Creamy Chicken Pesto Lasagna Roll Ups

Chicken lasagna roll ups are a delicious twist on classic lasagna. They are rolled instead of layered, and made with juicy shredded shredded chicken, a cheesy basil pesto ricotta filling, and a homemade creamy garlic pesto sauce. Pesto chicken lasagna roll-ups is a comforting, family-friendly dinner that is ready in under an under.

Whether you’re craving a creamy chicken pesto pasta bake or searching for an easy chicken lasagna recipe, this one’s a winner!

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see privacy policy for details.

Chicken pesto lasagna roll ups are a delicious mash up of pesto chicken and traditional lasagna. Tender shredded chicken and creamy sauce replace ground beef and tomato sauce. But it’s still saucy, cheesy, and mouthwatering!

Why This is the Best Lasagna Roll Ups Recipe

• Easy to Make and Serve: In just one hour you can have a hearty, filling weeknight dinner. And each roll is an individual serving so it’s easy to make plates.
• Versatile: Keep this delicious lasagna recipe as is, or switch up the meat or sauce. It’s totally up to you!
• Stores Well: Make this ahead and save it for later because these easy lasagna roll ups store well in the fridge or freezer.

Ingredients

These ingredients come together to create the ultimate creamy chicken lasagna roll ups with pesto.

Creamy Pesto Sauce

• Butter: Adds lots of flavor to the sauce.
• Heavy Cream: This imparts a creamy consistency.
• Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated or shredded
• Basil Pesto: For extra fresh basil flavors
• Seasonings: Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
• Garlic Cloves: Grated.

Pesto Ricotta Mixture

• Cheese: You will need a blend of ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
• Large Egg: This binds the cheese mixture together so it doesn’t seep out as the lasagna rolls bake.
• Basil Pesto Sauce: This homemade pesto sauce is a fresh savory, herby green sauce that’s delightfully refreshing and bright. It’s ready in just 10 minutes! You can also use store-bought pesto sauce. My go-to is the Kirlands Pesto Sauce from Costco.
• Salt and Pepper: Add to taste.

Lasagna Roll Ups

• Lasagna Noodles: Cook according to package instructions.
• Shredded Chicken: Precooked.
• Shredded Mozzarella: This melts beautifully for a golden brown crust.
• Basil Pesto: This is the same sauce used for the ricotta mixture.
• Fresh basil leaves: Use for garnish.

How to Make Chicken Pesto Lasagna Roll Ups

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a baking dish or casserole dish with cooking spray.

Make the Pesto Ricotta Filling

 In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan cheese, egg, pesto sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix well until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

Cook the Lasagna Noodles

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles until al dente, according to package directions. When the noodles are done cooking, lay them out flat on an oiled baking sheet and set aside.

Make the Creamy Pesto Sauce

In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.

Once the butter is melted, add the minced garlic to the saucepan. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic becomes fragrant and slightly softened. Be careful not to let it burn.

Stir in heavy cream and let simmer for 2–3 minutes. Season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Then add the shredded parmesan cheese and stir until melted and creamy.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the pesto sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.

Assemble the Lasagna Roll Ups

Spread some of the creamy pesto sauce at the bottom of the baking dish. Set aside.

There are two ways to assemble the roll ups:
You can either spread about 1 tablespoon of the ricotta-pesto mixture onto each cooked lasagna noodle and then layer the shredded chicken on top—or mix the chicken directly into the ricotta mixture and spread that combined filling onto each noodle.

I prefer mixing the chicken into the ricotta mixture because it keeps everything evenly blended and makes for a smoother, creamier filling.

Whichever method you choose, avoid overfilling. Roll each noodle up gently into a tight spiral and place seam-side down in your baking dish.

Pour the creamy pesto sauce over the top of the chicken pesto roll-ups, making sure to cover them evenly. Then top with more mozzarella cheese.

Cover the baking dish and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove the cover and broil for 3 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly.

Pro Tips

• Don’t overcook the pasta otherwise, it will become mushy in the oven.
• In order to avoid the cooked lasagna noodles from sticking together, drizzle them with a bit of olive oil. Alternatively, cook a bit more than you’ll actually need so if some tear, you have back ups.
• Shred your own cheese. It tastes better and melts beautifully. The pre-shredded stuff has anti-caking agents that prevent them from melting as easily and they sometimes have a grainy texture.

Recipe Variations

• Protein: Lasagna roll ups with meat are absolutely delicious. Instead of shredded chicken, you can add ground beef, ground turkey, or Italian sausage.
• Meatless: For a vegetarian option swap the meat for a veggie like eggplant, zucchini, spinach, or mushrooms. (If you go with either of the first two, draw out excess moisture by salting them first.)
• Sauce: Want to keep it more traditional? Instead of pesto sauce, you can use marinara sauce.
• Lasagna Rolls Up With No Ricotta Cheese: Swap the ricotta for cottage cheese or cream cheese.

Can Lasagna Roll Ups Be Made Ahead?

Absolutely! Before you begin to make this recipe, your shredded chicken and pesto sauce should already be made. But you an also assemble the chicken pesto lasagna roll-ups, cover them, and store them in the pan in the fridge 1-2 days in advance.

For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months in the freezer. Allow it to defrost in the fridge before baking. Alternatively, add 10 minutes to the cooking time.

Storing Leftovers

Once it has completely cooled, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat leftovers in the microwave.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can you boil oven-ready lasagna noodles for roll ups?

Yes. Oven-ready noodles only take about 2 minutes to soften in boiled water and absorb less moisture from the meat sauce as they bake. So your lasagna is rich and moist.

Can you freeze lasagna roll ups?

You can freeze lasagna roll ups either right after assembling them or after they have cooked and cooled down. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 months.

How long does it take to cook lasagna roll ups?

Lasagna rolls ups take about 1 hour to make, from start to finish.

More Pesto Recipes:

Pesto Bruschetta Chicken

Pesto Potato Salad

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

Homemade Basil Pesto

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

Don’t forget to leave a ★ star rating and comment below to let us know much you loved it. We’d love to hear about your experience and any creative variations you’ve come up with.

STAY CONNECTED FOR MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES

Sign up for my newsletter to receive new recipes right in your inbox!

Keep up with me on Instagram and TikTok for quick cooking videos and daily inspiration.

Chicken Pesto Lasagna Roll Ups

Chicken lasagna roll ups are a delicious twist on classic lasagna. It's made with an easy homemade basil pesto ricotta mixture for a creamy, cheesy, comfort meal that's ready in less than one hour.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 12 Rolls

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the Creamy Pesto Sauce

• 2 tbsps Butter
• 1¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 3 garlic cloves grated
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup basil pesto

For the Pesto Ricotta Mixture

• 8 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup basil pesto sauce make it homemade or use a store-bought sauce. The Kirklands pesto from Costco is our favorite.
• salt and pepper to taste

For Lasagna Roll Ups

• 8-10 lasagna noodles cooked according to package instructions
• 3 cups shredded chicken
• Shredded Mozzarella for topping
• Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Get Recipe Ingredients

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a baking dish or casserole dish with cooking spray.

Make the pesto ricotta

• In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, egg, pesto sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix well until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

Cook the lasagna noodles:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. When the noodles are done cooking, lay them out flat on an oiled baking sheet and set aside.

Make the creamy pesto sauce

• In a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
• Once the butter is melted, add the minced garlic to the saucepan. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the garlic becomes fragrant and slightly softened. Be careful not to let it burn.
• Stir in the heavy whipping cream and let simmer for 2–3 minutes. Season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Then add the shredded parmesan cheese and stir until melted and creamy.
• Slowly pour the milk into the saucepan while whisking constantly to combine the flour mixture with the milk smoothly. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes while constantly stirring then mix in the mozzarella cheese until it melts.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the pesto sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired.

Assemble the lasagna roll ups

• First, spread some of the creamy pesto sauce at the bottom of the baking dish. 
• There are two ways to assemble the roll ups:You can either spread about 1 tablespoon of the ricotta-pesto mixture onto each cooked lasagna noodle and then layer the shredded chicken on top, or mix the chicken directly into the ricotta mixture and spread that combined filling onto each noodle.

  I prefer mixing the chicken into the ricotta mixture because it keeps everything evenly blended and makes for a smoother, creamier filling.
• Whichever method you choose, avoid overfilling. Roll each noodle up gently into a tight spiral and place seam-side down in your baking dish.
• Pour the creamy pesto sauce over the top of the chicken pesto roll-ups, making sure to cover them evenly. Then top with more mozzarella cheese.
• Cover the baking dish and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove the cover and broil for 3 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Share your creations on Instagram! Tag us @Eatwell.withlex and use #eatwellwithlex! Don’t forget to leave a star rating and comment.

Share this:

• Facebook
• X

Like this:

Like Loading…

chickendinnerlasagnapastapesto