Roasted Vegetable Lasagna Roll-Ups

Hello and welcome to part 2923349 of how to sneak vegetables into your own food. In our last episode, we snuck some broccoli into these patties. Today, we'll be concealing carrots, zucchini, and peppers in lasagna roll-ups. And with us today to help us along is none other than my favorite ingredient, CHEESE.


Actually, we've got THREE cheeses today! One for each vegetable. The first thing you'll do is roast your vegetables. Basically, what this does is make them smaller, so they'll be easy to hide. Then, you'll mix the vegetables in with your ricotta cheese mixture. At this point, they'll just look like specks of color in your cheese. Nobody will be able to tell their true identity.

Next, what you'll do is spread this ricotta mixture over your lasagna sheets. And then you'll sprinkle a bunch of mozzarella cheese on top to cover those "specks" up real well. After that, you'll roll the lasagna sheet up and place it seam-side down in your baking dish.

Finally, for the grand finale, you'll whip up a gorgeous Parmesan bechamel sauce and smother it all over your roll-ups. And voila! Nary a vegetable in sight! Now, when you cut into the roll-up, you may see a veggie or two peeking out. BUT, at this point, you'll have taken the first bite already and fallen in love with this phenomenal dish, so a little veggie here or there will be completely insignificant! Happy eating!

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna Roll-Ups

Yield: 8 lasagna roll-ups

Ingredients:

For the roasted vegetables:
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the filling:
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

For the bechamel sauce:
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
One 12 oz. can evaporated milk, warmed
1 cup skim milk, warmed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

8 lasagna noodles, cooked according to package instructions

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a shallow baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium sized bowl, toss together vegetables with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread onto prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely.

In another bowl, mix together ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir in cooled vegetables.

Next, prepare the sauce. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once butter has melted, toss in flour and whisk together vigorously to incorporate. Pour in warmed milks, and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Then, whisk in salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese and continue to whisk until mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray an 8x11 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour some of the béchamel sauce into the pan and spread with a spoon to cover the entire bottom of the dish.

Lay the cooked noodles onto a large, flat working surface. Spread a few tablespoons of the ricotta filling over each noodle. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Roll up each noodle and place seam-side down into prepared baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over noodles.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and broil for an additional 2-3 minutes.

Slightly adapted from Recipe Girl