Veggie Lasagna Roll-ups

We love lasagna over at our house, especially since we can fill it with delicious veggies and it is always a hit. I tried numerous recipes for lasagna and lasagna roll-ups over the years and through trial and error this recipe was born. The beauty of this recipe is how completely versatile it is, you can add meat or leave it out. You can use an mix of vegetables that fits your fancy, or what you have in your fridge. I happened to use a mix of things that I had on hand from the garden for this batch.



To start saute 1/2 a chopped onion with 1/2 lb of ground turkey in a large skillet for about 5 minutes or until the onions are fragrant. You can also use ground beef or chopped mushrooms. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of basil, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Once the meat is cooked through, remove from heat and set aside in a mixing bowl, saving the skillet for the spinach.

Roughly chop 10 ounces of fresh spinach. Return the skillet to medium heat and cook the spinach down for about 5 minutes.

 

You may need to add the spinach in batches, waiting for the spinach to cook down a bit to fit more in. Remove the spinach with tongs, squeezing any excess liquid out. Mix the spinach with the cooked meat. *** frozen spinach can be used, just thaw out before and drain the liquid out.

Next add about 1 cup veggies of your choice to the meat and spinach. I added shredded carrots and chopped zucchini. Chopped broccoli, kale, or whatever tickles your fancy can be added here. Also the amount of spinach can be changed, I used about 7 ounces of spinach and added more zucchini to this lasagna batch. Whatever amount or veggies you choose just aim for around 2 cups of chopped veggies by the end.

Now for noodles you can boil the lasagna  noodles of your choice, drain them, let them cool, and dry them off. Or you can use no-boil noodles to eliminate a step. I generally do this to speed up the process, but I have also boiled whole wheat noddles and used those, the choice is yours.

Grab a pan and fill it with hot water and soak your no-boil noddles in the hot water to soften them -about 10 minutes.

While your noddles soften, in a large mixing bowl combine 15 ounces of Ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg, and 1 egg. 

Mix this all together and then fold in the meat and veggie mixture. 

Place about 3/4 cup of marinara sauce at the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Now you are ready to assemble.

I like setting up a little assemble line with the noodles, mixture, and pan to make it fast and efficient. Don't forget the episode of Parks and Recreation to keep you occupied while you roll :)

Remove one softened noodle from the water; shake the the water off or use a paper towel to remove excess water. Using a long spatula or knife, spread 1/3 cup of the filling over the noodle.

 Starting from a short end, gently roll up the noodle. Place the roll, seam side down, in the baking dish. Repeat with all the remaining noodles and filling. Once done, cover the rolls with the rest of the sauce and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Cover with tin foil.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes covered and then bake for 25 more minutes uncovered. 

I love making this earlier in the day or night before and then popping it in the oven when I'm ready. It is a great meal to prep during nap time :)

Veggie Lasagna Roll-Ups
Serves 8

1/2 lb ground turkey ( ground beef or chopped mushrooms)
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves of minced garlic
1o ounces of fresh spinach (or frozen, thawed and drained) (optional)*
1/2 cup of shredded carrots (optional)*
1/2 cup of chopped zucchini (optional)*

1 package (8 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles 
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese 

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup  grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 Tablespoon of Basil

*** use any vegetables you would like, you need 2 cups of shredded or chopped vegetables.

1. Heat oven to 350°. 

2. In large skillet cook the Ground turkey with the onion for 5 minutes. Add garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1 Tablespoon of Basil and cook until meat is fully cooked. Remove from skillet and set aside in a mixing bowl

3. Roughly chop spinach and cook over medium heat until wilted down. Remove with tongs and squeeze any excess liquid from the spinach. Add to the meat mixture.

4. Add shredded carrots and zucchini to meat and spinach. Stir to combine

 5. In hot water, soak the lasagna noodles for 5-10minutes or until softened ( so you can roll them). 

6. In a second large bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, 1 cup  mozzarella cheese,1 teaspoon of

salt,1/2 black pepper, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the egg and nutmeg until well blended. Fold in the meat and veggies.

7. Spread 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce mixture over the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. 

8. Remove one softened noodle from the water; shake the the water off or use a paper towel to remove excess water. Using a long spatula or knife, spread 1/3 cup of the filling over the noodle .Starting from a short end, gently roll up the noodle. Place the roll, seam side down, in the baking dish. Repeat with all the remaining noodles and filling. Once done, cover the rolls with the rest of the sauce and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Cover with tin foil.

9. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes covered and then bake for 25 more minutes uncovered.