Lasagna Roll Ups, in which the filling is rolled up in the lasagna noodles, then smothered in sauce and cheese, are a fun alternative to traditional layered lasagna. This crowd-pleasing recipe includes spinach and peas in the filling, so it's a good alternative for vegetarians. If you're serving meat-lovers, substitute a half-pound of cooked ground beef or turkey for the peas. You could also get ambitious and make your own pasta for the lasagna noodles. (Larger image.)
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
- ***For Sauce***
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, shredded
- Salt and pepper
- ***For Lasagna and Filling***
- 16 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess water
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 1 pound fresh ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound wavy lasagna noodles
Preparation:
- Put a stock pot or other large pot filled with water on the stove to boil for the pasta.
- To make sauce, heat a large Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add olive oil, and tilt pan to coat bottom. Add onion and saute, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened and translucent. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 375˚F. To make filling, combine spinach, peas, ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine, then add the eggs, mixing to incorporate completely. Season the mixture with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate mixture until you're ready to assemble the dish.
- When pasta water comes to a boil, season the water with about 1 tablespoon of salt, then add the noodles and cook as directed. Meanwhile, stir basil into tomato sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch glass baking pan with nonstick spray, and spread about 1/2 to 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish. Drain pasta and gently rinse with cool water, being careful not to rip the noodles.
- Working quickly (noodles will eventually start sticking together, line up a few noodles at a time on a clean work surface (I cover my countertop with a silicone baking mat, or you could use a large cutting board), and spread about 1/4 cup filling mixture on the top third of each noodle. Starting with the filling-covered end, roll the noodles into a bundle and arrange rolled bundles in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling and rolling noodles until you run out of noodles or filling.
- Ladle remaining tomato sauce over the pan of lasagna rolls, making sure to cover roll-ups completely with sauce. Combine remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and sprinkle cheeses evenly over the dish. Bake at 375˚F for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until cheese on top is melted and bubbling.
This recipe for Lasgna Roll Ups serves 6 to 8 people.
