Y
ou know you want to make this and you totally should! It’s not suppose to be this delicious or easy but it is… This really is the is the laziest and tastiest version of one of my favourite dishes ever, lasagna and I bet you it will be your too, geniet hom!
Cheat-Day Lasagna Roll-Ups (Yes, with Tortillas—Don’t Judge)
Okay, listen—I already know what you’re going to say: “Lila, what in the carb confusion is this?” And yes, I can already see my Italian father-in-law, Luigi, clutching his apron in horror. But you know what? Sometimes you’ve just got to break a few rules to make dinner work.
Because these? These are not your Nonna’s lasagna rolls. These are your “I have 30 minutes, a pack of tortillas, and zero time for boiling pasta” lasagna rolls. They’re fast. They’re filling. And somehow… they totally work.
The Dish That Pretends to be Fancy
These tortilla lasagna roll-ups are exactly what they sound like. Think:
🧀 Mince and creamy white sauce, rolled into soft tortilla wraps
🍅 Tucked into a tray with a tomato passata sauce
🔥 Topped with cheese, folded and topped with more sauce and cheese. Then until bubbly and golden.
You slice into one and the cheesy goodness stretches like a rom-com ending. It’s hearty, it’s satisfying, and it feels like it should have taken all day. But plot twist—it didn’t.
30-Minute Magic
This is what I call “clever cooking.” You’re not sacrificing taste—you’re just skipping the boiling, draining, and pasta-layering mess. Tortillas roll up beautifully, soak up flavor like pros, and hold their shape without fuss. Plus, they’re super freezer-friendly. Make a double batch, pop one in the freezer, and you’ve got dinner sorted for next week’s chaos.
So no, it’s not traditional. It won’t win the approval of the Italian Pasta Purity Council (if that’s a thing). But it will win over your busy weeknight, your picky eaters, and your craving for something warm and delicious without spending the whole day in the kitchen.
There are two types of people in this world: those who layer lasagna, and those who roll it up like a love letter from Nonna. And today, darling, we roll. Now, before you get the wooden spoon from an angry Italian waving it at me across the kitchen, let me explain. Lasagna roll-ups are not traditional. They’re a little bit cheeky. A little bit rebel. But oh, they are delicious—and sometimes, that’s all the passport you need into pasta heaven.
And if anyone’s qualified to talk about that kind of rebellion, it’s me—Mrs. Lila Lerie, proudly married to Luca, an Italian gamer who’d rather battle bosses online than boil water. Meanwhile, his father, Luigi (yes, that’s his real name, no Nintendo references here), believes gaming is a symptom of modern laziness—but he’ll still feed you until you can’t move.
Luigi doesn’t understand Luca’s world of pixels and power-ups, but when it comes to pasta? That man is a maestro. He doesn’t cook, he conducts pasta. And living in a house where one man swears by the PlayStation and the other by parmesan, I’ve had to learn one thing real fast: the pasta protocol. Because in this family, you do not mess with the pasta. You don’t drown it in sauce. You don’t skip the salt in the water. And if you dare suggest putting pineapple in pasta, you might get disinvited from Christmas.
Pasta Protocol 101
Let’s clear something up, South Africa. If your pasta is boiling for longer than a gossip session with your bestie, you’re doing it wrong. Pasta must be al dente. It’s not optional, it’s the law—especially when rolling.
For roll-ups, the pasta sheets need to be soft enough to bend but firm enough to hold all that cheesy, saucy goodness. Think of them as edible envelopes filled with flavor.
What goes inside? That’s where your flair comes in. Ricotta and spinach for a lighter version. Bolognese for that deep Sunday-style comfort. Or mix both. You’re the artist, the roll is your canvas.
Once rolled, you lay them in a dish like precious little scrolls, spoon over your favourite sauce, drown in cheese, and bake until golden, bubbly and irresistible.
Why You’ll Love It
Lasagna roll-ups are drama-free. No soggy middle slices. No awkward layering. Just portion-perfect bites of joy. Luca loves them because he can grab a roll between game breaks. Luigi loves them because they respect the sauce-to-pasta ratio. I love them because they work—for weeknights, weekends, or wowing guests.
So if you’re ready to roll, I say: do it. Join the revolution. Make lasagna that bends the rules a little—but still keeps the heart of Italian tradition beating strong.
Just don’t tell Luigi I used the air fryer once. We’re not there yet.
K’ love you bye.
30-minute(ish) Meals | Lasagna Roll Ups
Equipment
- Oven or Air Fryer
- Baking or Air Frying Tray
- Baking Paper
Ingredients
- 4 large flour tortillas or 6 medium tortillas
- ½ cup passata
- 300 grams grated mozzarella cheese or white cheddar cheese
- Handful of fresh basil roughly chopped
Beef Mince
- 2 tbsp olive oil or ghee
- 50 grams tomato paste
- 1 medium white onion
- 1 tsp dried origanum extra for garnishing
- 1 tsp salt
- 500 grams beef mince
Garlic Bechamel Sauce
- 2 tbsp butter olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp cornstarch or flour
- 350-400 ml warm milk
Instructions
- If using an oven, preheat to 200℃/405℉. If using an air fryer, preheat 5 minutes at 200℃/405℉ prior to air frying the roll ups.
Beef Mince
- Bring a large saucepan to a medium-high heat, add oil, diced onion, tomato paste, origanum and salt. Sauté for 3-5 minutes or until the tomato paste starts to darken and the onions are translucent. Add the beef mince and cook until the mince has released most of its moisture and it starts to brown. Set aside.
Garlic Bechamel Sauce
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the garlic, sauté on a medium-high heat until the garlic starts to change colour. Add the flour and stir using a whisk. Once the flour starts to bubble and turn to a light golden colour, then gradually start pouring in the warm milk, whisking vigorously in-between. Note: throughout this whole process, your priority is ensure the garlic does not darken too much or burn as this will cause the sauce to become bitter. Feel free to add more milk if the sauce is thicker than you'd prefer.
Assembling the Roll Ups *WATCH VIDEO FOR REFERENCE*
- Prior to rolling ensure the air fryer or oven has reached it's desired temperature. Working quickly, add a strip of tomato passata to the base of the wrap, followed by beef mince, garlic sauce, and finished off with a sprinkle of cheese. Note: remember to be mindful to ensure there's an equal mount filling for each tortilla whilst filling them. Also, you want the majority of the cheese to go on top of the tortilla prior to baking/air frying.
- Firmly rollup up the tortilla and place on a lined baking tray or air fryer tray. Coat each tortilla with the remaining passata sauce, cheese and dried origanum. Place next to each other on the baking tray, seam side down - you can bake in batches if using a smaller air fryer.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubblingh. Garnish with freshly chopped basil before serving with a salad of your choice. Enjoy, tastebud!
Video
