High Protein Pesto Lasagna Roll Ups
Lasagna is such a comfort food, and this recipe uses a creamy sauce instead of the classic red sauce-it pairs perfect with the pesto topping!! We’re also packing over 40g of protein into each serving. Included in the notes are instructions for preparing this lasagna ahead and freezing, so check that out if you’re looking to prep ahead for a busy week, travel, or just making some easy meals ahead as we approach the holidays!
High Protein Pesto Lasagna Roll Ups Ingredient Notes
Chicken Breast: Chicken breast serves as the lean protein foundation of this dish. It’s baked and shredded, making it easy to mix with the creamy filling. Its mild flavor pairs well with the herbs and pesto.
Cottage Cheese: Cottage cheese creates a light, creamy base for the filling while adding a major protein boost. When blended smooth, it mimics the texture of ricotta with fewer calories and more nutrients. It also enhances the dish’s creaminess without feeling heavy.
Basil Pesto: Pesto adds rich, herby flavor and a bright green color to the roll-ups. Its combination of basil, garlic, olive oil, and cheese complements the creamy sauce and savory chicken. A little goes a long way in adding bold, aromatic depth.
Mozzarella Cheese: Mozzarella melts beautifully over the roll-ups, creating a bubbly, golden topping. It adds stretchy texture and classic comfort to balance the creamy filling. A light sprinkle on top makes the dish feel indulgent and satisfying.
High Protein Pesto Lasagna Roll Ups
4
servings20
minutes40
minutesLasagna is such a comfort food, and this recipe uses a creamy sauce instead of the classic red sauce-it pairs perfect with the pesto topping!! We’re also packing over 40g of protein into each serving. Included in the notes are instructions for preparing this lasagna ahead and freezing, so check that out if you’re looking to prep ahead for a busy week, travel, or just making some easy meals ahead as we approach the holidays!
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Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds chicken breast (can sub for shredded rotisserie chicken)
9 ounces gluten-free lasagna noodles (12 lasagna sheets)
16 ounces cottage cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus additional to taste
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup basil pesto
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
grated parmesan cheese, for topping (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400F and add the chicken to a sheet pan. Season with salt and ground black pepper on both sides and bake until fully cooked, 23 to 26 minutes. (Note you will use the oven again, so leave it on).
- While the chicken bakes, prepare the lasagna noodles according to package instructions to cook al dente. Drain and add back to the pot. Drizzle with olive oil while hot to prevent sticking.
- Meanwhile, blend the cottage cheese in a blender or food processor until completely smooth, about 60 seconds. Transfer to a mixing bowl and mix in the dried basil, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes (optional). Transfer 2/3 cup of the cottage cheese mixture to a separate bowl, combine with the pesto, and set aside.
- Shred the cooked chicken (I like to use an electric mixer to shred), then add to the bowl with the cottage cheese mixture without the pesto, along with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Mix to combine.
- Place one or two lasagna sheets at a time in a 9×13 baking dish and add about 3 tablespoons of the chicken and cottage cheese mixture to one end of the noodle. Roll tightly until you reach the end of the noodle and push the filled sheet to the end of the baking dish (see reel for visual instructions). Continue this process until you have 12 roll ups total (two rows of 6). Spread the cottage cheese and pesto mixture over top.
- Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella evenly on top. Bake for 7 minutes to melt the cheese, then turn to high broil until bubbling and brown on top, 2 to 3 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes before slicing. Top with grated parmesan if desired.
Notes
- Storage: Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: From refrigerator, microwave until warm, about 2 minutes or bake in the oven at 400F until warmed. From frozen, thaw in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight, then heat as instructed.
- Freezing Tips: If freezing, prepare through Step 5, then freeze for up to 1 month in a sealed container. When you’re ready to bake, start from Step 6 and follow baking instructions.
- Vegetarian: Omit the chicken breast for a vegetarian option such as tofu or tempeh.
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This recipe is so easy and super delicious! Plus I love the extra tips for freezing. Next time im making a double batch to eat one and freeze the other. Thanks Jenn!!
This recipe is delicious!
Can I use this recipe to make traditional lasagna (rather than roll ups)? Would I need to make any changes to the cooking time?
Also wondering this!
Same!
I had to refrain from eating the filling straight from the bowl! So good.
4-5 TBSP of filling per noodle was more appropriate for me.
Do you have a suggestion for making this vegetarian?
You can omit the chicken or sub it from plant-based crumbles or chopped pre-cooked veggie sausage!
How much is one serving?
3 rolls ups!
If I freeze this recipe should I cook from frozen or defrost it first? Looks delicious!!
I had no-boil lasagna noodles that’s why I made it without rolling them up. It turned out amazing! I just needed to put extra liquid since noodles cook in the oven and waited longer. Also used rotisserie chicken which made everything so much faster. I recommend this recipe, it keeps you full for a really long time!
This is so good! Loved it thank you! High protein, easy, delicious. A win!
I made this with shells and stuffed about 20 of them before I ran out of filling. I pre-boiled them and still baked them for about 20 minutes and I think next time I’ll boil them longer on the front end. So tasty! Kids loved it too. Thankful for a new meal to add to the rotation!
Taste: 5 stars
Making it: 3 stars. This was 200% more utensils and bowls than I like to use to cook dinner, so the prep and cleanup took longer. Also, TIL I am NOT the person who will roll a noodle. So there are 3 at the end of the pan and the rest is a lasagna.
I made a low-cal pesto that I found on Reddit in the r/1200isplenty sub, with some minor tweaks (I like more cheese and used roasted garlic). That is worth looking into if you’re a big back like me and also a fan of pesto on pretty much everything.
This was my very first foray into Cottage Cheese Core and I added milk to get it to blend up in my ninja. Warning: be sparing with adding milk. I ended up adding a lot of parm to thicken up my cottage cheese soup. 😀 This is my burden so that others will not have to carry it! haha
Anyhow. In total, I really liked this and am glad we have leftovers. It offsets the 200% bowls/dishes increase. So really this is a 4.5 if you read the whole thing first and don’t make watery cottage cheese. Which is fine since you know I didn’t cook the noodles long enough. 😛
This is labor intensive but SO yummy! I froze cooked leftovers and one pan raw to bake later. Curious to see which tastes better. Leftovers are a little dry (not the recipes fault, I had to use GF lasagna) so I threw in a light laughing cow cheese and OMG it was delicious!!!
Another one the family loved! I appreciate that it fit within my macro goals and fed the whole family!
In October we continued our streak of “every single recipe of Jenn’s I’ve ever made is a hit.” Just last night I made the high pesto protein lasagna rollups for dinner. We only had oven-ready noodles on hand, which weren’t going to work for rolling, I adapted the recipe to make in a more typical lasagna format by adding a jar of pasta sauce to the layers so there was enough moisture for the noodles to cook properly, and I followed the assembly/baking instructions on the back of the box. I put the pesto/cottage cheese mixture on the top layer. It was a hit! My teen daughter, who apparently doesn’t like lasagna, was so pleased with it she complimented me on it last night and this morning. I used pre-made pesto purchased from Costco, and pre-shredded chicken.
This was decent but I don’t know if I would make it again. I had a container of cottage cheese to use so it worked out well for that. It was a bit plain for us and felt like a lot of noodle with it all rolled up