Crispy Fried Lasagna Rolls

INGREDIENTS:

Spinach Alfredo Sauce:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
¼ medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp salt (or to taste)
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp chili flakes
½ tsp Italian seasoning
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
¼ cup heavy cream
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped spinach (frozen or fresh) – optional
Coating:
1 ½ cups crushed crackers (or bread crumbs)
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
½ tsp chili flakes
Assembly:
8 lasagna sheets, boiled to al dente according to package instructions and separated so they don’t stick together
4 Mozzarella string cheese sticks
2 large eggs
Frying & serving:
Oil to deep fry
Tomato sauce to serve (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Spinach alfredo sauce:
Melt butter in a nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and saute until the onion becomes golden
Add the garlic and saute for a few seconds until fragrant
Add the salt, pepper, chili flakes and italian seasoning, as well as the flour, and toast for 1 minute
Add the milk and cream, and gently stir, breaking down all lumps. Cook until the mixture thickens up a bit
Add the parmesan cheese and stir it in. Then stir in the chopped spinach
Turn off the heat and taste and adjust as needed. The sauce should be thick but not too thick, as it will thicken up more to a spreadable consistency as it cools down
Coating:
Crush the crackers using a rolling pin or food processor, and mix with the parmesan cheese and chili flakes. Place in a large bowl or a deep plate
Assembly:
Boil the lasagna sheets if you haven’t already
Cut each mozzarella stick into half along the length, and then half again along the width. This will give you 4 little sticks from each stick, and the length of each stick will be almost the same as the width of a lasagna sheet. If you’re using fresh mozzarella, cut into a similar stick shape
Place a lasagna sheet onto a clean surface, and cut into half so you have 2 shorter sheets (1 lasagna sheet will make 2 rolls)
Spread a layer of the spinach alfredo sauce on each half evenly
Place a mozzarella cheese stick on one end of the sheet, and then roll it up tightly into a little log
Repeat until all sheets are used up (you should have a total of 16 rolls)
Place the rolls in the freezer for 15-20 minutes until they firm up
In the meanwhile, break 2 eggs in a large bowl and whisk until they are properly broken down
Once the rolls have firmed up, remove from the freezer. Working one roll at a time, dip into the egg, and then into the coating. Make sure to get the coating all over, especially on the two ends of each roll so they cheese cannot leak out. Place the rolls on a wire rack.