This recipe is a great twist on a classic Italian dish. Simply take your favorite lasagna recipe, place the filling, and roll up the pasta sheets instead of layering them. No messy cut lasagna pieces and perfect for individual sized servings.
I’ve made several different types of lasagna fillings, and paired with several different types of sauces. This particular recipe I’m sharing with you today is a classic and one of my favorites, Zucchini & Corn Stuffed Lasagna Rolls. I’ve used shredded zucchini to make a baked tomato pasta dish and absolutely love the flavor it adds, especially when shredded and cooked down. So I decided to combine the zucchini with corn and a few herbs, spices, several cheeses, and my spicy tomato sauce recipe I shared with all of you last week. The final resulting lasagna rolls turned out delicious! I especially loved the mess-free servings and automatic portion control.
You can easily prep this dish ahead of time by cooking the lasagna pasta, layering the filling, and rolling them up. When you are ready to serve, simply top with sauce and bake. I typically make these gluten-free and use brown rice lasagna pasta. My favorite brand for gluten-free lasagna pasta is Tinkyada Organic Brown Rice Lasagna Pasta. The texture of this particular brand of pasta sheets was perfect and very comparable to the non-gluten-free version.
This dish is perfect to serve as a main course for Christmas Dinner or even to serve as a fun appetizer. For our annual Holiday Party, my husband and I typically like to do a huge spread of bite-sized appetizers that keep coming out of the kitchen all night long, from simple to ones that are more filling. I was originally thinking of making these lasagna roll-ups into mini bite-sized portions to serve with toothpicks by simply cutting each lasagna sheet in half, rolling up each half with the filling, and then using a sharp cooking knife, cutting each lasagna roll-up in half again. Top each piece with a spoonful of sauce, some shredded mozzarella cheese, and bake to perfection. Place a toothpick down the center of each mini lasagna roll-up and serve. It’s a great idea, but I ended up having too many items on our menu and decided to leave this one out this year; but they’re definitely making it on the menu next year. If you are in need of a Holiday Dinner to serve for your family and friends, this is the perfect fun dish to make and can easily be made ahead of time.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays to all of you and your families from Vegetarian Gastronomy.
I will see you back here next week on New Years Eve for a special Best of 2014 post on Vegetarian Gastronomy and a recap of the year. Until then have a safe and wonderful Holiday.
It’s always wonderful to hear from my readers and followers in the comment section below. So if you make this recipe or even simply like the idea of the recipe, I’d love to hear from you. It’s also a great way for me to get feedback so that I know how you like the recipes, whether you are eating or making them. You can give any feedback below, or you can also tag me on Instagram if you make one of the recipes @veggastronomy , #vegetariangastronomy, so I don’t miss it.
Lasagna Rolls are a fun way to easily get single serving portions! Add in zucchini, corn, and vegan ricotta for a healthy meal!
- 12 lasagna noodles , gluten-free : use brown rice pasta, my favorite is Tinkyada Brand Brown Rice Lasagna Noodles
- 2/3 cup vegan mozzarella , Miyoko Fresh Mozzarella or Follow Your Heart Mozzarella Shreds
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cup zucchini , shredded & squeezed dry
- 8 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 cup frozen corn , defrosted
- 2 tbsp chives , chopped
- 1/2 cup vegan parmesan cheese , Follow Your Heart Vegan Parm
- 30 oz. vegan ricotta cheese , homemade or Kite Hill vegan ricotta
- 4 cups marinara sauce , store bought or my Spicy Tomato Sauce
- basil , chopped for garnish
- salt / freshly grounded black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook the lasagna noodles according to package. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside. I like to drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil to coat the cooked noodles so that they do not stick together and break.
- In a large non-stick pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat.
- Add the minced garlic and fry until fragrant (~30 sec).
- Add the squeezed dried shredded zucchini and saute on medium heat until cooked and soft (a few minutes), mixing frequently.
- Add the defrosted corn, some salt, and fresh ground pepper. Combine and cook again for an additional minute.
- Remove the zucchini mixture from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
In a mixing bowl, combine the vegan ricotta cheese, vegan parmesan cheese, and chopped chives. Fold in the zucchini/corn mixture.
- Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish and an 8x8 square glass baking dish (for a total of 12 lasagna rolls).
Evenly spread about 1/3 cup of the filling across each cooked lasagna pasta, and then roll up each pasta. Place each lasagna roll individually in the prepared glass baking dish, with the open side facing down.
Repeat with the remainder of the lasagna pasta. You should be able to fit about 8 rolls in the larger dish. Prepare another smaller glass dish for the remainder of the prepared lasagna rolls.
Spread the remainder of the sauce evenly on top of each lasagna roll and evenly sprinkle on the vegan shredded or crumbled mozzarella cheese.
Cover the dish with foil and bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes until the rolls are baked through, the sauce is just starting to simmer, and the vegan cheese on top is completely melted.
- Garnish with freshly chopped basil and additional freshly grounded black pepper. Enjoy hot!
Prep-Ahead Tips -
- Make the vegan ricotta and marinara day before if using homemade.
- Prepare tray ahead of time and bake when ready. Role up each lasagna pasta, prepare dish, and bake when ready to serve.
Vegan Cheeses -
- Vegan Parmesan - my favorite store-bought brand is Follow Your Heart
- Vegan Mozzarella - I use either Follow Your Heart Mozzarella Shreds or Miyoko Fresh Mozzarella (found at Whole Foods, Sprouts, Jimbos, etc.)
- Vegan Ricotta - I make my own easy tofu-based Ricotta or you can buy Kite Hill Almond-based Ricotta. If you make my recipe, be sure to prepare twice the amount (or as needed).
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