Name: Vegetarian Pesto Spinach Lasagna Rolls
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 12 lasagna noddles; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 ½ cup whole milk (warm); 1 large egg; 2 cups ricotta (whole milk); 10- ounce package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed dry); 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella; ¾ cup grated parmesan (divided); 1 cup store-bought pesto; 1 tablespoon olive oil; Salt and black pepper (to taste)

Pin212

212 Shares

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This is a shoutout to all Vegetarians and Vegetable lovers out there; this recipe is for you. These Vegetarian Pesto Spinach Lasagna Rolls are incredibly tasty and practical. It can be easily served in individual portions without messing up the rest of the lasagna.

Making vegetarian dishes is very close to my heart. I’m not a vegetarian; however, two of my kids are, so you will always find vegetarian options on the blog like This Butternut Squash Vegetarian Lasagna or this Baked Stuffed Bell Peppers Recipe (Vegetarian). Today these lasagna roll-ups. I have to say I had so much fun making this one. In all the years I have been cooking, I had never tried lasagna roll-ups. After watching it on a cooking show ( I love cooking shows 🙂 ) I decided to give it a try. I don’t regret that decision. If this is your first time, don’t get intimidated, I highly recommend it. It was not only fun and satisfying to see the beautiful rolls but to know it’s practical and easy to make, which’s a bonus. Why practical, you may ask? Well, the lasagna rolls are so easy to freeze (great for meal planning) and, to be honest, less messy than the classic lasagna.

What’s so special about this lasagna besides being practical and easy to make?

I have to say, the filling for these roll-ups and the Bechamel sauce (white sauce) will convince you to move this recipe to your weekly rotation. Let me tell you about those two.

Filling: This part is fun, so bring your little ones over to help you! These lasagna rolls are filled with a combination of spinach, pesto, and cheese. I use one of those store-bought containers of pesto ( I got mine at Aldi); however, you can make your pesto at home. I will bring you that recipe soon :). The cheese I use was mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan cheese. I did use lots of it about the spinach because we love spinach, but you can add less or even substitute for small pieces of broccoli. This combination is amazing!

Bechamel Sauce (White Sauce): This sauce is made with a combination of all-purpose flour, butter, and milk. I will say this is the only part of this recipe that requires lots of attention. This sauce is creamy and delicious; however, it is important to follow the necessary steps not to mess up the sauce, which by the way it’s worth the time and attention, trust me! * My Bechamel Sauce doesn’t look white because I added pesto to it.

How to make Lasagna Pesto Spinach Roll-ups

The first step is to preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Next, cook the lasagna noodles. For this, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add the noodles. It is recommended to cook the pasta about a minute longer than the package instructions as we want the noodles to be tender enough to roll without breaking. Drain well the noodles and rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking any longer and to make them cool to handle.

How to prepare the filling.

I use frozen spinach to make the filling, which I thawed and drained (steps on how to do this are in recipe card notes). Set aside. Then, in a big mixing bowl, add 1 egg and beat for a few minutes. Then add the ricotta, spinach, ½ cup of mozzarella cheese, ½ cup of parmesan, ½ a cup of pesto, salt, and black pepper to taste. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.

How to make the Bechamel Sauce (White Sauce):

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, then whisk 2 tablespoons of flour cooking to create a clumpy paste.

Immediately add 1 ½ cups of warm whole milk. Add salt and pepper to taste and keep whisking. Continue cooking (about 6 to 8 minutes) or until the sauce is creamy and thick. It has the consistency of gravy. Set aside to cool.

How to assemble this Vegetarian Pesto Spinach Lasagna Rolls:

Spread some oil (about 1 teaspoon) and 2 tablespoons of the bechamel sauce into a 13-by 9- inch baking dish and set aside for assembling.

Place the noodles on a clean surface and spread about 1/3 cup of the spinach mixture evenly over the noodles. I use a butter knife to help me spread it nicely. To make it easy to roll up, I decided to leave the end edges of the noodles empty.

As you make the noodle roll-ups, place them inside the baking dish. Next, spread the remaining bechamel sauce over the noodles and sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup of parmesan.

Cover the baking dish with foil and place it in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until the rolls are heated, and the sauce starts bubbling. Then, remove the foil paper and continue baking for 10 extra minutes until the cheese has melted and browned on top. Let it stand for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Time to enjoy!

Below you will find an easily printable recipe card. Please, feel free to leave any comments and/or suggestions. I would be delighted to hear from you all.

Until the next one…

*Nutritional Disclaimer: Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.

Please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment, rate it, and not forget to tag your pictures to #asimpletweakrecipes on Instagram. Make sure to pin it to your favorite Pinterest board. Enjoy.