Veganized Lasagna Rolls filled with Roasted Butternut Squash, Sautéed Leafy Greens and Plant-based Ricotta with an Italian Hemp Romesco Sauce
DAIRY-FREE/OVO-PESCATARIAN/PLANT-BASED/VEGAN/VEGETARIAN
Total Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Baking Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 8 lasagna rolls
Allergens: tree nuts, wheat
You won’t miss the traditional meat lasagna when you get a serving of this vegan take on a comfort food classic! This fancy casserole is not only delicious, but it’s also packed with omega fatty acids, protein, dietary fiber, calcium, potassium and vitamins A and C. You’ll never regret eating a portion of this baked pasta dish!
Roll up a mixture of butternut squash, hardy kale and spinach mixed with my favorite plant based ricotta in lasagna sheets, and top with a Romesco-style sauce with bell peppers, herbs and Marcona almonds. Broil with your choice of vegan cheese shreds and finish with more roasted squash. Add some crunch with more hemp hearts and you have yourself a complete meal.
Rebranded with a new shape, this luscious plant-based lasagna recipe checks all the boxes of an exciting, decadent and comforting meal. Make this for your next meatless Monday, fool your guests at your next dinner party or simply, make this and treat yourself on any day of the week!
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Ingredients
LASAGNA ROLL-UPS
- 1 lb. butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
- 5 cloves of garlic, whole
- Salt and pepper for seasoning squash
- 8 lasagna sheets
- Water, salt and oil for boiling
- 1 tablespoon of hemp oil
- 12 oz raw kale, washed, stems removed and chopped
- 12 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of all liquid
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 clove of garlic, diced
- 2 tubs of kite hill vegan ricotta
- 8-10 fresh basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon of lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of white pepper
SAUCE
- ½ cup of pasta water
- 12 oz jar of roasted red peppers, drained
- 2 oz sun dried tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon of hemp hearts
- ½ cup of blanched or Marcona almonds
- ½ cup of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- ½ cup of fresh basil, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon of hemp oil
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
GARNISHES
- 3 oz of Plant-based shredded cheese
- Extra sauce
- Extra butternut squash
- Hemp hearts and/or oil
- Chopped basil and/or parsley
- Drizzle of CBD oil (optional)
Steps
1.) Gather all the ingredients you need for the lasagna roll-ups, the filling, and the red pepper sauce. Preheat an oven to 400°F.
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2.) Roasted Squash: Peel and dice the butternut squash into 1 inch cubes. Toss them in a bowl with the peeled garlic cloves, a tablespoon of olive oil, season with dried thyme, salt and pepper, lay them on a parchment paper lined baking tray, and roast for 20-25 minutes or until browned and fully cooked.
3.) Pasta Sheets: Place the dry lasagna sheets in a pot of boiling water seasoned with salt and oil. Cook for 5-6 minutes or for 80% of the cooking time. They will continue to cook during the baking process. Remove the par-cooked pasta from the water and lay them out onto a parchment paper lined baking tray to prevent sticking. Reserve ½ a cup of pasta water for later.
4.) Filling: Dump the extra pasta water from the pot and begin to sauté the onions and garlic in hemp oil for 2-3 minutes on medium low heat. Add the kale, turn the heat up to medium and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until the kale is wilted.
4.) Filling continued: In a food processor, combine the sautéed veggie mixture, kite hill ricotta, spinach, lemon juice and zest, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Pulse until combined. Move the filling into a bowl and save for later.
5.) Sauce: Rinse the food processor and add the pasta water, roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes, basil, parsley, hemp hearts and oil, Marcona almonds and salt. Purée everything until you reach a smooth consistency. Add a little more water to loosen up the sauce and season if necessary.
6.) Assembly: Fill each lasagna sheet with the ricotta mixture and roasted butternut squash. Roll them and place them onto a foil lined deep baking tray. Top with sauce and plant-based mozzarella.
7.) Finish: Turn up the oven to 450°F. Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil, leaving an inch in between the rolls and the foil to prevent the cheese from sticking. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, broil for a few minutes on high to get a crusty surface. Serve with some more Romesco sauce and garnish with the extra roasted butternut squash, roasted garlic, hemp hearts, hemp/olive oil, basil and parsley. Mangiare!
Tips
- Use a shallow pot for boiling the pasta. Deep enough so that the water doesn’t spill over but shallow enough so that your lasagna sheets retain their shape, avoid breaking, and don’t stick to each other. Salt the water like how the sea tastes and use some oil for error proof results!
- Do not rinse cooked pasta, like, ever! You want the starches to help the filling and sauce to stick.
Q&A
- Can I use fresh spinach instead of frozen? Of course. I used frozen because you get more of a bang for your buck. Fresh spinach can wilt on you like crazy and your yield won’t be as much as you thought it would be.
- Can I use whole wheat lasagna sheets? If you prefer, then yes! Make sure to par-boil them for 80% of the time, and finish in the oven to bake after assembly.
- My stomach doesn’t do too well when it comes to almonds, any substitutions? Cashews are your best bet for a similar flavor. Hazelnuts with skins removed and pine nuts will also be amazing in this Romesco-style sauce.
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