Spinach Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients

•     12-14 lasagna noodles, cooked and cooled enough so you can handle them

•     2 (10 ounce) packages frozen spinach, thawed, drained well and roughly chopped

•     2 15-oz containers part skim ricotta cheese

•     ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese

•     2 eggs

•     2 large garlic cloves, minced

•     2 cups part skim shredded mozzarella cheese (approximately)

•     tomato sauce

•     salt & pepper to taste

•     olive oil

Method

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.     In a large pot of boiling water cook the lasagna noodles. Remove each one carefully with tongs and lay on a hand towel lined cookie sheet to cool and dry.

3.     In a large skillet warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute garlic cloves for 1 minute. Add chopped spinach and saute 2-3 minutes. Remove from skillet and allow to cool slightly.

4.     *If you are making a marinara sauce you can do that now, in the same skillet you just removed the spinach from. I usually just saute 2-3 cloves of minced garlic in some olive oil with some red pepper flakes, then add two cans of whole peeled tomatoes that I have broken up. Add salt & pepper and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.*

5.     In a large bowl combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, eggs, cooled spinach and salt & pepper. Mix well.

6.     Pour 2 ladles of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.

7.     Place one lasagna noodle on the counter (or on a sheet of parchment on the counter) and spoon approximately 1-2 heaping tablespoon of spinach/cheese mixture onto the noodle. Spread mixture out over the entire noodle using the spoon and your fingers. Gently roll the lasagna noodle up and place seam side down in baking dish. I usually roll each noodle over about 3½ to 4 times.

8.     Once all the rolls are placed in the dish, spoon tomato sauce over all the rolls, being somewhat generous. Lastly, sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over each roll. Bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. When serving I like to top each roll with some extra tomato sauce.