Vegetarian Lasagna Roll-ups

How many of you are familiar with Lasagna?? Almost all of you?? How many of you hate making it because of the amount of work it entails?? Well, I have to admit that I am one of them too.. Would it make you happy if I showed you something easier to make and serve that is absolutely delicious!

Now how many of you have heard of Lasagna Roll-Ups?? Not too many of you? Well, this is a very easy dish to make that uses the same ingredients as lasagna. It can be prepped ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator or freezer and popped into the oven slightly before your guests arrive!

This is a dish that can be served as a main dish or an appetizer. This is something that would be perfect for the Super Bowl party! These are little bites that are filling! You could make this using the regular pasta sheets or the oven-ready pasta sheets. I have made it healthier by making it vegetarian and using low fat ricotta cheese and low fat mozzarella. This has in no way compromised the taste. It is still hearty & delicious!!

This recipe has been modified from Ree Drummond's Recipe. You can check the original recipe here.

Servings: makes 12 roll-ups (about 6-8 servings)

Prep time: 20-30 minsCook time: 30-45 minsTotal time: 50- 75 mins

Ingredients:

Lasagna sheets : 1 packet ( I used oven ready sheets)
Water: to cook the lasagna sheets
Salt: 1 tsp
Olive oil: 1 tsp
Grated Mozzarella cheese: 2 cups

For the red sauce:

Pasta sauce: 1 jar ( Any good quality)
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
Diced Bell peppers, different colors: 2 cups .
Onion: 1 large, diced
Garlic: 3-4 cloves, chopped fine & crushed.
Italian herbs, dry: 1 tsp
Sriracha/ hot sauce: 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Black pepper: 1/4 tsp

For the cheese stuffing:

Ricotta cheese ( low fat): 1 jar
Egg: 1 large ( optional)
Italian herbs, dried : 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Black pepper: 1/2 tsp, freshly ground.

Method:

Boil water in a large pot. Add salt, olive oil and lasagna sheets. Boil for 10 mins or until aldente. Remove the pasta sheets and arrange them on a baking sheet in such a way that they do not stick to each other. Keep aside.

While the water for the pasta is boiling, prepare the red sauce ( tomato sauce mixture).
In a wok or saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add crushed, chopped garlic. Sauté until fragrant. Add the diced onion. Sauté until the onion starts to sweat and wilt.

Add the diced bell peppers. Sauté for 2 mins. Add the tomato sauce, hot sauce, Italian herbs, salt and sugar. Simmer and let it boil for 5 mins. Turn off the flame and keep aside.

While the tomato sauce is simmering and the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese mixture. In a bowl, take the ricotta cheese, egg, herbs, salt, pepper and mix together. Mix well using a spoon.

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F or 180 deg Celsius.

Take a 13x9 dish. Spread a little tomato sauce mixture on the bottom of the dish.

Take a pasta sheet. Spread 2 tbsp of the cheese mixture on side of the pasta sheet as shown in the picture.

Now roll it into a tight roll as shown in the picture. Place the roll seam side down in the prepared pan.

Do the same with all the 12 pasta sheets.

Now pour the remaining tomato sauce mixture on top of the rolls and cover the rolls.

Sprinkle the grated mozzarella cheese on top evenly.

Place it on the middle rack of the oven. Bake at 350 deg F for 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the pan is bubbly.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

To prevent the cheese from getting brown, bake with the tray covered for the first 15 mins and uncovered for the last 15 mins.

Tip for healthy living:

Converting a non-vegetarian dish into a vegetarian dish automatically makes it healthier due to the lower fat and calorie content. Using low fat cheese instead of whole milk cheese further reduces the calorie content of the meal. These kinds of hacks makes it possible to enjoy a meal without feeling depraved!!

Food for thought:

Too clever is dumb. Ogden Nash