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These Skillet Pesto Cheese Lasagna Roll Ups are a fun twist on a tried and true classic. Lasagna noodles are rolled up with sun-dried tomatoes, basil pesto, and ricotta cheese. Then baked in a spiced, herby, tomato sauce that’s creamy and so delicious! This is a great way to use pantry staples and frozen meat. And more importantly,  put a quick and delicious family-style dinner together in no time. This a fun weeknight dinner that’s equally great on a Sunday night too (actually…is there a difference?). Just be sure to add a side salad and fresh bread.

overhead photo of Simple Skillet Pesto Cheese Lasagna Roll Ups with one lasagna roll missing from skillet

Can you all tell that I’m really digging through my pantry and relying on my freezer staples these days? I’m doing everything in my power to avoid the grocery store, so things are gettin’ pretty creative over here. Which honestly? I’m ok with. I’ve said this before, but when given the challenge of using only limited ingredients I tend to create some of my personal favorite recipes.

Why? Probably because they always end up being something different. Something I’ve never created before. They’re usually pretty easy to make, and nine times out of ten have a very simple (pantry friendly) ingredient list. Fortunately, these baked skillet lasagna roll ups are all of those things…and delicious too.

Granted, I did have the prettiest fresh thyme. Which I order from my go-to source of edible flowers and herbs, Gourmet Sweet Botanicals. But other than that, everything else you see in these fun lasagna rolls came from my pantry and my freezer. Dry lasagna noodles, dried herbs and spices, store-bought pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, frozen meat, and cheese from the fridge…all staples at my house.

What’s makes this even better is how easy this is (no layering!). And even better than that? This skillet lasagna is DELICIOUS! Think classic lasagna, but lighter and more fitting for springtime. It’s cozy, but yet still feels fresh. Perfect for these early spring days.

prep photo of rolling the Lasagna Rolls up with cheese

The details…let’s start with the sauce.

This recipe is simple but requires a little prep work. First, make the tomato sauce. I kept this very simple, using canned tomatoes, dried oregano, dried thyme, and just a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes…to add a layer of spiciness.

For the meat, I used ground beef because that’s currently what’s stocked piled in my freezer. But you could easily use ground chicken, or even spicy ground Italian sausage if you really want to pack in the flavor. Either of these options are great, so use what’s best and most convenient for you.

Of course, if you’re vegetarian, or just going for a meatless night, you can easily omit the meat from the sauce. There’s still going to be plenty of flavor. If you’d like to bulk the sauce up a bit, I would suggest sautéing some mushrooms and chopped cauliflower before you add the tomatoes. That would be delicious too!

overhead photo of Simple Skillet Pesto Cheese Lasagna Roll Ups

Onto the noodles and cheese.

While the sauce is simmering away, get to work on boiling the noodles and rolling them up with cheesy pesto goodness.

Simply boil up the dry lasagna noodles. While they’re cooking, mix ricotta cheese with some fontina, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil pesto. Add the cheese to the noodles, tuck, and roll! It looks all fancy, but it’s actually the easiest thing to do. If you have kids at home, this is a great project for them to do. They’ll have fun…and get the work done for you. Nothing wrong with that.

If you don’t have fontina cheese, I’d recommend using provolone, or really, whatever cheese you might have in the fridge. You really can’t go wrong. Also, if you don’t stock your pantry with sun-dried tomatoes, or simply don’t enjoy them, these can easily be omitted as well. We love them over here, so I always have them on hand.

overhead photo of Simple Skillet Pesto Cheese Lasagna Roll Ups

And now we bake.

At this point, place the lasagna rolls into the tomato sauce, top with mozzarella, and bake until the cheese is melty and the sauce is all bubbly. Your kitchen will smell incredible…like an Italian grandma’s kitchen. But minus the hours spent hunkered over the stove stirring the tomato sauce.

And guys? That’s it. You see? Simple but delicious and full of so much flavor.

This is just like a slow-cooked lasagna, but minus some of the work, and minus all the layers. And honestly…this is just as GOOD…and a bit more fun. Saucy, a little spicy, full of herbs, and heavy on the pasta and cheese. All the good things!

side angled photo of Simple Skillet Pesto Cheese Lasagna Roll Ups with spoon in skillet

Lastly, I really want to stress that you should adapt this recipe to your needs, using what you have on hand. Of course, you need noodles, and yes, you need canned tomatoes. But if you don’t have a bell pepper, use something else. Spinach would be a great addition if you happen to have that. Please just use my recipe as a guide, and swap in the ingredients you do have. Trust me, with pasta, tomatoes, and cheese, this is going to be great.

Soo, what do you all think? Simple and fun lasagna rolls up tonight? Do you have most of the ingredients? Fingers crossed the answer is yes.

Just add some bread and maybe a side salad too. Perfection.

overhead photo of Simple Skillet Pesto Cheese Lasagna Roll Ups with serving spoon in skillet

Looking for other simple pasta recipes? Below are just a few of my springtime favorites.

Unstuffed Spicy Tomato Basil Shells with Whipped Ricotta

Simplest Zucchini Parmesan Pasta

Cacio e Pepe with Arugula and Lemon

overhead photo of Simple Skillet Pesto Cheese Lasagna Roll Ups on a plate with fork

Lastly, if you make these skillet pesto cheese lasagna roll ups, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Simple Skillet Pesto Cheese Lasagna Roll Ups.

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 608 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
    2. Heat the olive oil in a large, oven safe skillet. When the oil shimmers, add the ground meat and brown all over, about 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the bell pepper, garlic, oregano, thyme, fennel, crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, until fragrant. Reduce the heat to low. Add the tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly.
    3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil the pasta until al dente. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking.
    4. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, fontina, 1/2 cup pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes.
    5. To assemble, spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mix down the length of the noodle. Roll into a coil and place each seam-side down in the skillet as you go, snuggling the roll into the sauce. Repeat with remaining noodles. Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup pesto evenly over everything. Add the mozzarella.
    6. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is lightly browned on top. Cool 5 minutes before serving. Serve with fresh basil and thyme, if desired. Enjoy!
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overhead horizontal photo of Simple Skillet Pesto Cheese Lasagna Roll Ups

This post was originally published on April 2, 2020
4.20 from 212 votes (179 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was excellent. I made more like a regular lasagna only because my kids are not ricotta fans unless hidden and I added mushrooms in my quest to add more veggies to everything. The pesto in the sauce was a great touch!

    Reply

  2. So delicious! I made these last night with a few substitutes. I sadly did not have pesto, but instead I used olive oil and dried basil, and also roasted and mashed some butternut squash and combined with the ricotta for the filler mixture. It was delicious! I also used parm instead of fontina since that’s what I had in my fridge. It took me a lot longer than an hour to make this dish, but it was super fun and did make my house smell like an italian grandmother’s, which made me very happy. Two other notes: i took two chicken breasts and minced them for the sauce, which worked great for me; I also used all 18 lasagna noodles in the box (it was actually the only pasta left at the grocery store when I went two weeks ago), and there was plenty of sauce to go around (though I did have to use two skillets to bake). All in all an awesome recipe that my fiancé and I loved. Thank you Tieghan!

    Reply

    1. Hi Morgan! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! Thank you so much for trying it! Stay well! xTieghan

      Reply

  3. This looks delicious but wanted to check on the filling before I make this. You say 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture down the length of the lasagna sheet but in the picture it looks like a lot more.

    Reply

  4. Good Morning! To the person who wrote that she can’t afford all the ingredients….What I do in this case, is I buy one or 2 ingredients one week, the next week, I will buy some more, by that time I should have all the ingredients. Just break it down little by little. Hope this helps.

    Reply

  5. It looks incredible, but the list of ingedients is dauntingly expensive … in addition to the basic ingredients, i need to buy fontina and ricotta and mozzerella, plus pesto and sun-dried tomatoes! I literally can’t afford to make this!

    Reply

    1. Hi! I am sorry these ingredients are super expensive in your area! Feel free to use substitutes! If you need anything else please let me know! xTieghan

      Reply

  6. Hi ! I will be making this tomorrow ! Thinking of making For delivery . Can you use a Pyrex or aluminum foil casserole pan tnstead of skillet ?
    Will that change the heating instructions ?
    Thank you !

    Reply

    1. Hi Keven,
      Yes you can do this in a pyrex dish! I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions. xTieghan

      Reply

  8. 5 stars
    Made this last night. It was delicious. I used our homemade tomato sauce add the pesto I made last fall, fresh mozzarella instead of ricotta and fontina which I didn’t have. The leftovers will be great for lunch. Thanks again for another fantastic recipe.

    Reply

  9. Hi ,Tieghan so what is the Easter menue would love to see one thanks and have a blessed Easter to u and ur familia

    Reply

  11. Hmm . . . I want my husband to “learn” how to cook during “this time”. Going to start with this recipe.
    Looks yummy!!

    Reply

  12. SO YOU ARE BASICALLY USING THE MEAT TO FLAVOR THE SAUCE- AND ONLY ROLLING UP THE CHEESE MIX INSIDE THE COOKED NOODLES? IT CONFUSED ME AS THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE MEAT INCLUDED IN THE ROLLUP..i LIKE THE EASINESS OF THIS AND i HAVE A NEW FAMILY MEMBER , WHO AT AGE 8 AVOIDS MEAT..SO THIS MAKES IT VERY EASY BREEZY FOR A FUN FAMILY DINNER AND EASY ENOUGH THAT IM NOT GOING CRAZY..THANKS SO MUCH!!

    Reply

    1. Hi Donna! The peppers and spices flavor the sauce as well. Yes, you leave the meat in the sauce pan and the roll ups only include the cheese mixture! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hi Rivkah,
      I would recommend breaking the noodles into larger pieces and stir them into the sauce with 3/4 cup of water. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan

      Reply