Italian Spring Rolls – Barefoot in the kitchen

Stuffed with Italian sausage and shredded veggies before being deep fried until crisp and golden brown, these Italian spring rolls are a fun and unexpected twist on pasta night.

This recipe was an impromptu dinner years ago that tasted delicious. One evening while looking in the fridge for inspiration, I stopped at a box of spring roll wrappers.

That’s when I discovered that egg roll wrappers are technically a form of pasta. Did you know? Well, one thought led to another and I decided to try an Italian egg roll combo.

I serve these Italian Egg Rolls with 5 Minute Marinara Sauce as a side for dipping and they disappear FAST every time we make them.

The kids, my husband and I devoured these spring rolls the first time I made them. My youngest son ate three of these! (The photo at the bottom of this post still makes me grin. I can’t believe my baby was so small 11 years ago!)

Cooking tip: I use this pan, tongs, and tray to prepare this recipe.

Italian egg rolls

• sweet or spicy Italian sausage
• grated carrots
• shredded cabbage
• garlic powder, salt and pepper
• egg roll wrappers
• beaten egg
• oil for frying
• Marinara sauce for serving

In a large pan, cook and crumble the sausage. Add the cabbage and carrots to the pan and continue cooking over medium-high heat.

Season with garlic, salt and pepper. When the vegetables are crisp and tender, remove the pan from the heat.

How to roll egg rolls

Set out a conveyor belt with a stack of egg roll wrappers, the sausage mixture, a small bowl of water, and another small bowl of the beaten egg.

Spread 1 egg roll paper on a plate. Place about ¼ cup of the cabbage mixture in the center of each wrap.

Pull up the bottom corner, then pin the sides to the center. Roll up as tightly as possible. Dip your finger in the water and then in the egg to seal the edges of the roll. When you’re done wrapping the rolls, stack them on a plate and set aside.

Heat the oil in a small heavy saucepan or deep-sided frying pan to 350°F. (Medium heat gets the oil up to the right temperature on my stovetop.)

Using kitchen tongs, turn the buns over and sear the buns in the hot oil for 10-20 seconds on each side. They should be lightly browned.

Transfer the cooked spring rolls to a plate lined with paper towels. Serve hot or with marinara dip.

Egg Roll Pan

All the ingredients we love in classic Chinese egg rolls come together in this skillet egg roll recipe. This is an irresistible bowl of deconstructed spring rolls and you’re going to love them. Don’t skip the crispy deep fried wonton strips as a topping for real egg roll flavor and crunch!

You’re only 20 minutes and 5 ingredients away from the awesomeness of this flavorful sausage and egg roll in a bowl! Adding sausage to a simple dish like the aforementioned egg roll skillet adds a lot of flavor with minimal effort.

I like to use breakfast sausage (the spicy sausage variety is my number one choice) because of the many spices that are already there, but any sausage you like will work here.

{originally posted 10/01/12 – recipe notes and photos updated 12/06/23}