Roasted Vegetable Lasagna Roll Ups

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can crushed tomatos
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded, cored & diced into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1/2 medium red or yellow onion, diced into 3/4-inch pieces
• 10 cloves garlic, skins left on
• 4 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped into small pieces
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped into 1/6-inch thick slices
• 1 medium yellow squash, chopped into 1/6-inch thick slices
• 12 whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 1 container low-fat ricotta
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided, 10 oz
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Asiago cheese
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Warm 2 Tbsp olive oil in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then mix in the crushed tomatoes, fresh basil, optional red pepper flakes, plus salt and pepper to taste. Once the sauce barely starts to bubble, turn the burner to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Add the carrots and garlic cloves, along with the red bell pepper and red onion, drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil, toss, and arrange them in one layer. Bake for 15 minutes. Take the pan out, add the broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini and squash, drizzle with the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste. Toss everything together, slide the pan back into the oven, and roast for 10 – 15 minutes longer, until the vegetables are tender. Remove the pan from the oven. Slip the skins off the garlic, mince it, stir it back into the vegetables, and set the mixture aside.
3. As the vegetables roast, prepare the lasagna noodles according to the package directions. In a mixing bowl, mash the ricotta, egg and parsley together with a fork. Add the Asiago, the Parmesan, and 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella, then add salt and pepper to taste. Drain the noodles and lay them out next to each other on a large piece of wax or parchment paper.
4. Spoon 1/4 cup red sauce into a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and spread it across the bottom.
5. For the roll ups, coat each lasagna noodle with 1/4 cup of the ricotta mixture. Divide the roasted vegetables evenly over the cheese, starting with zucchini/squash if you can and scattering the remaining vegetables over that. Add 1 Tbsp of the red sauce over the vegetables along the length of each noodle. Roll up each noodle, using your hands to shield the sides as needed so the filling stays put, since they will be very full. Move the rolls to the baking dish and nestle them side by side. Spoon the rest of the red sauce over them, covering the tops completely so the noodle edges do not dry out, then finish with the remaining mozzarella. Loosely cover the dish with foil, making sure it stays off the cheese so it does not stick, and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for 10 minutes longer. Serve warm, with fresh parsley or basil if desired.