Spinach Lasagne Rolls

Those who know me well and have heard tales of my personal foodie history will no doubt be shocked to learn that I made lasagne this week. Naturally, I couldn't use the traditional method. That would've just been going too far.

Spinach Lasagne Rolls
adapted from Bon Appetit (March 1990)

1 tablespoon olive oil
10-ounces fresh spinach
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 1/4 cups grated mozzarella
1 egg, beaten to blend
1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
3 cups prepared spaghetti sauce
8 lasagne noodles, freshly cooked

Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach and saute until tender. Cool. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, egg, parsley, and garlic in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce over bottom of 8-inch square baking dish. Pat 1 lasagne noodle dry with paper towel. Set on waxed paper sheet. Spread about 1/3 cup ricotta mixture over noodle. Carefully roll up noodle, starting at 1 short end, to enclose filling. Arrange seam side down in prepared dish. Repeat with remaining noodles. Top with remaining 1 1/2 cups sauce. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.) Bake 35 minutes, sprinkle with additional fresh grated Parmesan cheese, and bake 10 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Notes: Despite a few mishaps due to my lasagne-phobia, this came out pretty darn tasty. For example, I used fresh mozzarella and ended up just chopping it up into the mixture. I might even keep this recipe that way. And the leftovers that I had a couple days later worked out well too. I did use spaghetti sauce from a jar - Prego roasted garlic and herb - I really must develop my own sauce some day in the not-too-distant future....