Hidden Veggie Lasagna Roll Ups
Servings: roll ups
These hidden veggie lasagna roll ups are made with my special hidden veggie pasta sauce, which incorporates six veggies for extra nutrients! Each lasagna noodle is topped with savory meat sauce and ricotta cheese mixture, then rolled like a pinwheel before baking. The kids love making these for family dinners, but they're also so easy to pack up for healthy lunches later in the week!
Ingredients
- 12 whole wheat lasagna noodles (or fiber enriched)
- 1/2 pound Italian ground sausage (we used turkey Italian sausage)
- 1/2 pounds extra lean ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups hidden veggie pasta sauce (or sub in 2 15-ounce cans of tomato sauce)
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium beef broth
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup spinach, chopped finely (can use fresh or frozen)
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper
Instructions
- Boil lasagna sheets according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and separate lasagna sheets on a baking sheet or parchment paper. Set aside for later.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add ground sausage, ground beef and chopped onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until sausage is cooked through and onions are tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add minced garlic in the last minute. Next, add pasta sauce, broth and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine and allow it to simmer over low heat for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat when done and let cool slightly.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, chopped spinach,1 cup mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, egg, salt (if using) and pepper.
- Spread about ¼ of the meat sauce to cover the bottom of your baking dish.
- Make the lasagna roll ups by laying out each sheet of lasagna on a flat surface and spreading about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture onto each sheet. Top the ricotta mixture with about 3-4 tablespoons of meat sauce. Roll lasagna sheet up and place in baking dish with the seam facing down. Repeat with all 12 rolls.
- Add any remaining meat sauce on top of the rolls, spreading it over the edges of the rolls as well to prevent them from drying out. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Cover dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Carefully remove foil and let cook another 5 minutes.
- Remove lasagna roll ups from oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with finely chopped parsley, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- I highly recommend making the hidden veggie pasta sauce ahead of time so that you can just dump it in with the meat sauce.
- If you don't have time to make the veggie pasta sauce, you can easily sub in a couple of cans of tomato sauce. The flavor is definitely better with the homemade pasta sauce though!
- This recipe takes some extra time to prepare, but it makes quite a few servings, so you can eat the leftovers throughout the week or freeze half for later!
Nutrition
Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 577mg | Potassium: 505mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 762IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 268mg | Iron: 3mg
