Turkey Lasagna Rolls with Basil Pesto and Toasted Garlic

Today most grocery stores carry Turkey or ask your butcher to source it for you.

It’s generally more flavorful and contains less fat than beef.

Classic Marinara Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ cup dry red wine
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes
1 teaspoon fennel seed
¼ teaspoon chili flakes
2 teaspoons sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fresh basil, leaves torn
 
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the onions and sauté for about 7 minutes. When the onions start to caramelize, turning light brown in color, add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and stir until it turns brick red in color. Deglaze with the red wine, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until reduced in half. Add the tomatoes, fennel seed, chili flakes, salt, black pepper and basil. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Transfer the tomato mixture to a blender and puree until completely smooth. Set aside.

Bolognese Sauce:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground Turkey
½ cup diced yellow onion
½ cup peeled, diced carrots
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup Classic Marinara Sauce (or more if sauce is too dry)

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the Turkey and brown. Add the onion, carrots and garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the Classic Marinara sauce and simmer for about 15 minutes. Cool and reserve.

Basil Pesto:
2 cups basil leaves
½ cup pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup water
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
 
In a blender, add all the ingredients and pulse several times until combined. Set aside.

Herb Ricotta:
1 cup ricotta (part skim)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 egg
 
In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Set aside in the refrigerator.

Toasted Garlic Flakes:
12 garlic cloves, sliced extremely thin
 
Preheat the oven to 200°F. Lay the sliced garlic on a SilpatⓇ silicone-lined
baking sheet. Bake in the oven until crispy, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

 
Pasta Preparation:
1 box TinkyadaⓇ Brown Rice Pasta Lasagna
1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt

Prepare an ice bath in a bowl, containing 50 percent ice and 50 percent water. In a large pot, bring water to a rolling boil. Add a tablespoon of salt. Working in batches, add 5 lasagna noodles and cook for 9 to 11 minutes or until pliable, but not overcooked. Remove the noodles and immediately plunge into the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Remove from the ice bath and lay flat on a baking sheet covered with parchment or wax paper. Repeat until all pasta sheets are cooked.

Tips: It’s important to follow the instructions on the pasta box, as cooking time will vary for different brands of brown rice pasta. Make sure to only cook it 80 percent of the way. If the pasta is overcooked, it will be too soft to roll.

Lasagna Roll Assembly:
Preheat the oven to 350℉. Before assembling, the Bolognese Sauce cool and allow the Herb Ricotta sauce sit a few minutes out of the refrigerator. This will make assembly easier. Lay four noodles at a time next to each other on a flat work surface for maximum efficiency. Evenly spread a heaping tablespoon of the Herb Ricotta from top to bottom of the noodle. Next, spread about ¼ cup of the Bolognese Sauce on top of the ricotta mixture, leaving about 1-inch at the top and keeping it in the middle of the noodle. Starting at the bottom (the opposite end from the 1-inch clearance), gently roll the noodle to create a pinwheel, being careful not to press down. Gently transfer to a casserole dish and top with a ¼ cup Classic Marinara. Repeat this process for the remaining lasagna rolls. Once complete, cover and bake for 8 to 10 minutes to warm the lasagna rolls through. Let rest a few minutes before plating.

To Plate:
Place one or two warmed lasagna rolls in the center of the plate. After lasagna bakes, it can be tricky to get it to stand up rather than lay down for presentation. Place a few teaspoons of Basil Pesto on the plate and sprinkle with Toasted Garlic Flakes.