When eaten raw, fresh asparagus spears have an alluring sweet and crisp feel. The fibrous greens' cooking releases new tastes. Simple seasonings like salt and pepper and a splash of olive oil are all that is required to bring out the naturally excellent flavour.
The chicken and freshly cooked asparagus rolled up in a lasagna roll with mozzarella are surrounded with tomato sauce and topped with parmesan. While the combination of chicken and asparagus might seem odd, each retains its flavour and complement others in this extravagant cuisine.
There are so many variations of lasagna that it is impossible to count it, let alone figure out the original version. But of course, there's an original version and its ingredients are completely different from what we enjoy today. And you might be surprised to know that lasagna did not originate from Italy at all.
Lasagna originated from Ancient Greece, where laganon was everyone's favourite. Laganon, created by slicing thick strips of dough into sheets, was the original pasta. Laganon was brought to the Ancient Romans after they invaded the Ancient Greeks in 146 BC, they took an immediate love for it. The Romans brought pasta back to their own country and made lasagne patina. A simple lasagna dish with as uncanny ingredients as fish and sow's belly. When lasagna was in Italy, it evolved and became the lasagna popular today. Francesco Zambrini from Bologna popularised the layered lasagna that we now know and like in the 19th century.
Lasagna is essentially pasta sheets cooked with cheese, sauce, veggies and meat
Ingredients
Asparagus Chicken Lasagna Rolls
- 5 fresh lasagna sheets
- 15 spears of fresh asparagus
- Filling
- 1 cup of cream cheese
- 1 cup of grated parmesan, divided
- 1 tablespoon of milk
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups of cooked chicken, shredded
- Handful basil leaves, shredded
- 5 slices mozzarella
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 jar of tomato puree
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease a baking dish and set aside
3. Cook the asparagus spears in boiling water for 2 minutes and then drain. Run asparagus under cold water to cool it. Set aside
4. For the filling, in a bowl, combine cream, milk and parmesan.
5. In a large bowl, gently stir the chicken. Add basil, salt and pepper. Mix together.
6. On each lasagne sheet, spread a large tablespoon of the filling.
7. Place a mozzarella slice on one end of the sheet and add 3 stalks of asparagus on the mozzarella slice.
8. Add some chicken over the asparagus and then roll up all the lasagne sheets into a spiral
9. With its seams down, place the lasagne sheet in the greased baking dish.
10. For the sauce, heat some olive oil in a pan. Add garlic and fry until fragrant.
11. Add tomato puree and cook for 5 minutes.
12. Pour this sauce over the lasagne rolls in the baking dish.
13. Put the remaining slices of mozzarella over each roll and sprinkle some parmesan cheese.
14. Cover the baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake it uncovered for 15 minutes more. Serve immediately.
15. Your elaborate (yet simple) Lasagna Rolls are ready to serve.