Lasagna Roll Ups (All the Flavor, None of the Layering Drama)

Lay the cooked noodles out flat on parchment the second they're drained, because lasagna sheets fuse into a single brick if you leave them piled in the colander. From there it's a couple spoonfuls of ricotta filling per noodle, a tight roll, and seam-side down into the dish so they don't unravel in the oven. The egg in the filling is what keeps the ricotta from weeping out and going watery once it bakes. You get the same baked-pasta payoff as a full tray without ever building a single layer.

By Nora Calloway

Swaps & Substitutions

• Ricotta → cottage cheese works, but blend or drain it first so the filling isn't loose; the texture comes out a touch looser than ricotta.
• Egg → skip it and the filling still tastes fine, just expect a softer, wetter result; an extra quarter cup of mozzarella in the mix helps it set.
• Gluten-free → use GF lasagna noodles, but cook them a minute under package time since they tear easily when you roll.
• Marinara → any jarred or homemade tomato sauce; if it's very thick, thin it with a splash of pasta water so the rolls don't dry out.
• Dairy-free → swap in a firm dairy-free ricotta and meltable mozzarella, and bump the oregano and garlic since plant cheeses read flatter.
• Parmesan → Pecorino Romano in the same amount, though it's saltier, so pull back the half teaspoon of salt a little.

Questions & Answers