We make lasagna fairly frequently and really enjoy it.  But it is a rather heavy meal.  A twist on the flavors of lasagna with a bit less weight is lasagna rolls.  I've seen a couple of recipes for these in the various cooking magazines including one in Cooking Light and one in Gourmet.  Lasagna rolls consist of noodles that are laid down on a flat surface, spread with a ricotta based filling, rolled up, and then cooked in a lasagna pan.  The sauce, which is poured over the lasagna rolls, tends to consist of cut-up tomatoes with minimal seasonings rather than the heavy pasta sauce found in traditional lasagnas.  Also, the lasagna rolls tend to have much less cheese with either just ricotta or a ricotta parmesan mix but not loads of mozzarella.  I really like the result because it's lighter, both in fat as well as overall heaviness in your stomach, yet tastes great.

I’ve been making a Cooking Light version of lasagna rolls for a few years now but a recent issue of Gourmet had a different recipe.  While I liked both versions, each recipe had its strengths.  The Cooking Light recipe uses spinach mixed in with the ricotta filling.  For me, anytime more veggies (and fiber) can be added to a dish it is a plus.  Interestingly, the Gourmet recipe added nutmeg to the filling and it really made a noticeable difference.  The part I liked less about the Cooking Light recipe was the sauce - it’s a pretty basic diced tomato sauce and had a bit too much acidity.  The Gourmet recipe sauce really shined.  It mixed roasted tomatoes, eggplant, and garlic into a delicious and flavorful combination.  While on its own the roasted eggplant seemed dry, when the juice from the tomatoes was added the flavor was really drawn out.  I’ve combined my favorites from each into my own Lasagna Roll recipe that to make a light, refreshing and tasty meal… 

Lasagna Rolls

Noodles

• 9 lasagna noodles, freshly cooked and patted dry

• 10-ounces package spinach, thawed, drained and chopped
• 15-ounces ricotta cheese (we use the low fat variety)
• 3/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 2 lbs Roma or other plum-type tomato, cut in half.
• 6 cloves pealed garlic
  
• 2 lbs Eggplant cut into 1-inch pieces
  
• 1 t salt
• 1 t pepper
• 6 T olive oil

1. Toss tomatoes and garlic with 3T oil, 1/2 t salt and 1/2 t pepper.  Arrange tomatoes in a 9x11 baking pan (the same pan the lasagna rolls will cook in) so that cut edge faces up.   Roast tomatoes at 425 for about 45 minutes or until they begin to brown and have wrinkled skins.  Do not rinse the pan as the flavors in it will add to the flavor of the lasagna rolls. 

2. Toss eggplant with 3T  oil, 1/2 t salt and 1/2 t pepper.  Roast eggplant on a baking tray at the same time as the tomatoes.  Eggplant will probably be done faster - more like 30 minutes than the roughly 45 the tomatoes will take.

3. Once vegetables have cooled a bit, cut tomatoes into small bite sized pieces and mince garlic.  For the tomatoes, quarters worked well for us. Mix with eggplant and 1/2 cup water. Pour half of sauce into lasagna pan. 

4. Mix all filling ingredients together. Spread filling over the tops of lasagna noodles, roll noodles and then cut rolls in half so that you have two rolls from each noodle.   

5. Place rolls over filling in lasagna pan.  Pour remaining sauce over noodles and cook at 425 for 30 minutes or until warm. 

Serves 6

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Corgi (Unregistered) 2007-02-26 13:52:38 I've been reading lots of bento-box stuff lately, just for fun, and this sounds like a perfect bento-sizeable entree item. (Have you considered a bento section in the Project?) However, one thing I wasn't clear on - when you place the rolls in the pan, since they've been cut in half, are they cut-ends-up, or are they laid sideways, so it looks like... dinner rolls-ish? Also, I do not do eggplant - what might be a good substitute? Thanks, Corgi

pam (Publisher) 2007-02-26 16:24:55 Corgi - neat idea with the bento-box... I've made the lasagna rolls placed both ways in the pan. I tend to like the look of the cut-ends sticking up but they taste equally well laid sideways. I'd recommend trying mushrooms in place of the eggplant. I think Shiitake would be really good since they have a bit of a distinctive flavor. Sautéing would work well for the mushrooms but you could also roast them. I'd also suggest using Zucchini but I'm guessing that may not go over well since you don't do eggplant...

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