Lasanga Rollups, with Tofu!

Interesting combinations... Pickles and ice cream (I said 'interesting', not necessarily 'good'). Pretzels and chocolate (This was an experiment gone very, very right! Many thanks go to whoever discovered it). Cheese and jalapeno sandwiches (This comes from my sister, yuck). French fries dipped in a milk shake (Mmmm, one of my favorite weaknesses). And today, lasagna and tofu.

Truth be told, I've seen tofu in lasagna recipes before. Tofu doesn't have much (if any) flavor on it's own, so why not? It adds a kick in the pants for protein, and no-one will even notice they're eating tofu (particularly good if you have a non-tofu liking person over for dinner).

Tastes just like a regular lasagna (without tofu) and it's delicious!

Timing seemed perfect to try the lasagna-tofu combination, as I found this recipe the night after a party. Why is that so perfect? First, after a party, I'm usually a bit tired of cooking. This recipe is very easy. Second, I had leftover uncooked mushrooms, including a lot of stems, from serving Happy Hour Mushrooms at the party. Perfect filling, score.


On top of the other two great reasons to make this recipe, it's not your average lasagna. Oh no. They're roll-ups. Fun! Great for portioning too.

As you can see above, I did have a bit of trouble with my lasanga rolls... they caved into themselves and flattened. Didn't take away from the flavor though, just presentation.

I believe my problem was that I had no-cook noodles. Be careful buying your noodles at the store! Ay, yay, yay. To solve that problem, I heated a bowl of water to simmering, and stuck 2-3 noodles in the water at a time. I would remove 1 to use when it seemed soft enough to roll. I didn't cook the noodles all the way, they cooked in the oven. Regular noodles should hold their shape better. While it didn't make for the prettiest presentation, it didn't ruin the dish. Tim has already asked for the lasagna again.

Lasagna Rollups with Tofu
from Allrecipes

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked lasagna noodles
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 pound firm tofu
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach - thawed, drained and squeezed dry (I used 3/4 cup sauted mushrooms instead)
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 (28 ounce) jar pasta sauce



Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles for 5 to 8 minutes, or until just slightly underdone; drain and rinse.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together grated cheese, ricotta cheese, tofu, frozen spinach, and 1 cup Parmesan cheese.

Lay out a noodle. Spread a layer of the cheese mixture on the noodle, then add a thin layer of sauce. Roll the noodle up, and place seam side down in a 13x9 pan.

Repeat for other noodles. Top with remaining sauce and Parmesan cheese.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degree C) oven for 30 min, or until hot and bubbly.

Lasagna here, lasagna there, lasagna everywhere:
- Black Bean and Spinach Lasagna
- Vegetable Lasagna, from Kath Eats Real Food
- Pesto Lasagna, from over a Tuscan Stove

Guten appetit!