Veggie Lasagna Rolls

Veggie Lasagna Rolls

Oh my goodness, it's COLD out there! I mean, really chilly for us in Eastern PA. Temps look to drop to negative teens in wind chill, so we're battening down the hatches and staying near the stove.

Nothing warms you from the inside out like a hearty baked pasta dish, and this one, even though it's meatless, does the trick just fine. You get a great serving or two of veggies and even the kids won't notice them with all that cheesy goodness surrounding them.

Cottage cheese is a great sub for ricotta - it's full of tiny cheese curds that melt beautifully and add a little more texture. Use jarred Alfredo if you like, but the real-deal Béchamel is divine! 

Veggie Lasagna Rolls

Veggie Lasagna Rolls

Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 40 minutes
Yield: Makes 8 lasagna rolls

Ingredients:

1- 15-oz container ricotta cheese or 16 ounces drained cottage cheese
1 clove garlic - minced
1 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
1 large egg lightly beaten
2 teaspoons Kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup broccoli florets, cooked until crisp-tender, drained well and chopped fine
1 small carrot, peeled and grated - about 1/2 cup
1/2 large red pepper - diced fine - about 1/2 cup
8 cooked lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 jar (15 ounces) prepared Alfredo sauce (or 2 cups homemade *Sauce Béchamel )

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Spray a medium baking dish with cooking spray and spread 1 cup of Alfredo sauce on the bottom.
2. Mix ricotta (or cottage cheese), egg, Parmesan, 1 cup mozzarella,  garlic, salt and pepper well. Fold in vegetables.
3. Lay out lasagna noodles and spoon filling evenly onto each-spreading to the ends.
4. Roll up and place in the sauced pan making sure the seam is facing down.
5. Top each roll with the remaining Alfredo sauce and mozzarella.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.
7. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.



*Sauce Béchamel (a.k.a. white sauce):

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups room temperature milk (I use whole milk)
salt and pepper to taste
freshly ground nutmeg - a pinch or so

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan and add flour. Stir together and add milk,  stirring over a medium flame until thickened.