Vegan Lasagna Rolls
Life is about exploring all the pasta-bilities!
There’s nothing quite like the classic lasagna your mom or grandma would spend hours in the kitchen preparing . Don’t get me wrong in the middle of winter lasagna is the best, but sometimes a lighter version of lasagna, especially in the summer sounds good too! That’s why I created these Vegan Lasagna Rolls.
I wanted to create a healthier and lighter version of lasagna that could be enjoyed by everyone (including vegans, and gluten free followers out there).
My version of lasagna is a bit easier, quicker, and lighter on the stomach than your typical lasagna .These Vegan Lasagna Rolls can be made in under 30 minutes and make for a great meal to prep ahead of time for those busy nights which I know we all have at least once in a while.
Cooking the Pasta
While typical pasta is normally made from wheat which is not gluten free there has been an increasing number of brands that are now creating gluten free pasta of all shapes and sizes, including lasagna noodles!
This is good news! Now it’s easier than ever to find gluten free products in your local grocery store at a reasonable price which makes adhering to a gluten free diet so much less stressful.
In this recipe I used Banza lasgana noodles but I do know that Barilla, Jovial, and Explore Cuisine also have gluten free noodle options for lasagna as well!
So cooking the noodles is pretty painless but here are a few tips that I have found that make keep the noodles from sticking to each other and breaking while boiling
- Bring the water to a high boil. Make sure there are large bubbles breaking the surface of the water when you place the noodles in. This prevents the noodles from sticking.
- Once the noodles start to soften stir 1-2 times half way through boiling them (about 4 minutes in) to prevent them from sticking together and ripping
- Once the noodles are cooked, drain the water and lay them flat on a cooling wrack while you make the rest of the ingredients.
Making the Ricotta
Making the ricotta cheese is pretty painless and way easier than anyone might expect.
Just a few ingredients and a blender is all that you will need.
- 1 Block of Extra Firm Tofu
- Nutritional Yeast
- 1 lemon
- garlic cloves
- Dijon Mustard
- yellow onion
- a pinch of salt
In a large food processor or vitamix add everything into the machine and blend until everything is well chopped and smooth.
Add in the veggies
The veggies are almost optional but I would say keep them because they add texture, color, flavor, and all the nutrients your body is looking for!
I went with sauted mushrooms and spinach because they paired well with the sauce and cheese and were easy to saute up and layer in between the noodles.
You could also use kale, peppers, onions, or thinly cut zucchini as well here!
To saute the vegetables add 1 tbsp of olive oil or avocado oil to a pan on medium heat on the stove. Once the oil is warm add in the sliced mushrooms and gently stir until fork tender. This will take about 5 minutes.
Now add in the kale or spinach of your choice and saute until lightly wilted. This will only take 1-2 minutes.
Now you can take it off of the heat and prepare the lasagna.
Preparing the Lasagna
Now it’s time to assemble the vegan lasagna rolls!
Lay out the noodles on a flat surface and spread a thin layer of the tofu ricotta cheese over each noodle with a spoon or spatula.
Then add a layer of the sauted spinach on top of the ricotta. Add a few mushroom pieces on top of the greens next.
Repeat these steps until every noodle is dressed in all the toppings!
Prepare a baking dish about 8×8 in size and add about 1/4 cup of marinara sauce to the bottom of the baking dish.
I used one of my favorite brands of marinara sauce… Primal Kitchen Roasted Garlic Marinara Sauce . This sauce is gluten free, dairy free, paleo and keto friendly, organic, soy free and certified Whole 30 approved! So really anyone can enjoy this sauce.
Of course feel free to use your own sauce too! I just didn’t have all the ingredients to make my own at the time. Plus this brand is basically as healthy as you can get!
Now it’s time to roll them noodles up!
Gently take one end of the noodle and roll it up like you would a yoga mat.
Place the rolled lasagna noodles in the dish until full. Once you have rolled all the lasagna noodles add another 1/2 cup or more of the sauce. I like a lot of sauce so I covered the noodles until every inch had sauce on it!
If you like your lasagna with less sauce feel free to add as little as you would like!Vegan
Serving and Storing
Once you have rolled all the lasagna noodles and covered them in the sauce you can bake the Vegan Lasagna rolls in the oven at 350F for 10-20 minutes to heat and serve.
What I did was I made this ahead of time for dinners throughout the week so I just put a lid over the glass baking dish I put my lasagna in and stored it in the fridge for the week.
I then would heat up a few rolls at a time for a quick and easy dinner during the week.
You can also freeze this dish if you want to have for future meals. It will last up to one week in the fridge but if you want it for a special occasion in a few weeks feel free to freeze it in the baking dish with a lid on it to keep for a longer amount of time.
Let me know what you think when you try this recipe and feel free to share it with your family, friends and even me on instagram @hollys_bestlife !
Other Gluten Free & Vegan Recipes:
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GF & Vegan Lasagna Rolls with Tofu ricotta cheese
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- ½ box Chickpea Lasagna pasta I used Banza pasta
- 6 oz spinach sauteed
- 6 oz baby bella mushrooms
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ cups marinara sauce I used Primal Kitchen Roasted Garlic
Tofu Ricotta Cheese
- 1 block Extra Firm Tofu drained
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ cup yellow onion diced
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- First you will want to boil your noodles. Bring a large pot of boiling water to a boil and boil the chickpea pasta for about 8 minutes until tender but not over done.
- Once the pasta is done I recommend laying them flat on a few paper towels while you prepare the additional ingredients.
- For the ricotta cheese, place all of the ingredients into a large food processor or pulse for 1-2 minutes or until everything is well chopped and smooth. Set aside for now while you prep the mushrooms and spinach
- In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp of olive oil while you thinly slice the baby bella mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms until fork tender. Place in a bowl and then throw in the spinach to saute for 1-2 minutes or until wilted.
- Now it is time to assemble the lasagna rolls. Lay out the noodles and spread a thin layer of the tofu ricotta cheese over each noodle with a spoon. Then layer the spinach on top of the cheese layer and then add in the mushrooms over the spinach.
- Prepare a baking dish about 8x8 in size by adding a spoonful of sauce to the bottom of the dish. Next, gently roll each noodle up and place the noodles in the baking dish. Cover the noodles with the remaining sauce and bake in the oven for 10-20 minutes at 350°F.
- Serve and Enjoy!