Kale and Mushroom Lasagna Roll-ups

When you support your local farmers though a CSA program you get veggies that you don't normally buy.  I think this a good thing, it gets me thinking outside of the box.  But sometimes those veggies are not a big hit with the family.  The first time we got kale, it flopped.  Steamed and sauteed with some olive oil and salt and pepper, it was too strong for everyone including me. Well anyone who gets a CSA box knows you're going to get some kale, in fact you are going to get a lot of it.  That means creativity needs to come into play.

I have found that kale goes over best in my house when it's pulverized to bits, such as in a winter pesto.  Another way is in these yummy lasagna roll-ups.  I found this recipe on Pinterest (of course) and it has become a regular in the rotation. As usual I adapted the recipe to fit my family's tastes and my cooking style.


Kale and Mushroom Lasagna Roll-ups
Adapted from Skinny Taste.com (Mushroom Kale Lasagna Rolls)

Sauce:
6 cloves garlic crushed
2 T olive oil
Several fresh basil leaves thinly sliced
2 -28 cans crushed tomatoes
¼ cup red wine
salt and pepper
2 T. Honey

15 lasagna noodles

Filling:
5 cups kale, thoroughly rinsed, stems removed, roughly chopped
8 oz mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
15 oz part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg
Kosher salt and black pepper
6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded

Start with the sauce.  Heat oil in sauté pan over medium heat and add garlic, stir for a minute or two.  Add the remaining sauce ingredients and allow it to simmer

Cook the lasagna noodles according following the instructions on the package.

In a food processor, pulse kale a few times until chopped.

In large skillet, sauté the garlic in oil for about 1 minute.  Add the kale, salt and pepper and sauté 5 minutes more minutes. Then add the mushrooms, cooking and additional 5 minutes or so. Season to taste with salt and pepper

Place the kale in a medium bowl and add the mushrooms mixture, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt and pepper. Stir to combine

Preheat oven to 350° and ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.

Working with about 3 noodles at time lay the noodles flat on cutting board or other surface. Spread out 1/3 cup of the filling across each noodle. Roll each noodle up and place in the pan, allowing a bit of space between each roll up. Continue this process until all the noodles are used.  Cover the roll ups with the desired amount of sauce, saving a bit for serving. Cover the pan with foil and bake for about 35 minutes.  Remove the foil and sprinkle the mozzarella on top. Return the pan to oven bake another 5 minutes.  Let rest 10 minutes before serving.