Lasagna Spinach Rolls

One of my favorite blogs is SkinnyTaste.com, Gina has wonderful recipes that are not filled with processed foods and she does a wonderful job describing her recipes. I was wandering through her site and saw the Spinach Lasagna Rolls and wanted to give them a try. I have changed them to add ground beef to the sauce and the proportions of some of the items for my own liking. I thought these were a great way to have individual servings of lasagna and like most recipes can be customized to your liking with different spices / stuffings.

Lasagna Spinach Rolls: Serves 12

12 Lasagna Noodles
4oz Mozzarella Cheese - Shredded (I am using Part Skim)
1/2C Parmesan Cheese - Shredded
15oz Ricotta Cheese (I am using Part Skim)
20oz Frozen Spinach
1 Egg - Beaten
1 Onion - Diced
1/2lbs Ground Beef (I am using 93% Lean)
30oz Tomato Sauce
6oz Tomato Paste
15oz Tomato Chunks - Drained
2TB Fresh Basil (2tsp dried)
2 Garlic Cloves - Minced
1/2tsp Onion Powder
1tsp Sugar
Salt & Pepper

First Step, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling add the lasagna noodles and stir often to make sure they do not stick to one another. Cook until the noodles are al dente, remember they will finish cooking in the oven.

While the water is heating up we can get the sauce started. In a large saute pan over medium heat brown the beef with the onions and some salt and pepper. Once the meat is completely cooked drain the fat out of the pan. Add the garlic, tomato sauce, tomato paste, tomato chunks, basil, onion powder, sugar and some more salt and pepper. Bring up to a light simmer and stir every few minutes letting it bubble away while the noodles cook and you prepare the filling.

So now you have your noodles boiling and your sauce simmering, a perfect time to make the filling. Take 2 packages of frozen spinach (20oz total) out of their packaging and place in a microwave safe container. Microwave until the spinach is completely thawed. Place in a colander and squeeze the spinach with your hands getting absolutely as much liquid out of the spinach as you can. Once drained add the ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses with the beaten egg to the spinach. With a fork blend everything together.

Now that the parts are all ready we can assemble! Place half of the sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 pan. To make sure that I got an even amount of filling in each noodle I laid all 12 noodles out on my counter and then took a cookie scoop and scooped 2 large scoops onto each noodle then moved the filling around until it was evenly distributed. Using your fingers or a spoon spread the filling out to cover all but 1" of the noodle. Gently roll from the filled end of the lasagna sheet to the 1" empty end and place seam side down into the 13x9. Continue with the remaining noodles then scoop the other half of the sauce on top of the rolls. Place in a 350° oven for 30 minutes until the sauce is bubbling. Remove and let sit for 3-5 minutes then serve and enjoy!

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WW:5 Points Plus / 1 roll
8 Points Plus / 1.5 rolls
11 Points Plus / 2 rolls