This comforting vegetarian recipe is an easy mid-week dinner option that promises to satisfy your taste buds and elevate your dining experience with simplicity and wholesome goodness.
Baked Asparagus, Lemon and Ricotta Rotolo Recipe
Serves 8
Ingredients:
1kg thin asparagus spears, trimmed
1kg ricotta
100g grated parmesan
2 eggs
140g pine nuts, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lemons, zest of
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
4 tbsp snipped chives
800g fresh lasagne sheets
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
Tomato sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, diced
700g tomato passata
¼ cup tomato paste
Handful of basil leaves
1 tsp brown sugar
½ tsp salt
Fresh grated parmesan cheese, for serving
Method:
Mix the ricotta cheese with the parmesan cheese, eggs, pine nuts, garlic, lemon zest, nutmeg and chives. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and set aside in fridge.
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add garlic and onion and saute until translucent and starting to turn golden, then add the passata, tomato paste, basil leaves brown sugar and salt. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Scoop out two cups of the tomato sauce which will be used to pour over the dish at the end.
Pour the remaining sauce into a deep baking tray or lasagna dish.
Wash, trim the woody end away and then cut asparagus into 6cm pieces.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut the pre-made lasagne sheet into 5cm lengths. Spread some of the ricotta mix over each strip, top with 2-3 pieces of asparagus. Roll the piece up and stand.
Place the rolls into the tomato sauce with the asparagus tips facing up. Drizzle the reserved tomato sauce over the top.
Cover with tin foil and bake for 1 hour, then remove and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Return to oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
