Muffin tins are great for baking them!
This recipe is a really fun twist (literally!) on traditional lasagna. We add silken tofu to this three-cheese pasta dish to boost the protein and calcium. At HealthBarn USA, we’ve discovered that the kids really have fun with this recipe as a group activity. Get ready to dig into this muscle and bone-boosting dish, with its smart combination of protein, iron and calcium.
Ingredients:
10 whole wheat lasagna noodles (or other lasagna noodles)
2 cups low-sodium marinara sauce
1 cup silken light tofu
2 tablespoons part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
½ cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
3 tablespoons shredded low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese
Directions:
- Heat large pot of water to boiling over high heat. Add lasagna noodles and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes.
- Drain noodles; rinse with cold running water. Place noodles on clean, flat work surface.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Into each of 10 muffin-pan cups, spoon 1 teaspoon marinara sauce; set aside.
- Place tofu between several layers of paper towels and squeeze out excess liquid. In small bowl, stir together tofu, ricotta, Parmesan, and pepper.
- Spoon 2 tablespoons cheese mixture onto each noodle and spread to make a thin layer. Then, spread 2 tablespoons marinara sauce over cheese layer on each noodle. Top with spinach and basil.
- Roll each noodle tightly, jelly-roll fashion. Place 1 lasagna roll in each muffin cup; top with remaining marinara sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella.
- Bake lasagna rolls 10 minutes or until heated through and cheese melts.
Makes 5 servings (2 lasagna rolls per serving).
Nutrition Facts per serving: 250 calories; 4g fat (1g sat fat, 1g mono, 1g poly, 0g trans fat); 5mg cholesterol; 41g carbohydrate (9g fiber, 6g sugar); 15g protein; 180mg sodium; 35% Daily Value (DV) vitamin A; 10% DV vitamin C; 25% DV calcium; 60% DV iron.
Courtesy of Appetite for Life, Stacey Antine, MS, RD, HarperOne 2012.