Lasagna Roll Ups

What's for dinner? I used to flip through cookbooks for inspiration but now I "flip" through Pinterest and Food Gawker. Don't you love food porn? And at this point I've probably got ideas to make or tweak or use as a basis for to last me a while so it's only a matter of what speaks to me that day.

Over the weekend, a lasagna roll up spoke to me and said "I'm delicious, cook me" so I did. I haven't made lasagna very often but for some reason the cute little rolled up package made it irresistible and a perfect rainy Sunday activity. It's certainly not difficult to make but there are quite a few steps involved so it's not a work night project. Fortunately you can make a big batch and refrigerate or freeze for a week's worth of easy dinners. Enjoy!







Adapted from Cooking Classy

Ingredients
Meat Sauce:
1/2 lb. Lean ground beef
1 Onion, chopped
2 Cloves garlic, minced
3 Cups tomato sauce (home made or store bought)
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Cheese Sauce:
2 Cups part skim ricotta cheese
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1/2 Cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Teaspoon pepper

Pasta:
10 Uncooked lasagna noodles

Topping:
1/2 Cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

In a large pan, brown the ground beef over medium heat, add the onion, garlic and seasoning. Continue cooking and stirring until all the meat is broken up and browned. Add the tomato sauce and continue cooking on low heat while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Cook the lasagna noodles in boiling salted water according to the package directions. Once the noodles are cooked, drain them and immediately line them in a single layer on waxed or parchment paper.

While the noodles are cooking, add the ricotta cheese, egg, salt, pepper, basil, mozzarella and Parmesan to a bowl and mix well.

To prepare the pasta rolls, spread some meat sauce in the bottom of a baking dish (approx. 9"). Spread a large spoonful of cheese mixture evenly onto each cooked lasagna noodle. Then spread a spoonful of meat sauce along the top of the cheese layer. Roll the noodles up, jellyroll style, and arrange them seam side down in the baking dish. Pour the remaining meat sauce over the rolls.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle the remaining half cup of mozzarella, half cup of Parmesan and remaining fresh basil over the top and return to the oven for an additional 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted. This recipe makes enough sauce for about 10 rolls but can easily be doubled.