There is something about this winter weather that makes me want to get all cozy on my couch with a warm blanket, cup of tea, and a large bowl of comforting carbs.
Lasagna sure is a winter comfort food and crowd pleaser for any dinner party. Ooey gooey cheese, savoury tomato sauce, and lots of chewy noodles sure does the trick to warm your body and soul. I’m sure you’ve all been wowed by our made-over risotto…well it’s lasagna’s turn to get a brand new look.
Homemade tomato sauce, a mixture of low fat cheese, lots of spinach and mushrooms turns a traditional comfort food into an every day food.
Using a pair of kitchen scissors makes chopping up a can of whole tomatoes for your homemade tomato sauce that much easier. And you get a much better texture than a can of the pre-chopped variety. Of course, you could always use some prepared bottled sauce, but I find the homemade variety that much fresher and better tasting. And by making your own, you also control how much salt gets added.
The portobello mushrooms add a nice “meaty” texture and flavour without any actual meat. One very key step is the squeezing of the spinach. You really want to make sure to get out as much water as possible to avoid a very watery lasagna…it happens to the best of us.
What I love about these little rolls is that everyone gets their own individual lasagna. It’s also so much easier to serve than the traditional stacked pasta casserole and they just look so darn cute. You can also use whole wheat noodles to ramp up the fiber in this dish even more, but I find them to be quite difficult to find. They must be hiding out with the corn tortillas!
These lasagna rollups can be made in advance on the weekend and popped in the oven when you get home from work. They also make a fabulous dinner party dish and can be customized for even the pickiest eater!
Healthy, comforting, cheesy, and DELICIOUS! The perfect winter weather dinner sure does look good with its new ‘do!
Dara
Portobello and Spinach Lasagna Rollups
Serves | 6-8 |
Prep time | 30 minutes |
Cook time | 1 hour |
Total time | 1 hour, 30 minutes |
Dietary | Vegetarian |
Meal type | Main Dish |
Misc | Freezable |
Website | Food Network |
Ingredients
- 14 lasagna noodles
- 1 Tsp olive oil
- 3 portobello mushrooms (chopped)
- 2 Cups low fat ricotta cheese
- 2 Packages frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
- 1 egg (lightly beaten)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1/4 cup parmesan (grated)
- 2/3 cups low fat mozzarella cheese (grated)
Tomato sauce
- 1 Tsp olive oil
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 Cloves garlic ( minced)
- 2 28 oz cans of whole tomatoes (drained and chopped)
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tsp dried oregano
- 1 Tsp dried basil
- 1 dried bay leaf
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Note
The tomato sauce and mushroom mixture can both be prepared in advance. This would also freeze very well...you can freeze it as a whole or portion out the rolls into individual tupperware for quick a quick lunch or dinner. You could also add other vegetables in place of the mushrooms - eggplant or zucchini would both work great!
Directions
Tomato Sauce | |
1. | Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cool until thickened, about 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf and puree until smooth with a little bit of chunks left and set aside. |
Lasagna rolls | |
2. | Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions and drain well. Place on some wax paper to prevent sticking. |
3. | Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and sauté mushrooms until soft and browned. Season with salt and pepper. Add about 1 1/2 cups of tomato sauce and let cook for about 2 minutes. Set aside. |
4. | Mix together ricotta, spinach, egg, and salt and pepper to taste. |
5. | Spray a 9 x 13 pyrex dish with cooking spray and spread about 3/4 cups of tomato sauce in the bottom. |
6. | Spread about 2 spoonfulls of ricotta mixture onto a lasagna noodle and then top with about 1 spoonfull of mushroom mixture. Roll up and place in pyrex and continue to top and roll the remaining lasagna noodles. |
7. | Spread noodles with sauce and sprinkle with cheeses. Cover loosely with foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted. |
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Joanne says
I’m so in love with these lasagna rollups! They make lasagna-making SO much easier!
howt1653 says
Thanks Joanne!
Susan says
We just really like to make lasagna as roll ups. It was a sure fire “hit” during the cooking classes at our house this past summer. We made them in little ramekins, and then each person gets to “load theirs up” with whatever they like to eat. Such fun!