Delicious & Easy Mushroom, Broccoli, and Spinach Lasagna Roll-ups: Your Ultimate Vegetarian Comfort Food
Welcome to a world of delightful vegetarian comfort food that promises to satisfy without feeling heavy or greasy. These Mushroom, Broccoli, and Spinach Lasagna Roll-ups are a perfect pasta dinner, combining earthy mushrooms, vibrant broccoli, and nutrient-rich spinach, all mixed with a blend of creamy cheeses, rolled into tender lasagna noodles, and baked to golden perfection under a luscious blanket of homemade béchamel sauce. It’s a dish designed for ease, elegance, and pure culinary pleasure, making it ideal for weeknight meals or special occasions.
Embracing the Roll-Up: A Twist on Traditional Lasagna
While traditional layered lasagna is undeniably delicious, these individual lasagna roll-ups offer a charming and practical alternative. Each roll is a perfectly portioned parcel of cheesy, veggie-filled pasta, making serving a breeze and presenting a beautiful plate every time. They reheat wonderfully, making them an excellent choice for meal prep throughout the week or for packing in lunchboxes. This method ensures every bite is balanced with the creamy filling, tender pasta, and rich béchamel, delivering consistent flavor and texture in every single roll.
The beauty of this dish lies in its thoughtful combination of ingredients and straightforward preparation. It’s a meal that feels gourmet but is surprisingly simple to assemble, proving that delightful vegetarian cuisine can be both accessible and deeply satisfying. The rich, savory notes from the vegetables and cheeses, harmonized by the smooth, velvety béchamel, create a truly memorable dining experience.
The Versatility of Veggies: To Mushroom or Not to Mushroom?
As with many recipes, personal preferences play a significant role. This vegetarian lasagna roll-up dish has a fun little history in my kitchen. I’ve prepared it twice: once without mushrooms and once with, and found that the addition of mushrooms truly elevates the dish, contributing a depth of umami flavor and a pleasant, tender texture that complements the other vegetables beautifully. However, not everyone shares my enthusiasm for fungi.
I recall a specific dinner where I was quite proud of my mushroom-infused creation, only for my then-12-year-old daughter to offer her honest, albeit disheartening, critique: “You know, I liked this better without the mushrooms. I think they don’t contribute flavor and just add a weird texture.” While I commend her keen observations, I must respectfully disagree. For me, the savory, meaty character of sautéed mushrooms adds an essential layer of complexity that transforms the dish from simply good to truly exceptional.
This anecdote highlights a crucial point: food is personal. Mushrooms are indeed one of those ingredients that can be quite polarizing, much like cilantro or olives. My own mother, for instance, remains steadfastly opposed to their inclusion in any dish. So, if you or your family members are not fans of mushrooms, please feel completely free to omit them. This recipe is wonderfully adaptable; simply reduce the olive oil to 1 tablespoon when sautéing your vegetables, and proceed with the remaining steps as written. You will still achieve a wonderfully flavorful and satisfying meal. However, if you appreciate the rich, earthy notes and unique texture that mushrooms bring, I wholeheartedly encourage you to keep them in. They truly add a fantastic dimension to these lasagna roll-ups.
Crafting Your Perfect Lasagna Roll-ups: A Step-by-Step Guide
Creating these Mushroom, Broccoli, and Spinach Lasagna Roll-ups might seem like a multi-step process, but each stage is straightforward and contributes to the overall deliciousness. Think of it as a vegetarian lasagna with a creamy white sauce, reimagined into fun, individual portions. By keeping things organized and following these steps, you’ll have a delightful dinner on the table in no time. This recipe is designed to be family-friendly and adaptable, whether you choose to include mushrooms or not.
- **Sauté the Mushrooms:** Begin by browning the mushrooms to unlock their deep, savory flavors. This crucial step adds significant umami to the filling.
- **Combine and Cook Veggies:** Introduce the remaining vegetables – onion, garlic, broccoli, and spinach – to the pan, cooking them until tender-crisp and aromatic.
- **Prepare the Cheesy Filling:** Mix the cooked vegetables with a harmonious blend of cheeses and fresh herbs, creating a rich and flavorful core for your roll-ups.
- **Whip up a Velvety Bechamel Sauce:** Craft a classic, creamy béchamel sauce from scratch. This luxurious white sauce is the signature topping that binds all the flavors together.
- **Cook the Lasagna Noodles:** Boil your lasagna noodles to a perfect al dente, ensuring they are pliable enough to roll without tearing.
- **Assemble with Care:** Spread the veggie-cheese mixture onto each noodle, roll them up neatly, and arrange them in your baking dish.
- **Bake to Golden Perfection:** Finish by baking until the cheese is bubbly, and the béchamel is lightly browned and irresistible.
As you can see, the process is quite logical and manageable. Each step builds upon the last, culminating in a dish that is both impressive and comforting. This approach transforms the traditional lasagna layering into a more engaging and individually portioned format. Keeping your workspace tidy and having all ingredients prepped will make the assembly process even smoother. This dish isn’t just a meal; it’s an experience of wholesome, homemade goodness.
Mushroom, Broccoli, and Spinach Lasagna Roll-ups
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Ingredients
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 8 oz white button or baby bella mushrooms sliced (omit for mushroom-free version)
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 cup finely chopped broccoli
- 1 cup chopped fresh baby spinach leaves
- 1 Tbs fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese divided
- 1 15 oz tub part-skim ricotta cheese
- kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- 2 Tbs unsalted butter
- 2 Tbs all-purpose flour
- 2 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s ready for baking. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, adding a generous amount of salt to properly season the lasagna noodles as they cook.
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In a large, nonstick pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. If using, add the sliced mushrooms and sauté them until they are deeply browned and have released most of their moisture, developing a rich, earthy flavor. Next, add the diced onion and minced garlic to the pan and continue to sauté until the onion becomes translucent and softened, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the finely chopped broccoli and fresh baby spinach leaves, cooking just until the broccoli is fragrant and tender-crisp, and the spinach has wilted completely. Remove from heat.
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In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cooked mushroom-broccoli-spinach mixture with the fresh thyme, fresh parsley, 1/4 cup of the grated Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese, and the entire tub of part-skim ricotta cheese. Season generously with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste (approximately 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a good pinch of pepper, adjusting as needed). Mix everything thoroughly until well combined. Set this flavorful vegetable and cheese filling aside.
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For the béchamel sauce, melt the unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once melted, whisk in the all-purpose flour until a smooth paste, or roux, forms. Cook this roux for another minute, stirring constantly, to cook out the raw flour taste. Slowly whisk in the milk, pouring it in gradually to prevent lumps. Continue to cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, for 7-8 minutes, until the sauce thickens to a creamy consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese and season with a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor. Remove the béchamel sauce from the heat and set it aside.
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Carefully add the lasagna noodles to the pot of heavily salted boiling water. Cook them to an al dente texture according to the package directions. It’s important they are pliable but still have a slight bite, as they will continue to cook in the oven. Drain the noodles and immediately rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool them down, making them easier and safer to handle for assembly.
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Prepare a 13×9 inch baking dish by lightly spraying it with cooking spray. Ladle approximately 1/2 cup of the prepared béchamel sauce into the bottom of the dish, spreading it evenly. On a large cutting board or a clean, flat surface, lay out 6 of the cooked lasagna noodles. Divide half of the veggie-ricotta mixture evenly among these 6 noodles, spreading it in a thin layer across each one. Carefully roll up each noodle from one end to the other and place them seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat this process with the remaining 6 noodles and the rest of the veggie-ricotta mixture. Once all rolls are in the dish, ladle the remaining béchamel sauce evenly over the top of all the lasagna rolls. Finally, sprinkle the 1 cup of shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese over each roll.
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Cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil to prevent the top from browning too quickly. Bake in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 45 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the top is lightly browned and the cheese is melted. If you prefer a darker, more golden-brown top, remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking. Serve immediately, garnished with additional fresh parsley sprinkled over the top for a touch of color and freshness. Yields: 6 servings of hearty, delicious lasagna roll-ups. Enjoy this comforting and satisfying vegetarian meal!
