Garlicky Salmon Alfredo Lasagna Rolls Recipe

Lasagna is a favorite in many households, with its delightful cheesiness and sauciness layered between pasta sheets. It's also an excellent candidate for customization. There are many different ways to make lasagna, whether you want to load up on meat, cheese, or veggies. While the traditional recipe features multiple layers in a baking dish, you've got options when it comes to reimagining this classic. Mashed recipe developer Patterson Watkins shows off garlicky salmon Alfredo lasagna rolls that transform the meal from stackable to rollable. 

Watkins' rendition eschews the usual red sauce, calling for another favorite: Alfredo. She adds plenty of garlic to enhance the rich, buttery sauce and pairs it with flaked salmon to tie it all together. "I love the cuisine combination with this recipe," Watkins says. "Alfredo meets lasagna meets scampi in this harmonious blend of savory, creamy, zesty, and cheesy flavors and ingredients." 

Aside from the symphony of flavors, the aesthetics are on point too. "I also get a kick out of the rolled presentation," she says. Watkins also notes the ease of portioning and serving this lasagna, and that it "presents very nicely on the plate." As far as accompaniments, Watkins suggests a simple leafy green salad with a lemony vinaigrette would be the perfect complement to this hearty meal. "I also wouldn't shy away from some focaccia or crostini for dipping into that garlicky sauce," she adds.

To make the Alfredo sauce, you'll need butter, minced garlic cloves, crushed red pepper flakes, white wine, all-purpose flour, chicken broth, half-and-half, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. As for the filling, you'll use the remaining Parmesan along with some whole milk ricotta cheese, lemon pepper seasoning, fresh basil (chopped), and cooked salmon filets (skin removed). Finally, to assemble the rolls, you'll need cooked lasagna noodles and grated mozzarella cheese. If desired, get extra basil to garnish the dish.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Make the Alfredo sauce: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Once melted, add the garlic and crushed red pepper. Saute for 1 minute.

Deglaze skillet with wine, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the wine has reduced by half.

Add the flour to the skillet and whisk to combine into a roux.

Add the broth and half-and-half to the skillet, whisk to combine with the roux, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

Add a ½ cup of the Parmesan to the skillet and whisk until combined and melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon half of the Alfredo sauce into a deep casserole dish. Set the casserole dish and remaining sauce aside.

Make the filling: Place ricotta, lemon pepper seasoning, basil, and the remaining ½ cup of grated Parmesan in a medium bowl, stir to combine.

On a small plate, flake salmon into small pieces using a fork.

Make the lasagna rolls: Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture onto a cooked lasagna noodle.

Top the ricotta with 1 to 2 tablespoons of flaked salmon.

Sprinkle the salmon and ricotta with 1 to 2 tablespoons of mozzarella.

Roll the noodle, concealing the filling. Repeat with the remaining noodles, ricotta, and salmon. Reserve approximately ½ cup of the grated mozzarella.

Once all the rolls have been assembled, nestle the rolls into the sauced casserole dish. (I like frilly-sides up, but feel free to place seam-side down)

Top the rolls with the remaining half of Alfredo sauce.

Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the ½ cup of reserved mozzarella.

Loosely cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the casserole from the oven, take off the foil, and increase the oven temperature to 425 F.

Once the temperature reaches 425 F, return the casserole to the oven. Continue to bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 15 minutes. Garnish with basil right before serving, if using.

There are three types of cheese in this creamy lasagna: mozzarella, Parmesan, and ricotta. When it comes to mozzarella and Parmesan, buying pre-grated cheese might seem like a shortcut. But Watkins recommends against it. "If you want a super melty, no-fail cheese sauce, go for grating your own cheese," she advises. "Pre-grated cheeses are typically tossed with a stabilizer (think cornstarch) to prevent the grated cheese from clumping or sticking together in the package." And stabilizers don't benefit your lasagna. "This additive can cause your sauces or final dishes to become gummy, clumpy, or overly thick," she warns. Ultimately, take a few extra minutes to grate it yourself for optimal results. 

And although you don't have to worry about shredded ricotta, it does comes in a few variations based on fat content. Here Watkins says home cooks can choose based on preference, though she does have a favorite. "I am partial to whole milk ricotta. I find it really enhances the overall creamy-rich factor of my recipes," she explains. Meanwhile, skim or part-skim varieties have less fat, which translates to a slightly grainier consistency.

Unlike a traditional lasagna with tomato sauce that might benefit from a high-acid red wine, this creamy salmon Alfredo version pairs wonderfully with white wine. "I love a citrusy vino with this recipe," Watkins says. Among her picks are unoaked chardonnays and lively sauvignon blancs. 

And since this lasagna recipe doesn't call for a lot of wine, just a 1/2 cup, you can offer to pair leftover wine along with the finished dish. But make sure for this recipe and others you avoid common mistakes when cooking with wine, which should give you second thoughts about reaching for the cheap stuff as well as using pricier bottles. You might want to choose a middle ground. Skip the splurge-worthy bottles but buy a high-quality wine that you'll enjoy drinking. After all, if you're buying nice ingredients for the rest of the lasagna, the last thing you want to do is have something subpar in your dish and glass.