Lasagna Roll-Ups

At our girls night, I decided to try a lasagna roll-up, allowing me to make two different kinds of lasagna in one dish. What I thought was my way of gratifying an indecisive nature, ended up being a perfect dish in both quantity and taste! The roll-up method can allow you to be slightly health conscious when it comes to a lasagna by using less pasta, sauce and cheese than a traditional layered lasagna.

On my way over to dinner that evening, I had a new stuffing/topping idea pop into my mind. I made a quick detour to the grocery store to pick up a fresh basil pesto and a Tuscan-herb rotisserie chicken, for the sake of this new craving, cooking time and ingredient resources. Later as we were beginning to make our food, I saw the creamy goat cheese and that was the last piece needed for the new rendition. I still wanted to make a roll with a traditional ricotta blend along with the additional toppings I had in mind, so this is a dual recipe for your viewing pleasure.

The ingredient quantity below is for one roll of each type. This was very quick and simple to make, perfect for a weeknight meal, with a very palate-pleasing result!

Grocery List:
for Goat Cheese/Chicken/Pesto lasagna

• 1 whole wheat lasagna noodle, cooked
• 1/2 cup shredded rotisserie chicken (I happened to stumble upon a Tuscan Herb version at Central Market)
• 2-3 tbsp. creamy goat cheese
• 3 pinches shredded Parmeggiano Reggiano, divided
• 1/4 cup pesto, divided
• 2 tbsp. tomato sauce
• 1 pinch of asiago cheese

for Ricotta/Spinach/Tomato sauce lasagna

• 1 whole wheat lasagna noodle, cooked
• 1 tbsp. pancetta
• 1 tbsp. fresh chopped spinach
• 2 - 3 tbsp. low fat ricotta cheese
• 3 pinches shredded Parmeggiano Reggiano, divided
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce, divided
• 1 pinch asiago cheese
• 1 pinch low fat, part skim mozzarella cheese

We will start with the goat cheese/chicken/pesto roll-up. Take your cooked noodle and lay it flat and pat dry. In a small mixing bowl, combine the goat cheese and 2 pinches of Parm in a bowl, then add in 1 tbsp. of pesto. Mix well and spread along the noodle.

Next, top with the shredded chicken.

Add the rest of the pesto amount to the bottom of the casserole dish in the area that the noodle will sit. Carefully roll the noodle as tight as you can, then place seam-side down on top of the pesto.

I personally enjoy the mix of pesto with a tangy tomato sauce so I topped the pesto roll with the 2 tbsp. of tomato sauce, followed by the asiago and Parm cheeses. 

In another small bowl, mix your ricotta with one pinch of Parm.

Make sure to pat the noodle dry, especially this one using spinach as it naturally produces moisture as it cooks. Spread the cheese mixture along the noodle, top with the pancetta and chopped spinach. Roll tight into the lasagna roll-up.

After spooning a small amount of your tomato sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish, place the lasagna roll seam-side down.

Top with remaining sauce, the asiago and mozzarella.

Set in the oven on 375 and bake for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is golden and sauce is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 2-3 minutes, then dig in!