Spinach Lasagna Roll-ups

Lasagnas are one of the easiest make-ahead dish - can be prepped and frozen till ready to be baked, or can be cooked/baked fully and stored for a day or two in the fridge. In fact, I prefer lasagna that has been aging for a day at least in the fridge.

I don't like it soggy, so, usually make the sauce fairly thick, and serve some extra sauce on the side.

Basic procedure for typical lasagna is simple: cook the strips of the pasta per package directions, drain and pat dry; prepare the stuffing mix: spinach, cheese, herbs, flavorings, and any other veggies; have some pasta sauce ready; layer a casserole dish with sauce, pasta, stuffing mix, in as many layers as preferred; perhaps even throw in some shredded mozzarella; top with some cheese and bake in a 350°F oven for about 30-45 minutes till done.

And to do the Lasagna Roll-ups, rather than layer the pasta and stuffing in the baking dish, simply spread some stuffing on each strip of pasta and roll it up, one at a time. Then, arrange the rolled up bundles in the baking dish, with extra cheese and sauce thrown in if preferred, and bake as usual.

As to the filling, anything goes, really. One of my favorite combination is: fresh spinach leaves from the home-garden when in season and some chopped broccoli florets sautéed together with some onions and garlic; chopped olives, sundried tomatoes, and some mozzarella + Feta + Colby Jack cheese.

Ingredients
1 package dry lasagna (or fresh lasagna)
1 jar (about 32 oz, or more) of favorite pasta sauce (I used home-made)
dry herbs: parsley, oregano, marjoram, crushed red pepper, rosemary
4-6 cloves of crushed garlic
optional: chopped olives, chopped onions, chopped broccoli florets
1 small tub low fat ricotta cheese (or as much as you prefer)
1-2 cups fresh grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated colby jack cheese
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, or fresh spinach leaves
salt to taste
olive oil

Preparation

1. Cook the pasta per package directions; drain, pat dry and lay out the strips on a towel while getting the stuffing ready
2. Thaw the frozen spinach and squeeze dry with paper towel; sauté the spinach with broccoli and onions; off heat mix the herbs, spinach, cheeses together
3. Spoon the spinach + cheese stuffing onto each strip of pasta and roll them up
4. Cut each rolled up stuffed lasagna strips in half for a pretty presentation, if preferred
5. Pour some pasta sauce into the baking dish, some crushed garlic, arrange the rolled-up lasagna, cover with foil; poke some holes in the foil with a fork to let steam escape
6. Bake in a 375°F oven for 30-45 minutes or until done
7. Warm up some pasta sauce on the stove and serve on the side, if preferred

I like to let it cool, cover it, and leave it out overnight, or refrigerate it, and serve it for dinner the following night.