This is one of those recipes that came about because I  really suck at making lasagna the regular way, LOL. It always ends up too sloppy and saucy and just slipping and sliding around so I stick to what I    know, which is rolling them bitches up and calling it a DAY! I   had so many boxes of lasagne sitting in the pantry + some bagged spinach I  wanted to use up so BOOM- Lasagna Spinach Roll Ups!

I  filled these with a mixture of sautéed spinach, and a spicy herby ricotta mixture that makes it SO good (same as the ricotta mix in my  spicy eggplant parm).  The key is to season every part of this recipe from the sauce to the filling because that’s what creates the different layers of flavor and brings everything together.

How to Prep for This Recipe:

  • Start by first boiling the water and cooking the lasagna sheets, once they’ve cooked, drain them and then toss them back into the pot you cooked them in with a bit of oil and water so they don’t stick to each other.
  • Next, start by doing all of the chopping and prepping for the spinach mixture and the ricotta mixture. Using this amazing chopper from Amazon will definitely make things go quicker.
  • The spicy ricotta mixture can be made upto 2 days ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator.
  • If you don’t have fresh spinach, you can use frozen spinach. Just be sure to drain out the liquid from the frozen spinach after thawing it, very well.

Tips on Rolling the Lasagna:

  • Before you spread the lasagne sheets with the ricotta, make sure the sheet is dry, pat it gently with a paper towel to remove an excess liquid so the ricotta doesn’t slide off.
  • Be modest with the amount of ricotta mixture you smear on because once it gets rolled up, too much ricotta will be overwhelming in each bite. Same with the spinach mixture
  • The mozzarella cheese is what helps keep the lasagna roll closed tightly so be generous here!

What Sauce to Use for Lasagna Roll Ups:

  • I  prefer to use Rao’s Arrabiatta Sauce because it tastes so fresh, and has garlic and spice  but any jarred pasta sauce will work well here or a homemade version!

Hope you all enjoy this recipe and if you make it, be sure to tag me on @thechutneylife so I can see all of your hard work !

Happy Eating !

 

Print

Lasagna Roll Ups

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 4 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. box lasagna (Do not use the easy cook)
  • 32 oz Jarred Pasta Sauce ( I  love Rao's Arrabiatta Sauce)

Ricotta Mixture:

  • 16 oz Ricotta cheese
  • 4 green chilis; roughly chopped (use serrano or thai green chilis for more heat)
  • 4 cloves garlic 
  • 1 cup cilantro; tightly packed
  • 1 bunch scallions; roughly chopped
  • Handful of Basil leaves (optional)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Filling:

  • 2 tbsp oil 
  • 1 tbsp garlic; minced
  • 1 onion; diced
  • 1 bell pepper; diced
  • 1 10 oz bag spinach
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp crushed red chili flakes
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, boil about 12-15 lasagna sheets according to directions on box. Drain, and place back in the pot with additional water to keep the lasagna sheets from sticking to each other.

Make The Ricotta Mix:

  1. In a food processor mix together ricotta cheese, chilis, garlic, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, and onion powder until all blended together. Once mixture is made, set aside.

Make the Spinach Filling:

  1. In a pot, heat 2 tbsp oil, once hot add in garlic, and saute until fragrant but not brown.
  2. Add in onions, bell peppers and let cook for 6-7 minutes until they onions and peppers have softened
  3. Mix in the bag of spinach in handfuls, mixing and letting the spinach wilt down with every addition. Add the the Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper and sauté until spinach is completely wilted and soft. If there is too much liquid, keep simmering until the liquid evaporates. 

Sauce:

  1. Empty your choice of jarred pasta sauce into a large bowl and add one heaping spoon of the ricotta mixture to the sauce and stir well. If you like things spicy, add crushed red chili flakes to the sauce as well.

Assembly:

  1. Lay out all of the lasagna sheets and let them dry or pat them dry so the mixture doesn't slide off during assembly. Ladle a few big spoonfuls of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking tray and set aside.
  2. Start by spread about two spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture on each lasagna sheet (leaving about an inch of space on the end and then sprinkle with a handful of mozzarella cheese. Next, using your hands or a spoon spread about two spoonfuls of the spinach mixture on top, then topped by a spoonful of the tomato sauce (evenly spread all over) and finally with a generous sprinkle of mozzarella cheese (mozzarella helps keep the roll together). Starting at the bottom, roll the lasagna sheet up and place in a baking sheet with the flap side facing down. Repeat until you've used up all of the ingredients. 
  3. Once all the sheets have been rolled up, pour the sauce all over the rolls, top with few handfuls of mozzarella cheese, and bake covered at 350 for about 10 minutes.
  4.