I haven’t had much luck with lasagna in the past, so I decided to take a bit of a different approach this time. Instead of layering my pasta like I usually would, I made them into cute little rolls.
Not only did this technique work much better for me, I find the dish looks so much nicer that way, so elegant and classy! Of course, it makes using different layers / components a tad more difficult, but I am guessing, not entirely impossible. One could probably spread the sauce over the pasta and top that with a little bit of cottage or ricotta mixture before to start rolling the lasagna. I’ll have to give that a try next time.
I made 2 different versions of this, one using whole wheat pasta and one using regular “white” pasta (for my son, who still refuses to eat whole grain pasta of any shape, kind or form) and I find whole wheat worked a lot better. Their firmer texture and the fact that they are a little thicker helps the rolls hold their shape a lot nicer.
As for the sauce, I used 2 different kind of lentils, red and green. I figured the red would go a lot more unnoticed and would make the sauce more accessible to those who don’t really care for lentils, while the green would add a little bit of a crunch and texture. I also added a wide variety of vegetables, namely aubergines, zucchinis, red bell peppers and spinach.
This sauce might look like it would take forever to make, but the truth is, as soon as the lentils are cooked, which takes about 25-30 minutes, it’s pretty much ready to go. So from start to finish, you’re looking at probably an hour and a half to get this elegant dish on your table. It may not be something you’d want to whip up on a busy weeknight, unless you were to make the sauce one night and assemble the next, but really, whichever way you choose to go about it, this is one dish that is very well worth taking the time to make.
INGREDIENTS
(for 8 rolls)
- 8 lasagnas, preferably whole wheat
- 125g low fat mozzarella cheese
SAUCE
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- ½ red bell pepper, chopped
- ½ eggplant, finely chopped
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ cup red lentils
- ¼ cup green Du Puy lentils
- 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 100g spinach, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- In large saucepan, cook onions, celery, garlic and bell peppers over medium heat until fragrant and the onions become translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add zucchini, eggplant, seasonings and lentils and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, then add tomatoes and water. Bring to the boil then lower heat and simmer, partly covered, for about 25 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
- Remove from heat, stir in spinach and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before you start rolling your lasagna.
- Preheat oven to 375F
- While sauce is cooling, cook lasagna per package instructions. When cooked, lay them flat on a towel and pat them dry.
- Spread a little bit of sauce at the bottom of a baking dish. Set aside.
- Place lasagnas in a plate, one at a time, and spread about ¼ cup of sauce on the entire length of the pasta. Carefully roll and place in the reserved baking dish. Repeat with the remaining lasagnas.
- Top each lasagna roll with a little bit of sauce, then sprinkle mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and starts to color slightly.
Those are so cute! I’ve never made lasagna rolls, but I really should. Love all the veggies you packed in there too. The sauce looks beautiful!
This is such a great idea! I can’t tell you how many times I crave lasagna but don’t want to make a full one for fear of waste. I’ll remember this next time I’m wanting some lasagna!
You’ve got that one right, I hadn’t thought of that. It’s not always easy making lasagna for one or two people. This makes it a lot more accessible. Plus, I find it looks a lot prettier that way!
You are right, these look so classy and elegant, I like the idea.
Gorgeous pictures.
Thanks Mika!
Your sauce looks so rich. I love the color. Great photos.
Made these tonight – absolutely delicious!! The only difference I made to the recipe was I threw in a bunch of mushrooms and some hot sauce to kick up some heat. I suspect this recipe can work with pretty much any vegetables you have on hand. It took a while to make, but was SO worth it and was a hit with the whole family. All the vegetables, whole grains, and low fat cheese makes it a perfect meal with zero guilt attached. Thanks so much!
Thanks so much for the awesome feedback Andrea. Glad this recipe worked so well for you and your family! I love the addition of mushrooms, too. I think I need to make a mushroom only version, now
And I totally agree that while a tad extensive to make, this recipe is totally worth it.
I made these tonight, and they were DELICIOUS! I added a bit of ricotta to the centre as you suggested–so good! What an easy alternative to traditional lasagna!
Glad you liked, Amy! You just inspired me to make a feta / spinach version… I have some feta in the fridge that needs to be used up and was wondering what to do. This might very well have just sealed the faith of that piece of cheese…
Thanks for your feedback, I always appreciate that very much!
This looks great- I’m thinking about incorporating it as part of dinner for the holidays. Any ideas on how this would do if you assembled everything ahead of time and baked day-of? Or if freezing it would make it kind of meh or if it’d still be good?
Freezing, I’m not sure… but I wouldn’t see why there would be a problem with assembling the day prior. Just get everything ready, cover with foil and keep in the refrigerator until ready to bake. I can’t think of any reason why this wouldn’t work.
I can NOT wait to make these for an Italian themed Murder Mystery Party tomorrow night!! I’ve made lasagna roll ups before, but with a meat & cheese heavy, “regular” kind of method. These look great and will add little points to my Weight Watcher’s regimen!! Thank You!!
Thank YOU, Sarah. Glad you like and I hope they turn out for you. Let me know how you liked them if you get a chance! I always appreciate getting feedback on my recipes. Good to know that this is Weight Watchers friendly too!
We LOVED these for dinner tonight! The sauce is perfect, lentils are such a good idea. I made a light bechamel to cover the tops before sprinkling over Parmesan and baking. I too used mushrooms. I was googling for ages for a healthy lasagna – I should’ve just come straight here! You never fail me Sonia!
Oh wow, thank you so much Christina, that’s just soooo kind of you to say! I’m so happy to hear that these worked for you. Thanks a bunch for your more than awesome feedback, as always, I truly appreciate that! You totally rock!