Try this vegetarian dinner recipe of Kale, Mushroom & Sun-Dried Tomato Lasagna Rolls for your next Meatless Monday meal. 160 calories and 5 Weight Watchers Freestyle SP
After consuming my fair share of Chopped Kale Salad with Grapes & Feta Cheese last week, I put my thinking cap. With a garden bed full of kale (that makes me smile just to type those words), I needed to get creative. I could go the green smoothie route, which I probably will in the next week or two. However, what I was really craving was a hearty vegetarian meal.
I might have to eat mushrooms on my own, for lack of any other mushroom lovers in the house, so it's a good thing that these lasagna rolls turned out well. I'll be eating them for lunch for the next five days. Fine by me!
When I first posted my Healthy Lasagna Recipe with Turkey, Pesto and Peppers last year, I was excited to show you how I made the notoriously fatty dish into a low-calorie diva. I used the same trick when I made Leftover Turkey (or Chicken) Lasagna Rolls just after Thanksgiving.
The trick is simple: cottage cheese. Instead of a heavy bechamel sauce, I puree low-fat cottage cheese in the food processor and use that as the sauce, seasoning the heck out of it so that you don't miss the extra fat.
On top of the "low calorie/low fat" kudos, this dish gets bonus points for the vitamins and minerals provided by the kale and mushrooms.
It's a keeper!
The recipe:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the whole wheat lasagna noodles and cook until just tender. Drain the noodles, gently rinse with cold water and lay on a kitchen towels, separated from each other.
For the filling, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large frying pan set over medium heat. Add onions and saute until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for additional 30 seconds.
Add the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil and the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the kale and cook until the kale is slightly wilted and bright green, about 1 minute. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and allow it to cool.
Place the cottage cheese in the bowl of a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
Stir the cottage cheese, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, basil, dried chile flakes, salt and pepper into the mushroom mixture.
Lay a few lasagna noodles on a cutting board. Spread 3 heaping tablespoons of the mushroom mixture along each noodle. Starting at one short end, tightly roll up the lasagna noodle and filling.
Prepare a 9- by 13-inch baking pan by spreading 1 cup tomato sauce on the bottom. Arrange the lasagna rolls, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining lasagna noodles and filling.
Spread additional 1 ½ cups tomato sauce on top, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Other vegetarian dinner ideas:
Cookin' Canuck's Black Bean Sliders with Creamy California Avocado Sauce
Cookin' Canuck's Roasted Vegetable Pasta Salad with Eggplant, Zucchini & Feta
Printable Recipe
Kale, Mushroom & Sun-Dried Tomato Lasagna Rolls Recipe {Vegetarian}
Ingredients
- 12 whole wheat lasagna noodles
- 3 teaspoon olive oil divided
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 ounces crimini Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms stems removed, sliced
- 2 cups roughly chopped kale
- ½ cup about 1 ¼ ounces sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 12 ounces low-fat cottage cheese
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 8 fresh basil leaves thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon dried chile flakes
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ½ cups tomato sauce your favorite kind
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook until just tender. Drain the noodles, gently rinse with cold water and lay on a kitchen towels, separated from each other.
- For the filling, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large frying pan set over medium heat. Add onions and saute until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute for additional 30 seconds.
- Add the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil and the mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the kale and cook until the kale is slightly wilted and bright green, about 1 minute. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and allow it to cool.
- Place the cottage cheese in the bowl of a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
- Stir the cottage cheese, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, basil, dried chile flakes, salt and pepper into the mushroom mixture.
- Lay a few lasagna noodles on a cutting board. Spread 3 heaping tablespoons of the mushroom mixture along each noodle. Starting at one short end, tightly roll up the lasagna noodle and filling.
- Prepare a 9- by 13-inch baking pan by spreading 1 cup tomato sauce on the bottom. Arrange the lasagna rolls, seam side down. Repeat with the remaining lasagna noodles and filling.
- Spread additional 1½ cups tomato sauce on top, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Lauren
My boyfriend and I made these last night and they were really easy to make and delicious! We definitely ate a few spoonfuls of the filling on it's own and it was incredible! Also, I was pretty sure ours would end up being a big mess with filling spilling out everywhere but they rolled up beautifully. Thanks, Dara!
Tom
Made this last night. Fabulous!!
Michelle
Yum! For those that have Food Allergies or Vegan: Sub Daiya brand (which is soy-free, nut free, gluten free, vegan) plain cream cheese for the cottage cheese. You could also mix in chopped beans, quinoa-polenta slices, or mushrooms in the cream cheese before adding it to the recipe. Also sub nutritional yeast or finely shredded daiya brand cheese shreds for the parm. Use GF noodles, for Gluten Free.
Nessa
These look amazing! I hope to make these soon 🙂
Mushrooms Canada
Another wonderful recipe Dara! I love the single serving portion sizes...perfect for leftovers!! Thanks for sharing.
-Shannon
Laura
Putting kale in lasagne is genius! Great recipe!
Serena
My kids will now eat mushrooms! But sadly not kale...I'm hoping they WILL with this recipe. Pinned to make tomorrow! Thanks for the innovation!
Jenna
Did u make your own sauce? What brand did you use if not? These look delish
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Hi Jenna, when I have plenty of tomatoes in my garden, I do make my own sauce (though I haven't posted that recipe yet). When I'm feeling lazy, I just use the Kirkland (Costco) Marinara sauce.
Amanda
I LOVE this recipe! Its gorgeous and genius and you are seriously rockin my world. 🙂
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
You're so sweet, Amanda! Thank you.
marla
I would sure like to enjoy this lasagna throughout the day!!
Dara (Cookin' Canuck)
Believe me, I have been! 🙂