Light Spinach Lasagna Rolls

Have you figured out yet that I'm crazy about all things lasagna? I previously told you about my love for lasagna, and my need to find ways to keep my portion sizes in check. So when I saw this Skinnytaste.com recipe for spinach lasagna rolls, of course I was hooked. (As a side note, Skinnytaste is one of my favorite blogs for healthy recipes - I haven't gone wrong with a single one of her recipes yet!)

Making this meal was a little time-intensive, but the upside is that it makes about 11-12 rolls, and since 1-2 rolls is the perfect amount for dinner, it means that while I'm putting in a lot of time, I'm ending up with a lot of leftovers. And the lasagna rolls are much easier to freeze than a pan of lasagna would be. Besides, it's pretty fun to roll up the lasagna noodles!

The most frustrating part of the preparation is in draining the frozen spinach, but I discovered a tip that makes it much more manageable. When you take the spinach out of the freezer, put the frozen spinach block into a microwaveable bowl and microwave for approximately 2 minutes. Then wrap the spinach in 3 layers of paper towels, and over a colander (in case the paper towel rips), gather up the paper towels around the spinach and squeeze the water out. 

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

(adapted from Skinnytaste.com)

Ingredients:

Lasagna noodles, cooked (approximately 12 noodles)

10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained

15 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese (you can also use fat-free ricotta, but I think it's lacking in taste

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

salt and pepper, to taste

32 oz. tomato sauce

3 oz. part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees. Combine spinach, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. 

2. Coat the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish with 1 cup of tomato sauce.

3. Spread lasagna noodles in a row on a piece of wax paper or tin foil. Pat lasagna noodles dry. Spread 1/3 cup of the spinach mixture evenly over a lasagna noodle, leaving some space at the end of the noodle. Roll the noodle up carefully and place the roll seam-side down into the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles.

4. Ladle remaining sauce evenly across the top of the lasagna rolls, and top evenly with the mozzarella cheese. 

5. Wrap the baking dish with tin foil and bake for approximately 40 minutes, until the cheese melts.

*Makes approximately 12 rolls.