Lasagna Roll-Ups are a very easy to make dinner solution families swear by. I am definitely one of those preaching the ease of this dish. However, most times the filling consists of Ricotta and Spinach which my family is not a fan of. I have found this recipe is one they tend to beg for which I am not going to refute.
Instead of the tried and true ricotta mixture, I use fresh Italian Sausage, Ground beef, various cheeses, and tomato sauce, these roll-ups are hearty and filling. They freeze really well, and pack easily in lunches for school.
For this recipe, due to its simplicity, I would suggest using fresh ingredients. At least as fresh as possible. Make your own sauce, grate some fresh parmesan and mozzarella, and grab your meat from your local butcher. If your feeling enthusiastic making your own fresh pasta takes this dish up a notch as well. But it is not necessary.
Sauce:
28 oz can of fresh San Marzano stewed whole tomatoes
1 yellow onion finely diced
1 clove of garlic minced
1 Tbsp fresh basil
1 Tbsp of good quality olive oil
Salt and Pepper
1 tsp of Balsamic Vinegar
Filling:
1 lb of fresh ground Mild Italian Sausage
1 lb of fresh ground beef
1 tbsp of Olive Oil
Tomato sauce
1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1 cup of freshly grated Mozzarella Cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
12 cooked, rinsed, and cooled lasagna noodles. (cook them adding 1 Tbsp of olive oil to the water, then when drained add 1/2 a Tbsp of olive oil to them and mix to prevent them from sticking together.)
Topping:
1 cup freshly grated Mozzarella Cheese
Olive oil, basil leaves, and finishing salt for garnish.
Instructions
Sauce:
The first step in this recipe is to make the sauce. If you have chosen to use your favourite sauce from a jar (totally acceptable) you can obviously skip this step.
Add the Tbsp of olive oil to a heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add the onions, and cook until softened. About 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, then add the tomatoes to the mix.
Add the basil and some salt to the mixture, Lower the heat to keep this at a simmer and cook covered for 20 minutes.
Once the sauce has simmered, check the flavour. Add the balsamic vinegar and check flavours again. If you need to add more salt and some pepper do so now.
Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce to bring it to a pureed form. Turn off heat and set aside.
Filling:
While the sauce is bubbling away, you can begin to sauté your meat. Combine the beef and sausage with the olive oil in a deep frying pan. Fry over medium heat until the meat has been cooked through and all traces of pink are absent. Be sure to break up the meat while cooking so it becomes a crumbly mixture.
Add the cooked meat to your sauce.
Take out a 9 x 13 lasagna pan. Spray with non-stick spray.
Remove one lasagna noodle and lay it out on the counter. Spread the meat mixture (about 2 tbsp) down the centre of the noodle just to the inside edge. Sprinkle 1/2 Tbsp of mozzarella, and 1/2 Tbsp of parmesan over the sauce.
Roll the noodle beginning at one end all the way to the other end. Place seam side down in your pan. Repeat with all 12 noodles.
Take remaining sauce and spoon it over each noodle top.
Take the mozzarella and Parmesan and sprinkle over top of the noodles.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until bubbling and tops have browned.
Serve with a garnish of an olive oil drizzle, fresh basil, finishing salt (Maldon) and pepper.
adoptedtomato
