Since Christmas is almost here I thought of preparing a recipe ideal for the holidays: lasagna rolls with tomato sauce. Of course in a light version, not overdoing the filling and sauce but still obtaining a flavorful and satisfying dish.
I must say I had a lot of fun preparing all the rolls. I used a package of fresh lasagna sheets, a Dutch brand but just like Rana sfogliavelo. The dried lasagna sheets are not ideal also because Weight Watchers points would double, better to avoid.
If you make the pasta at home, make each lasagna sheet worth about 1.5 WW points. But now let’s move on to the preparation which seems long only because explaining it takes more time than making this delicious recipe.
Find some other first-course ideas for the holidays here:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Low cost
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 30 rolls
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion
- 1 1/4 cups tomato passata
- to taste fresh basil
- to taste salt and pepper
- 10 sheets lasagna sheets (fresh, e.g. Rana sfogliavelo)
- 7 oz cooked ham, lean (for the vegetarian version read the FAQ)
- 1 cup ricotta
- 7 oz smoked scamorza
- 1 oz grated Parmesan
- to taste salt and pepper
- Total points = 45.5 WW points
- Points per roll = 1.5 WW points
- Points for 6 rolls = 9 WW points
Tools
- Cheese slicer
- Hand blender
Preparation
Sauté the onion sliced into strips in the teaspoon of oil and add a little water if it starts to dry out too much.
Pour in the tomato passata and cook gently for about ten minutes. It should not reduce too much.
Add salt, pepper and fresh basil. Let cool and puree the tomato sauce with an immersion blender.
First, immerse the lasagna sheets in salted boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain and let them dry on a clean dish towel that is free of detergent scent.
Mix the ricotta with half of the grated Parmesan and a pinch of salt and pepper until you obtain a creamy mixture.
Roughly cut the ham into strips and slice the scamorza very thinly: I used the dedicated tool called a cheese slicer.
On each lasagna sheet spread first a little ricotta cream, then some ham and finally the scamorza. To ensure the filling is well distributed place it mainly on one half of the sheet, as in the photo.
Now you can roll the filled lasagna sheet from the short side.
Cut the roll into 3 equal rolls. You can also leave it uncut and you will obtain cannelloni.
In a baking dish large enough to contain all the lasagna rolls put a few tablespoons of the previously prepared tomato sauce.
Then place all the rolls in the dish as shown in the photo.
Pour the remaining tomato sauce over all the rolls and sprinkle the surface with the other half of the Parmesan.
Bake at 392°F for about 20 minutes then turn off the oven and let rest a few minutes before serving.
Our lasagna rolls are ready to be enjoyed! They’re really cute, aren’t they? The process seems elaborate but is very easy and it’s really worth it because they’re tasty and impressive on the table.
In any case it is also possible to prepare the lasagna rolls the day before: place everything in the baking dish and bake the next day.
At our house we licked our lips and this dish will certainly be on the table during the Christmas holidays.
As always I look forward to your comments below or on Facebook.
Enjoy!
by Giovanna Buono
How can I make this dish suitable for a vegetarian diet?
For a vegetarian version first make sure to use cheeses made with vegetable rennet. Then instead of cooked ham you can use thin slices of grilled zucchini or sautéed mushrooms.
How can I dress the rolls other than with tomato sauce?
If you prefer you can also prepare a white version using béchamel instead of tomato sauce. My light béchamel is this: Light béchamel. But please note: in that case you should count a couple more WW points per portion.
