Florentine Lasagna Roll is a delicious, easy, meatless dish with spinach and cheese filled pasta, rolled & baked, covered in an Italian tomato sauce.
I’ve been making this meatless Florentine Lasagna Roll for almost 20 years… for potlucks and delicious dinners with our family! Filled with spinach, three kinds of cheese, garlic and onion, then covered in a simple Italian flavored tomato sauce, this recipe is easy and FABULOUS!

Even though this meal is “meatless”, you don’t need it with three cheeses, spinach and fantastic Italian flavors shining through in this meal!

The recipe is “simple”; all you do is cook lasagna noodles, mix together a cheese and spinach filling and spread it over the noodles, roll it up, cover with an Italian-flavored tomato sauce and bake. Easy, right? Right. Anyone can make this great dish!  Here’s how:

Scroll Down for A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of the Page

How To Make This Lasagna Roll

Cook the spinach according to package directions, and then drain it very well, to remove as much liquid as possible.

In a medium sized bowl, combine cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, cooked and drained spinach, chopped onion, garlic cloves, black pepper, and egg.

Mix well, to completely combine ingredients. Set aside.

Cook The Pasta

Cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions. You need 10 cooked lasagna noodles for this recipe. I cook 12, in case any of them split or break. Think of it as pasta insurance. Once cooked, drain the noodles, then arrange them on a large sheet of wax paper, overlapping the long (curly) sides to form a rectangle.

Prepare The Florentine Lasagna Roll

Once noodles are fully arranged, carefully spread the filling over the noodles. I put spoonfuls of the spinach filling over the noodles, then use the back of a spoon to spread out the filling.

Roll It Up!

Spread grated Mozzarella cheese all over the cheese/spinach filling, then carefully roll up the pasta and filling.

To roll it up: Using the wax paper to help, begin tightly rolling the noodles up (starting with the side of rectangle with straight pasta edges). Use the wax paper to help roll noodles tightly as you go. Tuck the noodle edges under as you complete the first roll,  so you have a tight, firm roll to begin with.

I pulled back some of the wax paper as I rolled to show you what it should look like.

When pasta is completely rolled up, place the finished roll on a large baking sheet (one with rimmed edges). Carefully remove the last bit of wax paper from underneath the roll. The lasagna roll should look like this (see photo below).

Make The Sauce For The Florentine Lasagna Roll

Combine the sauce ingredients (tomato sauce, sugar, basil and oregano) in a medium bowl, and then stir to combine. .

Spoon the sauce over the entire surface (top and sides) of the Florentine lasagna roll. Use all of the sauce.

When completely covered with sauce, grate Parmesan cheese all over the top and sides of the roll.

Time To Bake The Florentine Lasagna Roll

Bake in a preheated, 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from oven, and let the Florentine Lasagna Roll stand for 5 minutes before attempting to slice it.

With a sharp knife cut slices of the Florentine Lasagna Roll, and place on individual serving plates with a large spatula. Serve with some crusty bread and a great salad, and BOOM! You’ve got yourself a great Italian “meatless” meal… just like that!

Trust me… this meal is DELICIOUS. You won’t even miss having meat in it. The flavors are amazing, it’s really EASY to make, and looks quite nice, too! Sure hope you will give this recipe a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised! If you enjoy Italian food, you might also be interested in Florentine Manicotti, which is delicious, and uses ricotta cheese in the filling.

Have a great day during this busy holiday season. My husband and I made an intentional decision to NOT fill up this holiday season with “busy-ness” and looking for “things” to entertain us, as our culture tends to promote. Instead, we are enjoying a simple holiday season this year, trying to focus on what Christmas really means to us… the birth of our Savior, Jesus. His humble birth changed everything, and for that we are GRATEFUL.

Looking for More ITALIAN Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a lot of great Italian dishes you’ll enjoy, including:

• Fettucine Senese
• JB’s Homemade Lasagna
• Veggie Lasagna Rollups
• Mom’s Chicken Parmigiana

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

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Recipe Source: unknown (wrote recipe on a 3×5 card over 20 years ago- didn’t note where I got it from)

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Florentine Lasagna Roll

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

55 mins

 

Florentine Lasagna Roll is a delicious, easy, meatless dish with spinach and 3 cheeses filled pasta, rolled, then covered in an Italian flavored tomato sauce.

Category: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: lasagna roll

Servings: 6 servings

Calories Per Serving: 420 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

• 10 cooked lasagna noodles

For The Filling:

• 10 ounces package frozen spinach , cooked, and well drained.
• 8 ounces package cream cheese (room temp.)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese , grated
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 clove garlic , minced
• 1 large egg , slightly beaten
• 1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese (do not add to filling-keep separate!)

For The Sauce:

• 24 ounces tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

For garnish:

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To Make The Filling:

1. Cook spinach according to package instructions. Drain well. In small bowl, combine cream cheese, cooked spinach, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, chopped onion, black pepper, minced garlic and egg. Stir well until mixture is fully combined. Set aside.

To Make Lasagna Roll:

1. Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Remove from heat; drain.
2. On wax paper, arrange the noodles overlapping the long (curly) sides to form a large rectangle.
3. Spread cheese/spinach filling over surface of noodles. Spread grated Mozzarella cheese over the cheese/spinach filling.
4. Starting at short ends of the pasta (non curly), roll up the pasta (in jelly roll fashion), using the wax paper to help. Tuck the ends under and firm up the roll, as you roll it up, continuing to use the wax paper as a guide. When it is roll completely, carefully transfer (might have to use two spatulas) the roll to a large (9x13) baking sheet. Carefully remove the wax paper. Seam side should be down on the sheet.

To Make Sauce:

1. In a small bowl, combine tomato sauce, sugar, basil and oregano. Stir to combine.

To Finish Roll:

1. Spread the sauce over top and sides of entire lasagna roll. Grate Parmesan cheese over top of the roll. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven. Let Lasagna Roll stand for 5 minutes before attempting to slice. Using a sharp knife, slice into serving sizes, and using a spatula, place slices onto individual serving plates. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Florentine Lasagna Roll

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 420 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 11g69%

Cholesterol 85mg28%

Sodium 693mg30%

Potassium 469mg13%

Carbohydrates 39g13%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 19g38%

Vitamin A 6495IU130%

Vitamin C 6.8mg8%

Calcium 351mg35%

Iron 3.2mg18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Cheese tortellini, enhanced with a cream sauce featuring tomatoes, spinach, garlic and Parmesan cheese is delicious, comforting and filling!

Well, Fall weather has definitely come to the Pacific Northwest, bringing with it LOTS of rain and cooler temperatures, I have felt myself craving pasta lately. It’s funny- in the Summer I want to BBQ our meals; in Fall and Winter I crave “comfort food” recipes, much like this easy recipe for Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce.

My husband and I enjoyed this “meatless” pasta dish last week. Store bought tortellini is cooked, then served in a delicious cream sauce, which features the flavors of spinach, tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil, and of course… Parmesan cheese! It’s a very easy dish to pull together, as well, which ALWAYS scores big with me. Here’s how you make it:

Bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook tortellini, according to package directions, while you are making the sauce. Time it so that the tortellini is done when the sauce is ready.

Cook frozen chopped spinach according to package directions (I didn’t have any so I used fresh baby spinach, chopped it, then cooked it for a couple minutes in boiling water to wilt it).

Drain the spinach really well using a strainer. Set the drained spinach aside. (I drained it so well I BROKE this strainer. Oops. Be careful out there, folks!)

In a large skillet, sauté onion in oil until it is tender (3-4 minutes).

Once onions have softened, add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring well.

Add tomatoes, spinach, basil, salt and pepper to the skillet.

Give it a good stir, then continue cooking the mixture on medium-high heat until almost all of the liquid has cooked out (this will take about 5-6 minutes).

Pour in the whipping cream.

Grate Parmesan cheese and add it to the mixture.

Give the sauce a good stir. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce heat to LOW and simmer for 8-10 minutes (or until the sauce has thickened). Leave the skillet uncovered while cooking.

About the time the sauce is finished cooking and hot, the tortellini should be done cooking.

Drain the cooked tortellini, then add to the skillet full of the tomato-spinach cream sauce.

Gently stir, to coat the tortellini with the sauce. Place tortellini and sauce in serving dish, or serve portions onto individual plates. Grate additional Parmesan cheese on top of each individual serving, if desired, and serve while hot!

That’s it! Serve this with a mixed green salad for a hearty dinner! The recipe serves 6 (if using 16 oz. frozen tortellini-see Note Section of printable recipe). We enjoyed the leftovers, too!!

Have a great day! Think of ways you can encourage a friend, neighbor, or family member today, and act on it… be someone who makes a positive difference in someone’s life!

Recipe Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/tortellini-with-tomato-cream-sauce

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Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

Cheese tortellini, enhanced with a cream sauce featuring tomatoes, spinach, garlic and Parmesan cheese is delicious, comforting and filling!

Category: Dinner, Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: cheese tortellini

Servings: 6 servings

Calories Per Serving: 503 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

• 1 package (16 oz,) frozen cheese tortellini
• 1 small brown onion , chopped
• 2 Tablespoonfuls olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Additional grated Parmesan cheese for garnish , if desired

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make tortellini:

1. Cook the tortellini according to package instructions. While the tortellini is cooking, make the sauce.

Make Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce:

1. While tortellini is cooking, sauté chopped onion in olive oil (in large skillet) for 3-4 minutes, until onion has softened. Add garlic to skillet; cook for one minute, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn.
2. Add tomatoes (and juice), drained spinach, basil, salt and black pepper to the skillet. Cook this mixture (uncovered) for 5-6 minutes on medium-high heat, until almost all of the liquid has been cooked away.
3. Stir in the whipping cream and the Parmesan cheese. Stir well, then bring to a boil. Once it reaches the boiling point, reduce heat back down to low; simmer and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened up a bit.
4. When tortellini is finished cooking, drain it well, then add tortellini to tomato-spinach cream sauce in skillet. Gently stir to fully coat pasta with the sauce, then serve while hot.
5. If desired (I recommend), garnish each individual serving with additional grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

-No frozen spinach? Use fresh baby spinach. Place spinach leaves in boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drain. Use as directed.
-Can also use a 9 oz.. pkg. of FRESH tortellini. Makes a couple less servings (and extra sauce), but is good substitution for 16 oz. frozen tortellini.

Nutrition Facts

Cheese Tortellini in a Tomato-Spinach Cream Sauce

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 503 Calories from Fat 279

% Daily Value*

Fat 31g48%

Saturated Fat 17g106%

Cholesterol 117mg39%

Sodium 902mg39%

Potassium 257mg7%

Carbohydrates 39g13%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 3g3%

Protein 17g34%

Vitamin A 6485IU130%

Vitamin C 4.8mg6%

Calcium 312mg31%

Iron 3.2mg18%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Florentine manicotti, filled with ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, and covered with marinara sauce is a meatless, easy to make Italian dish.

My husband and I love Italian food! One of the dishes we enjoy occasionally is this “meatless” recipe for Florentine Manicotti. Pasta shells filled with three cheeses (creamy ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan), spinach, and covered in spaghetti sauce. Yum. I like to think of manicotti as the Italian version of Mexican enchiladas!

For anyone unfamiliar with manicotti, it is a large, tube shaped type of pasta that is typically filled with meat or cheese and is baked in spaghetti sauce. This particular recipe is meatless; it’s delicious, and is a fairly easy dish to prepare. I use a recipe I found years ago on a box of pasta, and tweaked it a bit by adding cooked spinach and a couple additional spices to the cheesy filling, to give it a true “Florentine” touch!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The bottom Of The Page

Make The Filling For Florentine Manicotti

Cook a small box of frozen spinach, according to the package directions. Drain it very well, and let the spinach cool. When it has cooled off, mix up the cheese filling, and then add the spinach.

Prepare The Manicotti For Filling

Here’s what manicotti pasta shells look like BEFORE they are cooked. They’re each about 5 inches long. The tubes of pasta are fragile, so be very careful not to break them.

Carefully add the pasta to a large pot of boiling, salted water, and cook it for 7 minutes.

Once done cooking, carefully remove the manicotti shells to a colander and drain them well.

Before you begin filling the Florentine manicotti put a layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a baking pan.

Make The Florentine Manicotti

Gently fill each of the pasta tubes with the cheese and spinach filling. I hold the shell in my hand and fill one side with the cheese/spinach filling (using a spoon and sometimes a butter knife) clear to the middle. Switch to the other end of the shell and fill the other side. Try to get as much filling into the shell as possible without splitting it.

Once the Florentine manicotti shells are filled, lay them on top of the spaghetti sauce.

Cover the manicotti with the rest of the spaghetti sauce. I cover the entire pasta shell with sauce, then sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese (or grated mozzarella cheese).

Time To Bake!

Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes longer. when done, the Florentine manicotti is heated through, and the cheese filling is bubbly.

Let cool for a minute or two (easier to serve up) , then remove the manicotti to serving plates using a spatula. The only thing left to do is grab a fork, dig in, and enjoy this tasty dish!

Hope you will give this recipe a try!  I may not have the most mouthwatering “professional” photos to share, but trust me. Florentine manicotti are delicious, and I really think you will enjoy them! Have a great day, and please come back soon.

Looking for More ITALIAN Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have lots of delicious Italian dishes you might want to check out, including:

• Florentine Lasagna Roll
• Chicken Sausage and Spinach Pasta
• JB’s Homemade Lasagna
• Butternut Squash Ravioli with Browned Butter Sage Sauce

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1^st and 15^th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
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Recipe adapted from: Box of American Beauty Manicotti Pasta Shells.

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Florentine Manicotti

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

1 hr

Total Time

1 hr 25 mins

 

Florentine manicotti, filled with ricotta, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, and covered with marinara sauce is a meatless, easy to make Italian dish.

Category: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: florentine manicotti

Servings: 6 servings

Calories Per Serving: 332 kcal

Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Ingredients

• 6-8 uncooked manicotti pasta shells
• 15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese (1 3/4 cups)
• 2 cups (8 ounces) grated mozzarella cheese
• 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach (cooked per package directions, and drained well)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley , chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground oregano
• 3 cups (or one 28 ounce jar) prepared spaghetti sauce
• Additional Parmesan or mozzarella cheese (for garnish, optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cook frozen chopped spinach per package instructions. Remove from heat; drain WELL. Let spinach cool.
3. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, grated mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder and ground oregano. Stir well until fully combined.
4. Add spinach to the cheese mixture. Stir well, to combine.
5. Cook manicotti shells according to package instructions (add to boiling water-7 minutes cook time is typical). When done, remove from heat, drain gently, and let dry.
6. Fill each shell using a spoon until full of filling.
7. Spread some of the spaghetti sauce over the bottom of 13x9 baking pan (enough to fully cover); put the filled pasta in a single layer on top of sauce.
8. Spoon the rest of the spaghetti sauce over the top of the manicotti. Sprinkle with additional grated Parmesan cheese (or mozzarella), if desired. Cover pan with aluminum foil.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes; remove foil, then cook an additional 15 minutes. Manicotti should be hot and cheese bubbly when done. Remove pan from oven. Let sit for a minute or two, then gently remove manicotti to individual serving plates using a spatula.
10. Serve with a green salad and a slice of crusty french bread, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Florentine Manicotti

Amount Per Serving (1 manicotti)

Calories 332 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Cholesterol 45mg15%

Sodium 1270mg55%

Potassium 736mg21%

Carbohydrates 25g8%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 24g48%

Vitamin A 6720IU134%

Vitamin C 13mg16%

Calcium 596mg60%

Iron 2.9mg16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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