Vegetarian Lasagna Rolls With Pesto Recipe

Vegetarian lasagna rolls

Brian Hagiwara / Getty Images

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 65 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Lasagna rolls or lasagna roll-ups are a growing food trend that is gaining popularity along with traditional layered lasagna. These vegetarian lasagna rolls are made with fresh basil pesto and sweet potatoes, which means they are sweet enough for vegetarian kids but with pesto, ricotta, and fresh spinach, they are also suitable for adults. The whole family will love this rolled lasagna recipe courtesy of North Carolina Sweet Potatoes.

Ingredients

  • 4 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
  • 4 cups basil leaves (loosely packed, fresh)
  • 4 cups spinach (loosely packed, fresh)
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • Salt (to taste)
  • 15 ounces part-skim ricotta
  • 6 ounces mozzarella (grated)
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
  • Black ground pepper (to taste)
  • 2 cups marinara sauce (tomato basil)
  • 12 lasagna noodles

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat oven to 350 F.

  3. Poke sweet potatoes all over with a fork.

  4. Wrap each in a damp paper towel and microwave together on high, until fork-tender, 6 to 8 minutes total.

  5. When sweet potatoes are cool enough to touch, remove the skin.

  6. Meanwhile in a food processor, combine the basil, spinach, pine nuts, olive oil, and garlic to make the pesto.

  7. Blend until smooth.

  8. Add the ricotta, half of the mozzarella, the Parmesan cheese, and peeled sweet potatoes to the pesto in the food processor and process until smooth.

  9. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

  10. Spread 3/4 cup of the tomato sauce onto the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking pan.

  11. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, then add the lasagna noodles.

  12. Cook until just al dente.

  13. Using a pair of tongs, carefully remove the noodles from the cooking water and place them next to each other on a baking sheet or work surface.

  14. Divide the sweet potato filling onto the noodles and spread to cover them.

  15. Beginning at one end, loosely roll each noodle.

  16. Place the rolls, seam side down, into the baking pan with the tomato sauce, fitting them as snugly against each other as possible.

  17. Top with the remaining tomato sauce.

  18. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

  19. Remove foil, add remaining mozzarella cheese and then return to oven, uncovered, until cheese starts to brown, about 15 more minutes.

  20. Allow it to cool for at least five minutes before serving.

  21. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
706 Calories
27g Fat
77g Carbs
51g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 706
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 12g 62%
Cholesterol 59mg 20%
Sodium 4754mg 207%
Total Carbohydrate 77g 28%
Dietary Fiber 26g 93%
Protein 51g
Calcium 1700mg 131%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)