Description

These vegetarian Spinach, Butternut Squash and Mushroom Lasagna Roll-Ups are delicious, hearty, comforting and can be made ahead and put in the freezer for quick weeknight meals!

Ingredients

Scale

9 lasagna noodles

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, peeled and diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces baby Portobello mushrooms, diced

17 ounces tomato sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup packed pureed Butternut squash*

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the filling:

5 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

8 ounces ricotta cheese

1 large egg

1 teaspoon organic lemon zest

Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Garnish

extra chopped fresh basil

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions, or just until tender. Do not overcook. Drain and place cooked lasagna noodles individually on a clean surface. (Spray surface with a little cooking spray if noodles seem to stick.)

To prepare the Sauce:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic: cook, stirring occasionally, 5-10 minutes or until onions are softened. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until mushrooms are softened and tender. Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, and Butternut squash; cook until heated through. Stir in basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Keep warm.

To prepare the Filling:

Combine spinach, ricotta cheese, egg, lemon zest, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.

To assemble:

Divide ricotta mixture evenly among 9 lasagna noodles (about 2-3 tablespoons each). Spread evenly along noodle. Place about 2-3 tablespoons tomato sauce on each noodle on top of ricotta filling; spread evenly along noodle. Sprinkle about 3 tablespoons of Mozzarella cheese on top of tomato mixture.

Starting at one short end, roll noodle up, being sure filling doesn’t leak out of the side of the roll. Continue rolling each noodle.

Place half of remaining tomato sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish. Place lasagna roll ups on top of tomato sauce, seam side down. Top with remainder of tomato sauce. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with additional chopped fresh basil, if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

The easiest way to get a quick cup of Butternut squash puree if there is none on hand is to buy a 10-ounce package of frozen Butternut squash chunks. Microwave them according to package instructions, drain, and pulse quickly in a blender or food processor. Those 10 ounces will equal 1 cup packed puree.

To portion out lasagna roll-ups for a quick pre-made vegetarian dinner, cover bottoms of 8-inch aluminum loaf pans with tomato sauce. Place 2-3 lasagna roll-ups on top of sauce, top with more tomato sauce and cheese, and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Place in freezer. You can bake these directly from frozen at 350° for 1 hour covered, remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes uncovered or until cheese is melted. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.