Cheesy Spinach Lasagna Rolls (freezer friendly); an easier way to serve regular vegetarian lasagna (a classic Italian pasta dish) with oodles of healthy spinach and low-fat cottage cheese filling with added mozzarella for the cheese lovers!! It is a fun twist on regular lasagna where portions can be controlled. Paired with a salad on the side or just plain garlic bread, it is a complete dinner treat!!
Traditional lasagna has been a favorite in our house with layers of pasta sheets, tomato sauce, cottage cheese filling and lots and lots of mozzarella cheese!!!
The part that we hated about this was the mess it created while serving!! Having tried this version of rolls, this is now our favorite way to enjoy lasagna; easy, cheesy and healthy with lots of spinach in it. It is a perfect way to get your kids to have their greens!
Another family favorite now is an easier and fun version of lasagna using the ever popular macaroni; Spinach Macaroni Lasagna! Just scoop up this Italian delight onto your serving plate without any lasagna sheets dangling with your ladle!
The perfect, healthy filling:
Ricotta cheese is the go-to filling in most lasagnas, but I have always loved the texture and flavor of cottage cheese, not to mention it is healthier and lower in fat! If you cannot get cottage or ricotta cheese, then use the humble Indian cottage cheese paneer. Just crumble it if you have store bought blocks or make your own homemade paneer!
Classic lasagna has egg added to the filling, but I have omitted it. So this scrumptious twist to an Italian favorite is egg-free too!!
To get some greens into my family's diet, I have added oodles of spinach in the cottage cheese filling. Either use frozen spinach (drain and squeeze out all the water/moisture) or if you are using fresh spinach, wash and blanch a few bunches of spinach in hot water, drain and squeeze dry.
Spice up the spinach-cheese filling with lots of black pepper/crushed red chillies, herbs like Italian seasoning, dried basil, dried oregano etc. Make it more cheesy with some freshly grated mozzarella cheese and a handful of grated Parmesan cheese.
Coming to the sauce:
It is a long process if you have to make homemade pasta/spaghetti sauce (which I would highly recommend and prefer!), but with bottled or canned pasta sauce, making these becomes much easier and quick on a busy dinner night. Just spice up regular bottled or canned pasta sauce (or even pizza sauce!) with some caramelized onions, bell pepper, mushrooms and green chillies/jalapenos with some extra herbs and fresh garlic.
Making the Lasagna Rolls:
Layer each cooked lasagna sheet with the filling, roll and bake (either in convection oven or even microwave) topped with homemade pasta sauce or even store bought ones and more mozzarella cheese!
Use as many rolls as you want and freeze the rest! Store leftover sauce in the fridge. More on this later!
For a family dinner, I normally layer the required number of rolls in a baking dish and bake it in a convection oven until cheese is melty and bubbly! Serve it with some crusty garlic bread or a simple salad on the side for a quick and healthy meal!
How to make freezer-friendly lasagna rolls:
If you are a person who loves to prep meals in one go and enjoy individual portions over the week or even month, then these lasagna rolls are perfect to freeze in individual packs. Once you have rolled the lasagna sheets with the filling, wrap them individually in foil, place in freezer friendly plastic bags and freeze for up to a month!
Just before serving, remove the required number of rolls you want, place in plate/pan layered with a little sauce and microwave or bake in convection oven, topped with more sauce and cheese! Perfect to enjoy at parties too!
My boys even take them to office and store in the office fridge until they are ready to heat them up during lunch time!
So, waste no time in making this easier and healthier version of the Italian classic in your own home and wow your family!
Enjoy and Happy Cooking/Baking!
Ingredients
- 4 large tomatoes
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic, grated or finely chopped
- 2 or more (if you want spicy) green chillies or jalapenos, finely chopped
- 8 to 10 button mushrooms, chopped
- 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup canned or 1 carton of tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons oil (preferably olive oil)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Salt to taste
- 8 sheets of lasagna
- 1 to 2 cups cottage cheese (depending upon how much filling you like)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated plus half cup for topping
- 1 ½ cups to 2 cups of cooked spinach, squeezed dry or 1 to 2 packets (10 oz) of frozen spinach, squeezed dry
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a blender, make a puree of the tomatoes and half the onions without adding water.
- In a large deep pan, on medium, heat the oil. Add the rest of the chopped onions, garlic and green chillies and sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes till the onions turn soft.
- Stir in the mushrooms and bell pepper and sauté for about a minute more.
- Add the oregano and Italian seasoning and fry for a few seconds.
- Pour in the blended tomatoes and onions , any water if needed, salt and sugar and mix through.
- Bring to boil, taste the sauce and if needed, add more salt or sugar to balance the flavors to your choice.
- Add more green chillies, if you need to make the sauce more spicy.
- Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes till you get a thick sauce.
- Cook the lasagna sheets al dente according to manufacturer instructions.
- Drain and spread each sheet on a foil-lined pan, individually.
- Mix the spinach, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, pepper and keep aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spread the filling evenly over all the lasagna sheets and carefully roll each sheet tightly. Take care to not overfill the rolls.
- In a large baking pan, pour a layer of the sauce at the bottom.
- Place all the filled rolls carefully over the sauce, seam side down.
- Ladle sauce over the rolls and top them with the remaining ½ cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the baking pan with foil and bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until cheese melts.
- Serve hot with added sauce on the side and if preferable, a sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese.
Step-by-step method:
This recipe serves 4.
To make the sauce:
In a blender, make a puree of the tomatoes and half the onions without adding water.
In a large deep pan, on medium, heat the oil. Add the rest of the chopped onions, garlic and green chillies and sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes till the onions turn soft.
Stir in the mushrooms and bell pepper and sauté for about a minute more.
Add the oregano and Italian seasoning and fry for a few seconds.
Pour in the blended tomatoes and onions , any water if needed, salt and sugar and mix through.
Bring to boil, taste the sauce and if needed, add more salt or sugar to balance the flavors to your choice.
Add more green chillies, if you need to make the sauce more spicy.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes till you get a thick sauce.
For the lasagna sheet rolls:
Cook the lasagna sheets al dente (not soft, but should have a bite to it), according to manufacturer instructions.
Drain and spread each sheet on a foil-lined pan, individually.
For the filling:
Mix the spinach, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, pepper and keep aside.
To assemble the lasagna rolls:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spread the filling evenly over all the lasagna sheets.
Carefully roll each sheet tightly. Take care to not overfill the rolls.
In a large baking pan, pour a layer of the sauce at the bottom.
Place the required number of filled rolls carefully over the sauce, seam side down.
Ladle sauce over the rolls and top them with the remaining ½ cup of mozzarella cheese.
Cover the baking pan with foil and bake in a preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until cheese melts.
Serve hot with a side of salad and grated Parmesan on top.
Note:
You can use one can of Hunts pasta sauce or any can or bottle of pasta sauce you prefer, to save time.
If you do not have access to cottage cheese, substitute with crumbled paneer, an Indian cheese.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the rolls, while serving.
These rolls and sauce can be made, assembled and frozen ahead of time and at the time of serving, just thaw, bake and serve. Just tightly roll each lasagna roll in a foil and freeze individually. Remove as much as you need and bake.
My favorite lasagna, This article is Really help full for me
I made this lasagne the other day and it was the best one I have ever made! It was not dry and the white sauce was easy to make. Love it
There is no cooker involved in this recipe..everything is prepared on a stove top and in an oven.
Can we make this in a normal cooker or an electric cooker?