Mushroom and Kale Lasagna Roll Ups in Creamy Gorgonzola Cauliflower Sauce

Mushrooms, kale and cheese all rolled up in lasagna noodles, smothered in a creamy gorgonzola cauliflower sauce and cheese and baked until all melty, golden brown and good.

I have been seeing cute lasagna roll-ups around the internet for a while now and I have been wanting to try making some. The lasagna roll-ups are basically just lasagna where instead of layering everything you place the filling on top of the noodles and then roll the noodles up, top them with the sauce and cheese and bake them. I knew exactly what I wanted to do for my lasagna roll-ups, a mushroom and kale lasagna with creamy white sauce.

For the filling I went with some easy sauteed mushrooms and kale along with some parmesan mixed into ricotta cheese and some of the creamy white sauce. I wanted to try something new for the white sauce, I wanted to try a cauliflower based sauce rather than a more traditional, calorie filled, bechamel sauce made with flour, butter and milk or cream. The cauliflower sauce is simply pureed cauliflower and cheese along with enough liquid to smooth it out into a sauce. For the cheese in the cauliflower sauce I went with gorgonzola, a blue cheese, but it would also work well with parmesan, romano or asiago among others. Since this is a lasagna I was bound to top the whole thing off with even more cheese, this time in the form of mozzarella. (For those of you keeping track, yes, there are no less than 4 kinds of cheese in this lasagna!)

I knew that this lasagna was going to be amazing just thinking about all of the ingredients and it easily lived up to my expectations and then some! The mushroom and kale lasagna in creamy gorgonzola cauliflower sauce was amazing! I have to say that the cauliflower sauce was no less than spectacular and it went so well on the lasagna! I will definitely be using this cauliflower sauce again! Luckily this recipe makes a lot so I will be able to enjoy the leftovers for lunch this week.


ingredients
For the mushroom mixture:

• 2 tablespoons butter or oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
• 1/4 cup white wine or broth
• 1 bunch kale, chopped
• For the cauliflower sauce:
• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 cups cauliflower (1 small head or 1 12 ounce bag)
• 2 cups vegetable broth or water
• 1/2 cup gorgonzola or other blue cheese

salt and pepper to taste

• 1/2 cup milk
• For the lasagne roll ups:
• 9 lasagne noodles, cooked (gluten free for gluten free)
• 2 cups ricotta
• 1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano (parmesan), grated
• 1 cup mozzarella, shredded

directions
For the mushroom mixture:

1. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms start to caramelize, about 15-20 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and thyme to the mushrooms and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
3. Add the wine and deglaze the pan.
4. Add the kale and cook until tender, about 10 minutes

For the cauliflower sauce:

1. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
2. Add the cauliflower and broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until fork tender, about 8-10 minutes.
3. Puree in a blender or food processor until smooth.
4. Return to heat, mix in the cheese, season with salt and pepper to taste, add enough milk to bring sauce to a saucy consistency and cook until the cheese has melted.

For the lasagne roll ups:

1. Lay the lasagne noodles out, spread a thin layer of the ricotta mixed with the parmesan onto each lasagna noodle, top with the mushroom mixture and a tablespoon of the cauliflower sauce and roll up the noodles.
2. Spread 1/2 cup of the cauliflower sauce around the bottom of a 9×9 inch baking dish, place the lasagne roll-ups in, top with 1 1/2 cups of the cauliflower sauce and the mozzarella.
3. Bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven until golden brown on top and bubbling on the sides, about 25-30 minutes.

Option: If you are not a fan of blue cheese use parmigiano-reggiano (parmesan) or romano or asiago instead.
Option: Replace the kale with swiss chard, spinach (either fresh of frozen), or other green leaf vegetable.
Option: For vegan use vegan cheeses or replace the gorgonzola and parmesan with nutritional yeast and omit the mozzarella.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 401, Fat 27g (Saturated 15g, Trans 0), Cholesterol 83mg, Sodium 549mg, Carbs 14g (Fiber 2g, Sugars 4g), Protein 23g