Is there anyone on earth who doesn’t like lasagna?
Besides me, I mean.
Traditional lasagna, with its layers of rich cheeses, sauces and noodles, often strikes me as stodgy and dull. But the lasagna rolls version here is lighter, brighter and more interesting.
It’s adapted from an old Sunset magazine recipe; I think the original called for the lasagna rolls to be baked in whipping cream enriched with a jolt of pesto. I ate it that way precisely once; it was swooningly good, but my conscience would never let me prepare it that way again.
So I stole the preparation style, added some spinach to up the nutrients, cut way back on the cheese and used tomato sauce instead of whipping cream to cover the rolls.
It’s still rich and plenty satisfying. But it’s no longer just point-blank suicidal.
Here’s a preparation tip: The cooked lasagna noodles will tear easily. It won’t matter in the finished dish if they’re torn, but if you think that it is going to bother you, cook a few extra noodles. Remember, they’re cheap.
Menu
Pesto lasagna rolls
Mixed field greens salad
Frozen yogurt with dried fruit compote
Montepulciano
Pesto lasagna rolls
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
12 lasagna noodles
1 jar (26 ounces) pasta sauce or 3 cups homemade
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 jar (3 1/2 ounces) prepared pesto
1 egg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain.
2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 2 cups of the tomato sauce in bottom of a greased 13-by-9-inch pan. Combine garlic, ricotta, spinach, pesto, egg, Parmesan, salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Place a lasagna noodle on a clean kitchen towel; spread 1/4 cup of the ricotta mixture on the noodle. Roll noodle up; place seam-side down in pan. Repeat with remaining noodles. Pour remaining tomato sauce over noodles; sprinkle with mozzarella. Cover with foil; bake 20 minutes. Uncover; cook until cheese is golden brown, 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
519 calories, 37% of calories from fat, 22 g fat, 9 g saturated fat, 75 mg cholesterol, 54 g carbohydrates, 28 g protein, 1,241 mg sodium, 3.8 g fiber
