Sausage, spinach & goat cheese lasagna roll-ups
So much flavor, so much goodness. I swapped the typical ricotta for cottage cheese to get in some extra protein.
Short on time? Use your favorite jarred marinara sauce.
XO, km
THE DISH:
sausage, spinach & goat cheese lasagna roll-ups | serves 4-6
THE STUFF:
9 lasagna noodles
EVOO
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher S+P
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
3/4 lb ground Italian sausage
3 big handfuls fresh spinach
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
3 oz goat cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1/4 cup chopped basil, plus more for garnish
1 cup shredded mozzarella
THE HOW-TO:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Drain and toss with EVOO on a baking sheet. Lay them in a single layer so they don’t stick together.
Warm 2 tbsp EVOO over medium-high heat in a large saucepan. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes (if using), season generously with S+P and sauté for 1 more minute. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Set aside.
Set a skillet over medium-high heat and add the sausage. Cook the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned through, about 6 minutes. Add the spinach to the pan and cook just until it wilts, about 2 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
To the bowl with the sausage, add the cottage cheese, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, basil and 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce. Stir to combine well.
Coat the bottom of of a 9x13 inch baking dish with about 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce. Lay a noodle on a workspace and put 1/3 cup of the meat mixture on one end. Roll up the noodle and place, seam side down, into the baking dish. Repeat this process with the remaining noodles, top with marinara sauce and the mozzarella.
Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes, garnish with more basil and serve at once.