Veggie Lasagna Roll Ups

Back in March I spent a cold, rainy Sunday making a pan of hearty lasagna. But instead of the traditional version, I made adorable individual rolls filled with tangy cheese, lots of fresh herbs and baked in a rich, meaty sauce. As popular as my recipe was, I almost immediately began getting requests for a vegetarian version.

Because the only meat in the recipe was in the tomato sauce, it would be easy enough to just leave it out. But I wanted to add vegetables as well as take away meat both for my vegetarian readers and for the sake of creating a lighter, warm weather dish. I thought of various additions such as broccoli and zucchini but ended up going with the combination of spinach and carrots.

Even I was surprised at how much lighter the final dish was without the meat sauce. But the flavor was as rich and robust as the original. I left the carrots raw which added a slight crunch but you can also saute them for a few minutes if you prefer a smoother texture. Feel free to experiment with other vegetable combinations and let me know the results. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce:

1 Cup tomato sauce (home made or store bought)

1 Cup milk (I used low fat)

2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

Salt & pepper to taste

Veggie  Cheese Sauce:

1 Cup cooked spinach (fresh or frozen)

 2 Carrots, peeled and grated

1/2 Cup ricotta cheese (I used part-skim)

1/2 Cup milk (I used low fat)

1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 Cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta:

10 Uncooked lasagna noodles

Topping:

1/2 Cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

In a pot, combine the tomato sauce, milk, basil and seasoning. In a separate pot, cook the lasagna noodles in boiling salted water according to the package directions. Once the noodles are cooked, drain them and immediately line them in a single layer on waxed or parchment paper.

While the noodles are cooking, add the cooked and cooled spinach, grated carrots, milk, ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses to a bowl and season to taste.

To prepare the pasta rolls, spread approximately 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking dish (approx. 9"). Spread a large spoonful of the veggie cheese mixture evenly onto each cooked lasagna noodle. Roll the noodles up, jellyroll style, and arrange them seam side down in the baking dish. Pour most of the remaining tomato sauce over the rolls but reserve about 1/4 cup. Sprinkle on the 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Remove from the oven and top with the 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Pour some additional tomato sauce on top of each roll, if desired, and sprinkle on the remaining fresh basil.

To see the original Lasagna Roll Up recipe, click here.