By: Chef Laura Bonicelli
Basil Ricotta Lasagna Rolls with Cherry Tomato Sauce is a fresh twist on traditional lasagna. Aside from the beautiful, fresh flavors, the individual rolls elevate lasagna from a family-style casserole to an elegant plate centerpiece.
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about Lasagna Rolls
The Basil Ricotta Lasagna Rolls recipe starts with the sauce. I started making cherry tomato sauce as a quick pasta sauce for last-minute meals but soon realized it had much more merit than just a way to use up waining cherry tomatoes. Although I’m proud to say, I never waste a single cherry tomato. Using high heat chars the tomatoes, brings out their sweetness. While you don’t get to wander too far away from the stove, the sauce goes together very quickly.
Of course, I’m going to tell you to use fresh homemade ricotta and pesto, but for the next best possibility, buy from a deli that makes theirs fresh. I keep a stash of summer basil pesto in my freezer that usually takes me to February (it’s a lot of pesto, but I never throw basil away either).
putting Pesto Ricotta Lasagna Rolls together
I decided to add fresh tomato slices into the rolls to add another tomato dimension to the dish. They can be tricky to roll because the tomatoes tend to slide away, so make sure you get the first one to roll up, then it gets easier.
There is no egg in the filling; the baking is to meld the ingredients and, of course, make them hot. Because the rolls are individual, these rolls are a great candidate for freezing in smaller containers to pull out for dinner when you need them. Baking time from frozen will be roughly the same as the time in the recipe.
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Looking for something to serve with your Lasagna Rolls? Try these recipes:
Shaved Cucumber and Honeydew Greek Salad
Step by Step Instructions
Pesto Ricotta Lasagna Rolls with Cherry Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
=====cherry tomato sauce=====
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 pounds cherry tomatoes
=====
- 4 teaspoons dried oregano
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
=====ricotta pesto filling=====
- 1 pound fresh ricotta cheese
- 3/4 cup fresh basil pesto
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- =====noodles=====
- 12 extra-wide lasagna noodles
=====assembly====
- 3 large slicing tomatoes sliced into 24 thin slices
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes halved and set aside
=====
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- =====
- 1 handful fresh basil leaves -- optional optional
Instructions
=====cherry tomato sauce=====
- Heat the oil in a high-sided large skillet or Dutch oven over high heat. Add 2 pounds of cherry tomatoes and cover tightly. (They will spatter.) Cook, shaking the pan frequently for 8 minutes. The tomatoes need to brown and break down. Reduce the heat to medium, uncover the pan, and pop the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Stir in the oregano, sugar, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for one more minute; set aside.
=====ricotta pesto filling=====
- Combine the ricotta, pesto, and salt in a bowl; set aside.
=====noodles=====
- Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions.
=====Assembly=====
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread half of the cherry tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish.
- Lay all of the lasagna noodles out on a work surface. Divide the ricotta pesto mixture equally between the noodles and spread the mixture out on each noodle. Place two slices of sliced tomato on each and carefully roll the noodles up—season with salt and pepper. Place the rolls, seam down, and side by side, in the baking dish. Cover the rolls with the remaining sauce and arrange the halved cherry tomatoes on top.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and remove the foil, sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan, and return to the oven to bake for an additional 10 minutes. Cool the rolls for 15 minutes, uncovered; garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve.
Nutrition
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