Spinach Lasagna Rolls

It's not often that I go to the effort of making a lasagna because I really only want one serving of it... even though you need to make an entire pan of it to get that single serving. When I do make lasagna, I prefer to use the no-boil noodles because it really does simplify the process and you can't tell the difference (texture-wise) if you use enough sauce and make sure to cover it while baking. Anyway, it shouldn't be surprising that I make these lasagna rolls much less frequently because of the simple fact that they're fairly labor intensive. It's not that any one step is difficult, per se, but there's just so damn many of them that it's not exactly something you can throw together on the fly or at the last minute.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients:
6 dried lasagna noodles (NOT the no-boil kind)
recently boiled kettle of water (you got it- need to go old school on this technique)
2 cups of your favorite marinara (homemade or jarred, whatever you've got on hand)
10 ounces of spinach (fresh or frozen)
1 small onion, diced (I actually used a shallot)
1 tsp. garlic powder (or fresh, if you insist)
salt & pepper to taste
pinch of nutmeg
15 ounces of ricotta cheese (I use the reduced-fat kind, but you can use the full fat stuff if you prefer)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (in this case, the stuff from the green can works just as well as freshly grated)
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella (again, I used the reduced-fat kind)
1 Tbs. dried basil (I would normally say to use fresh, but in baked dishes like this, it really doesn't make a huge difference)
1 Tbs. dried parsley (same goes)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Arrange the dried lasagna noodles in a single layer in 1 or 2 baking dishes (depending on the size of your dishes- I had to use two 13"x 9" pans) and pour the recently boiled water over them, enough to cover by about an inch. Why not just boil the noodles in a pot like the directions of the box say to? Well, this way, the noodles stay separated (tend to stick together in a pot of boiling water), you don't have to go through the hassle of draining them and then oiling them and laying them out flat to prevent sticking. Plus, they'll be just shy of al dente which means they're pliable enough to roll, but then they won't get too soft in the final baked dish.

Meanwhile, in a saute pan over medium-low heat, cook the onion, spinach, garlic powder, salt & pepper, and nutmeg in olive oil until the onion is softened and the spinach is wilted, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, egg, parmesan, mozzarella, basil and parsley. Once the spinach mixture has cooled, add it to the cheese mixture and blend well.

To assemble the lasagna rolls: Pour 1 cup of marinara in the bottom of an 8" x 8" square baking dish. Remove the noodles from the water and lay flat on your work surface. Spoon 1/4 cup of the cheese & spinach mixture onto the noodle and spread it out in a thin-ish (yes, I said thin-ish) layer over 2/3 of the noodle before rolling it up. Why not cover the entire noodle? As soon as you start rolling, the mixture spreads down the noodle and if you were to cover the entire noodle, it would just squirt out the end as you completed the roll; trust me, this amount of filling works well.

Lay the rolls seam-side down in the baking dish. Spoon any leftover spinach & cheese mixture in the space between the 2 rows of rolls (this size pan is perfect for 2 rows of 3 rolls each), then cover the lasagna rolls with another cup of marinara. Sprinkle on more parmesan or shredded mozzarella if desired, cover with foil, and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes before removing the foil and continuing to bake, uncovered, for another 15-20 minutes until the top is nicely browned. Allow the lasagna rolls to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!