Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne Rolls (with Cheddar Cheese Sauce)
These spinach and ricotta lasagne rolls are made with fresh pasta. Smothered in homemade cheddar cheese sauce, they make a delightful alternative to traditional lasagne.
I like lasagne with a homemade tomato sauce, but I rarely make it these days. I made it more often before I stopped eating meat, but it always seemed quite laborious. Fresh lasagne sheets are often reduced at my local supermarket, and I picked up a packet with the intention of doing something with them. These spinach and ricotta lasagne rolls are the something.
The filling is easy to whip up, with fried red onions, garlic, spinach, a hit of chilli flakes and ricotta. If the filling wasn’t creamy enough, there’s also a smothering of rich cheddar cheese sauce. It’s made from scratch, and a lot simpler than you might think. I used Cheddar because, well, I am English, and it is the best cheese that ever was. Aside from that, its beautiful colour adds depth to any dish.
This dish was ready in under an hour, which makes it an ideal weekday meal. I love the fact that fresh ingredients are used, but these can be submitted for frozen (spinach) or dried (lasagne sheets). Add a side of green salad and/or some cheesy garlic bread, and dig in.
Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne Rolls (with Cheddar Cheese Sauce)
Ingredients
Lasagne rolls (see note 1)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 red onions (finely sliced)
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 70g (2½ oz) fresh spinach
- 250g (8¾ oz) ricotta
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 250g (8¾ oz) fresh lasagne sheets (see note 2)
- salt & pepper (to taste)
Cheddar cheese sauce:
- 500ml (2 cups) milk
- 4 tbsp spelt or regular flour
- 50g (3½ tbsp) butter
- 120g (4¼ oz) grated cheddar cheese (see note 3)
- ground paprika
Instructions
Lasagne rolls:
- Heat the butter in a frying pan.
- Add the onions and fry until soft.
- Add the garlic and spinach and cook, just until the spinach has wilted.
- Remove from the heat, and set to one side to cool.
- When cooled, mix with the ricotta cheese until everything is well combined. Set to one side while you make the cheddar sauce.
- Pre-heat the oven to 175℃ / 350℉.
Cheddar cheese sauce:
- Add the milk, flour, and butter to a pan. Whisk until there is a rolling boil and the mixture thickens.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in 100g / 3½ oz cheese, just until melted.
Assembly:
- Take each lasagne sheet and add around ⅙ of the ricotta mixture to one edge of each sheet. Carefully roll it up, keeping it quite tight. Repeat with the other five sheets.
- Taking an oven dish, pour enough of the cheese mixture in to just cover the bottom.
- Place the rolls side by side in the dish.
- Cover with the remaining cheese sauce and sprinkle over a touch of paprika.
- Top with the remaining grated cheese.
- Bake for around 30 minutes, just until the cheese is bubbling and browned.
- Serve immediately with a fresh salad and/or a side of garlic bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- The ingredients for the filling can be amended. For example, you can use more (or less) spinach and ricotta, if you like, without affecting the outcome.
- I used fresh lasagne sheets that weighed 250g in total. There were six sheets, measuring 14cm (5½") x 20cm (7¾") each.
- I love authentic British cheddar, for its taste and colour. However, you can use any cheese you like.
