Lasagna with a delightful twist! This quick and easy Indian take on the classic Italian dish is a keeper. It's packed with paneer and veggies, is wonderfully spiced, and topped with some cheesy goodness. Perfect for get-togethers, casual entertaining, or a quick comfort meal!!!
I love a good lasagna anytime, any day! But more often than not, because of how time-consuming it is, I end up not making it. It doesn't help that it's sooo hard to resist all that cheesy goodness.
But what to do when those comfort food cravings strike? I healthi-fy it and give it a desi spin. This lasagna is made with paneer, which provides a wonderful boost of protein, a medley of veggies, Indian spices, and topped with some mozzarella and parmesan. What's not to love? I love how all the flavors come beautifully together in this awesome dish!
Why Lasagna roll-ups and Instant Pot?
Lasagna roll-ups are a fun and easy way to have your lasagna. Basically, it's an individual portion of lasagna that's easier to eat and manage. It doesn't harm that they look and taste amazing too. Moreover, I don't have to worry about the whole thing ending up in a sloppy mess on the plate. It also helps in portion control 😉 I really have to convince myself to not go beyond two pieces. Yep, this paneer and veggie lasagna roll-ups are that good. They remind me of another family favorite, Veggie Stuffed Shells with the veggie and ricotta filling!!!
I was totally amazed by the results when I made them in the Instant Pot after all the buzz surrounding it. They come out soft, moist, and perfectly cooked, and not to mention in much less time. That's a win in my book especially when you are short of time.
Do give this a try and trust me you will find it so easy to make that you will want to make this yummy, nutrient-dense, Paneer and Veggie Lasagna on a repeat!!
Pair this Paneer & Veggie Lasagna roll-ups with Olive Garden Style Breadsticks or Wholewheat Garlic Knots or Homemade Dinner Rolls or an antipasti platter to round off a soul-satisfying meal!!
Ingredients
- Lasagna sheets - I used the Barilla brand. You can also use whole grain lasagna sheets or gluten-free lasagna sheets.
- Veggies and Aromatics - I used onion, ginger, garlic, red pepper, green pepper, and frozen corn. Other good options are carrots and spinach.
- Marinara - I used my homemade marinara sauce. But feel free to use your favorite store-bought brand.
- Paneer - The star ingredient here. You can use ricotta or cottage cheese here if that's what you prefer. But believe me, if you are up for trying something new that is sure to tickle your taste buds, then don't skip paneer.
- Cheese - I topped with mozzarella and parmesan for that classic flavor.
- Herbs - Adding mint to paneer brings a bright fresh flavor to this recipe. Cilantro rounds off the dish beautifully.
- Spices - I used kashmiri chili powder (or paprika), garam masala, kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), and cardamom powder to spice it up a bit. Though mildly spiced, you can change the spice level as per your preference.
- Salt to taste
- Olive oil
How to make Lasagna Roll-Ups?
Paneer Lasagna roll-ups are easy to make and assemble. Instead of layering, the prepared veggie-paneer mixture is rolled in. They are so fun to make and easy to serve, hence perfect for parties or anytime meals. Here is what needs to be done!!
- Cook the lasagna sheets as per package directions.
- Prepare the veggies.
- Prepare the paneer mix.
- Combine paneer and veggies well.
- Spread paneer-veggie mix on the halved lasagna sheets.
- Roll up lasagna sheets tightly.
- Spread some marinara at the bottom of the springform pan/baking dish.
- Place roll-ups with seam side down.
- Top with more marinara and mozzarella-parmesan.
- Cover with foil and pressure-cook in Instant Pot or bake.
- Sprinkle grated paneer and cilantro. Serve!
Why we love this Paneer and Veggie Lasagna??
- Packed with the goodness of veggies.
- Made faster in the Instant Pot.
- Easy and convenient to serve.
- High in protein because of paneer.
- Wonderfully flavored.
- Brings together the best of Indian and Italian flavors.
- A kid favorite and a great crowd pleaser dish.
- Easy to freeze.
- Can be made vegan and gluten-free (details below in recipe notes)
- Makes a wholesome anytime meal!!
Looking for some more Paneer deliciousness?
Let's do this and roll!!
Ingredients
- 5 lasagna sheets (makes 10 roll-ups)
- 20oz marinara sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 1.5 cups paneer, grated, plus some more for garnishing
- ½ cup mozzarella, grated
- ¼ cup parmesan, grated
- ½ cup onions, finely chopped
- ⅔ cup red pepper/capsicum, finely chopped
- ⅔ cup green pepper/capsicum, finely chopped
- ⅔ cup frozen corn, rinsed
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon ginger, finely chopped
- 6-8 mint leaves, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder or paprika
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or coriander, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt, to taste
Instructions
Instant Pot
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add lasagna sheets and cook the pasta as per package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic, cook for about 30 seconds or till light brown.
- Stir in onions, cook for about 2 minutes.
- Further, add green and red peppers. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Next, add corn and sauté for another couple of minutes.
- Add salt, kashmiri chili powder, cardamom powder, garam masala, and kasuri methi. Mix well and take it off the flame.
- In a separate bowl combine, grated paneer, mint, heavy cream, salt, and pepper.
- Mix together grated mozzarella and parmesan.
- After the veggies have cooled off a bit, mix in the paneer mixture. The filling is ready to be used.
- On a clean surface, lay out the cooked sheets.
- Cut each sheet into two.
- Spread about 2 tablespoons of paneer and veggie mixture on top of each lasagna sheet.
- Roll up each sheet, making sure everything is tightly packed.
- In a springform pan or a round baking dish (I used a corning ware bowl) that will fit inside your Instant Pot, evenly spread half of marinara sauce at the bottom of the dish. Place each roll with seam side down.
- Pour the rest of the marinara sauce evenly over the roll-ups and sprinkle mozzarella-parmesan mix on top.
- Pour 1.5 cups of water in the inner steel insert of the Instant Pot.
- Place the trivet (that came with your IP) with your pan inside, also called the pot-in-pot method.
- Cover with aluminum foil and close the lid of the IP with the vent in the sealing position.
- Select the PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL MODE at High for 12 minutes.
- Once the time is up and IP beeps, immediately release the pressure.
- With a mitt or dish towel, carefully remove the trivet with the pan/dish.
- Optional - To brown the cheese on top, you can place it in the oven and broil for 2 minutes. I didn't broil it here.
- Top the roll-ups with cilantro and some grated paneer and serve!!!
Bake
- Follow the above instructions till Step 13.
- Lightly grease a baking dish. Spread half of the marinara sauce at the bottom.
- Arrange them in a single layer with the seam side down in the baking dish.
- Pour the rest of the marinara sauce evenly over the roll-ups and sprinkle mozzarella-parmesan mix on top.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400º F for 25 minutes.
- Remove from oven and top the roll-ups with cilantro and some grated paneer and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- For Instant Pot, you can even use stackable steel pans to double up the quantity.
- Feel free to use veggies of your choice, carrots and spinach work well here.
- To freeze, simply store in an airtight container. When ready to use, just thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours before warming in the oven.
- To make this dish vegan, use crumbled tofu instead of paneer, coconut milk instead of cream, and non-dairy cheese instead of mozzarella and parmesan.
- Use gluten-free lasagna noodles to make it gluten-free.
