Take the work out of lasagna; make lasagna rolls instead!
Lasagna noodles are topped with ground turkey and pesto, rolled and baked!
This is an easy yet impressive meal!
How To Make Easy Lasagna Rolls
I know there really isn’t anything complicated about making lasagna. But lasagna rolls are just as easy, but bake up quicker and have built-in portion sizes.
Just like any other lasagna recipe, you will need boiled lasagna noodles but you will also need ground turkey, homemade pesto, homemade white sauce, and cheese.
Let’s break each of these down a little further:
This recipe will make 8 lasagna rolls. It may not sound like much, but each roll is quite filling. Boil your noodles, drain and rinse them with cold water to help them cool. Arrange your cooled noodles flat on a baking sheet until you need them.
I used ground turkey for this recipe, but ground beef, pork, veal or chicken would all work well with this recipe. The turkey is lightly seasoned with salt, basil, and oregano. Allow the turkey to cool a little. You don’t want to use turkey that is too hot or it will melt your cheese as you spread it on the noodles.
The cheese filling is a mixture of ricotta, eggs, shredded mozzarella, and grated Parmesan cheese.
The pesto is made with carrot fronds (carrot tops) and Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This olive oil is perfect for pesto as it has a delicate flavor and has low acidity, plus Pompeian Olive Oil is the first olive oil to attain the USDA Quality Monitored seal. This pesto is also made with lemon juice, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. I know carrot fronds seems like an unlikely ingredient, but they are hearty and just as delicious as basil. Upcycling the fronds promotes sustainability and takes a step toward eliminating food waste. Aside from all of that, carrot fronds have almost the same benefit as carrots themselves!
The white sauce is your typical white sauce. It is made with butter, flour, milk, and Parmesan cheese.
Can You Make Lasagna Rolls Ahead Of Time?
Yes! Prepare the recipe as stated. Cover lasagna rolls tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate up to 24 hours. To bake, remove plastic wrap, cover and bake for 20-30 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until completely cooked through.
To freeze the lasagna rolls: Cover lasagna rolls tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. To bake, remove plastic wrap, cover and bake for 90 minutes. Uncover; bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until completely cooked through.
Want more pasta? Try this Easy Pesto Pasta Primavera Recipe,or this Pasta with Peas and Sun-Dried Tomatoes!
Turkey and Pesto Lasagna Rolls
Take the work out of lasagna; make lasagna rolls instead!
Lasagna noodles are topped with ground turkey and pesto, rolled and baked!
This is an easy yet impressive meal!
Ingredients
- 8 lasagna noodles
- ¾ lb ground turkey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 15 oz container ricotta
- 1 egg
- 1 cup mozzarella
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- 1 cup mozzarella for the top
- For the Pesto:
- 1 bunch carrot fronds about 2 cups loosely packed
- ½ cup walnuts
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- Juice from one lemon
- ½ cup Pompeian Smooth Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (grated)
- Salt to taste
- For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Prepare the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain the noodles under cool water, and arrange 8 noodles on a baking sheet; set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the carrot fronds, walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Pulse to combine. If pesto is too thick, add a little more olive oil. Season pesto with salt to taste.
- In a large skillet, brown the ground turkey, crumbling as it cooks. Season turkey with salt, oregano and basil. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, eggs, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour to form a thick paste. Slowly stream in the milk until combined. Reduce heat and allow mixture to thicken. Whisk in Parmesan cheese.
- To assemble; combine half of the pesto and all of the turkey with the ricotta mixture. Divide the mixture between each lasagna noodle, spreading the mixture over the surface of the noodles. Roll up each noodle, and place them in a casserole dish that has been sprayed with non -stick spray.
- Stir the remaining pesto into the white sauce, pour the sauce over the noodles.
- Cover the rolls with aluminum foil and bake the rolls for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.
LaQualla Pitts says
Love this recipe 🤩
Tanya Schroeder says
Thank you!