasta sauce, use whatever jar you like. I’m not going to be the person who tells you to make your own from scratch on a weeknight. Moving on. If you like this, you'll love our Slow Cooker Amish Buttered Noodles.
The red pepper flakes are optional, but I’d push you toward using them. Just a pinch. It won’t make it spicy — it just gives the whole dish a kind of warmth in the background that you’d miss if it were gone.
Parsley, fresh if you have it. Dried if you don’t. The ratio I’ve been using is roughly a heaping half cup of fresh chopped, but I’ve definitely just grabbed the dried jar on days when I don’t feel like washing a bunch of herbs. It’s fine.
Ingredients
12 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente (don’t overcook them or they’ll fall apart when you roll)
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic
Red pepper flakes, to taste — a pinch goes a long way
2 cups ricotta
2 cups mozzarella, plus about another cup for topping
1¼ cup Parmesan (maybe a little more, I don’t measure carefully)
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
Fresh basil for the top, if you want it — and you want it For another easy option, see our Chinese Beef and Onion Stir Fry.
Instructions
Start with the oven: 350 degrees. Get that going before anything else because by the time you’ve done all the prep work you’ll want it ready.
Brown the sausage in a skillet, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Don’t rush this part — you want it actually browned, not just cooked through. Browning is where flavor happens. I forget this sometimes and end up with sausage that’s cooked but pale and sad. Don’t do that.
More recipes you might like
Once the sausage is browned, add your onion and cook it down until it softens — maybe five minutes or so. Then add the garlic and cook for just one more minute. Season with your red pepper flakes here. Set this aside to cool just slightly while you do the cheese.
In a big bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, parsley, and the two eggs. Season this mixture generously with salt and pepper — more than you think, probably. The cheese can handle it. Mix it all together until it’s cohesive and you can see the herbs distributed throughout.
Now the rolling. Lay out your noodles on a flat surface — I put them on a parchment-lined baking sheet or just right on a clean cutting board. Spread the cheese mixture over each noodle, fairly generously, leaving about an inch on each end (otherwise it squeezes out when you roll and you’ve made a mess for no reason). Add the sausage mixture on top of the cheese.
Roll them up. Just roll them. It’s not complicated. Lay them seam-side down in a 13×9 baking dish that you’ve already put a layer of sauce on the bottom of — this is important, do not skip the bottom layer of sauce or they’ll stick and you’ll be grumpy.
Pour the rest of the sauce over the top, cover with that extra mozzarella, and cover the whole dish with foil. Bake for 30 minutes.
Then — and this is the best part — pull the foil off and slide the dish under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is bubbling and starting to brown in spots. Keep an eye on it. Broilers have no chill. I have burned more things under a broiler than I care to admit, including, one time, an entire pan of dinner rolls. It comes up more than I’d like. You might also like our Mongolian Beef Stir-Fry with Ramen.
Top with fresh basil. Serve immediately.
Variations
Ground beef works just as well if that’s what you have. I’ve also heard of people adding spinach to the cheese mixture, which I think could be wonderful — I just haven’t tried it yet. Maybe next time.
If you want to make this vegetarian, just skip the sausage entirely and maybe add some sautéed mushrooms and zucchini. You’d want to cook those down pretty well first so they don’t release a bunch of water into your filling.
If you like cheesy lasagna roll-ups, try Three Cheese Beef Lasagna for a classic layered version with ground beef and three cheeses.
For another cheesy pasta dish, Spinach and Cheese Manicotti has ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan tucked into manicotti shells.
Storage & Leftovers
These keep in the fridge beautifully. If you can stop yourself from eating them all in one sitting — which is apparently very difficult — they reheat great the next day. Cover with foil and warm in a 325-degree oven until heated through. Or the microwave, I’m not going to judge.
I’ve found that if I have leftovers I’m sometimes sneaking one cold, standing at the open refrigerator at 11pm, which I recognize is not a dignified way to eat but is deeply satisfying. Try our Quick & Healthy Dinner 20 Minute Honey Garlic Shrimp next.
You should also check out our Lazy Lasagna if you want all the same comfort with even less effort, and our crockpot lasagna for days when you want dinner to just handle itself. But this one — these roll-ups — they’re worth the extra few steps. If you like this, you'll love our General Tso’s Chicken.
3-Cheese Sausage Lasagna Roll-Ups
Want This Recipe Later?
We'll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 12 pieces lasagna noodles cooked al dente
- 1 jar pasta sauce
- 1 lb Italian sausage casings removed
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese divided
- 1.25 cups Parmesan cheese
- 0.5 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Brown sausage in a skillet, then add onion and cook until soft. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes.
- Mix ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, parsley, eggs, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Spread cheese mixture onto each noodle, then add sausage mixture.
- Roll noodles and place seam-side down in a baking dish with sauce on the bottom.
- Top with remaining sauce and mozzarella.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Broil uncovered for a few minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.
Notes
Nutrition
Made this recipe? Tap a star to rate it.
Made this recipe?
Tap a star to rate it. It helps other cooks find it.
Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
