• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workout
      • Best BCAAs
      • Best Testosterone Boosters
      • Best Bodybuilding Supplements
      • Best Creatine
      • Best Supplements for Weight Loss
      • Best Multivitamins
      • Best Collagen Supplement
      • Best Probiotic
      • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workout
      • Best Greens Powder
      • Best Magnesium Supplements
    • Protein
      • Best Protein Powder
      • Best Whey Protein
      • Best Protein Powders for Muscle Gain
      • Best Tasting Protein Powder
      • Best Vegan Protein
      • Best Mass Gainer
      • Best Protein Shakes
      • Best Organic Protein Powder
      • Best Pea Protein Powder
      • Best Protein Bars
    • Strength Equipment
      • Best Home Gym Equipment
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Weightlifting Belts
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Functional Trainers
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Trap Bars
    • Cardio Equipment
      • Best Cardio Machines
      • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Treadmills
      • Best Weighted Vests
      • Concept2 RowErg Review
      • Hydrow Wave Review
      • Best Jump Ropes
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
Healthy Eating

You’ll-Never-Miss-the-Ricotta Cauliflower and Cremini Rollups (Recipe)

My latest kitchen victory was discovering a delicious and nutritious substitute for cheese.

Written by Kari Lund Last updated on Nov 22, 2021

I’ve heard people say it’s the everyday small victories that matter most. Maybe it’s a new personal record at today’s workout or a small kitchen victory that leads to more nutritious home-cooked meals.

In these everyday victories, you progress little by little, building upon the last accomplishment. As you build character, you also figure out what you’re made of.

My Small Kitchen Victory

In my case, the small everyday victory was discovering what a dairy-free substitute for ricotta cheese could be made of. I was in the midst of making a cauliflower mash, when I peered into the pot and wondered when I had made the mistake of adding ricotta. Then I realized it was just my subconscious longing (daydreaming) for ricotta, as I haven’t been able to tolerate soft dairy for quite some time and have switched to a more paleo-ish style of eating.

Soy cheeses are often used as a dairy substitute or some create a nut cheese with soaked and pureed cashews. Both solutions can be tasty, but are not an option for anyone looking to avoid soy or who has soy or nut allergies. I wanted something more flavorful and nutritiously dense, and I was staring right at it.

Cauliflower to the Rescue

Cauliflower is the great kitchen chameleon. It can mimic rice and other textures. It also tends to take on the flavor of whatever dish you put it in, leaving just a hint of its previous life as cauliflower.

In this recipe, cauliflower is roasted and pureed with sautéed cremini mushrooms for an intense, toasty flavor that mimics the consistency of ricotta. This spreadable puree is perfect for using in a rollup smothered with a homemade tomato-basil sauce. For those of you who like a little dairy in your life, this is also amazingly tasty with the addition of manchego or parmesan to the cauli-cremini puree.

“Cauliflower is the great kitchen chameleon. It can mimic rice and other textures. It also tends to take on the flavor of whatever dish you put it in, leaving just a hint of its previous life as cauliflower.”

The key to getting the lasagna noodles to form a cute little rollup worthy of date night is to par-boil them just until they are pliable but not to the point of being soft. I used gluten-free rice noodles and also have had success using an almond flour-based lasagna noodle to make it paleo. After spreading a thin layer of cauliflower-cremini puree, roll the noodles gently. Place them in a baking dish with some space in between so they are easy to spoon onto plates for a beautiful presentation.

Cauliflower and Cremini Rollups

Prep time: 45 min

Cook time: 40 min

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 8 lasagna noodles of any kind
  • 12 ounces Italian sausage
  • 2 teaspoons fennel seed
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced for topping

Cauliflower-Cremini Puree:

  • 1 head cauliflower, broken into florets
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, diced
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil for sauté
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup broth of any kind
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup shredded manchego or parmesan cheese (optional)

Tomato-Basil Sauce:

  • 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped basil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Toss cauliflower florets with olive oil and roast in oven forty minutes, turning once halfway through roasting.
  3. While cauliflower is roasting, brown the sausage with fennel and onion. Drain excess fat and set aside.
  4. In a separate pan, sauté cremini mushrooms and garlic in olive oil until the mushrooms have given up most of their moisture.
  5. When cauliflower is done roasting, combine it with the sautéed mushroom and garlic, salt, broth, and eggs in a blender. Puree until smooth. It should resemble the consistency of ricotta. Set aside.
  6. Place lasagna noodles in boiling water and boil about four minutes. This will depend on what type of noodles you are using (rice, almond flour, whole wheat, etc). The goal is to have pliable but not soft sheets of lasagna.
  7. While noodles are boiling, combine the ingredients for the tomato-basil sauce.
  8. Drain the noodles and lay them out on a clean surface. Spread each one with a layer of cauliflower-cremini puree.
  9. Sprinkle browned sausage over the top puree layer.
  10. Gently roll up the noodles.
  11. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish and place about a cup of sauce on the bottom.
  12. Place noodle rollups in the baking dish, leaving some space between each one.
  13. Ladle remaining sauce over the rollups.
  14. Sprinkle with diced bell pepper, cover with foil, and bake 30-40 minutes until noodles are soft.

More Like This:

  • 5 Paleo Meal Hacks to Sink Your Teeth Into
  • Gardening for the Athlete: How to Get Started
  • Big Batch o’ Cave(wo)man Paleo Chili
  • What’s New on Breaking Muscle Today

Photo 1 courtesy of Shutterstock.

About Kari Lund

Kari believes that everything leading to great health and performance begins with the foods we eat. Simple, nutritious food can make significant and long-term positive changes in health. In her late teen years, Kari was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease. After giving up hope of ever feeling “normal” again, she turned to a whole foods and clean-eating lifestyle. Since doing so, she has seen incredible results in healing with food.

Providing tasty recipes and resources to help others live a more fulfilling life is highly motivating. Kari's personal victories have led her to create the whole-foods focused blog, Cooking Up Clean. Her recipes are a testament that healthy eating can be a visual feast and a delicious meal for the whole family.

When she’s not cooking up something great in the kitchen, you’ll find Kari out enjoying the outdoors, shooting archery, and gardening.

View All Articles

Related Posts

Chris Bumstead poses in a hallway with a cinematic-like shot in Spring 2022
Check Out Bodybuilder Chris Bumstead’s 5,000-Calorie Day of Eating Ahead of the 2022 Mr. Olympia
scotcheggs2
Protein Powerhouse: Gluten-Free Mexican Scotch Eggs
carrotcr
Mash for GAINZ: 4 Simple Recipes for Performance
110434119521750614896973407503735308582943o
CrossFitters: The 3 Letters You Need to Know in Supplements

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

New Year’s Fitness Sales (2025)

XWERKS Motion BCAA Review (2025): A Registered Dietitian’s Honest Thoughts

Assault Fitness AssaultBike Pro X Review (2025): Assault’s Best Bike Yet?

13 Best Exercise Bikes for Home Gyms (2025)

Transparent Labs BCAA Glutamine Review (2025): The Key to Post-Workout Recovery?

Latest Reviews

Element 26 Hybrid Leather Weightlifting Belt

Element 26 Hybrid Leather Weightlifting Belt Review (2025)

Omre NMN + Resveratrol, Lifeforce Peak NMN, and partiQlar NMN on a red background

Best NMN Supplement: Fountain of Youth in a Bottle? (2025)

The Titan Series Adjustable Bench on a red background

Titan Series Adjustable Bench Review (2025)

A photo of the NordicTrack Select-a-Weight Dumbbells on a red background

NordicTrack Adjustable Dumbbell Review (2025): Are These Value Dumbbells Worth It?

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2025 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About