Love serving lasagna to company but hate the mess it makes once you cut it? Try Lasagna Roll Ups instead!
Lasagna is an all-time favorite. This classic dish is easy to prepare and always tastes good. The problem is, it doesn't always look good. But with Lasagna Roll Ups each serving is individually rolled and does not come apart when it's time to serve it. Try this recipe for a vegetarian dish with sauce from scratch or make simple substitutions to make it your own.
Ingredients
- 12-16 lasagna strips
- 2 tbp olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 2 cans of Italian tomatoes, broken up
- 1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste
- 2 tbp of chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbp salt
- 1 tbp sugar
- 1 tsp oregano leaves
- 1 tsp basil leaves
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 (16 oz) containers of ricotta cheese
- 2 cups grated mozzarella, divided
- 1/3 cup of grated parmesan
- 2 eggs, beaten
Procedure
Boil the noodles. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil and cook the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add the next eight ingredients, simmer for 20 minutes. (For an easier version, see Cooking Tips below.) Blend ricotta, 1 cup mozarella, parmesan, eggs, parsley, and salt. When noodles are done boiling, drain them and place on a plate. Spread the cheese mixture equally down each lasagne noodle. Then roll up each strip. When the sauce is cooked, pour enough of the sauce into a large baking dish to cover the bottom. Place all lasagna rolls seam side down in the dish and cover them with the remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese. Cover the dish and bake it at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serving is a snap. Use a spatula to scoop up the individual lasagna rolls and place them on plates. This recipe serves 6 to 8 people.
Cooking Tips
Replace ingredients two through nine with a jar of spaghetti sauce. Much simpler and faster, although less personalized. If you want to bulk up the lasagne, add browned ground beef or crumbled Italian sausage to the cheese mixture, or keep it meatless by adding fresh chopped spinach. This recipe can easily be cut in half or frozen.
Accompaniments
Keep it classic with a salad and bread on the side. A green salad is a healthy choice, or if you want to add some meat because you went with the vegetarian lasagna, add some crumbled bacon in. Don't forget to serve it with a nice Italian dressing! The bread can be breadsticks or crusty garlic bread. Try one of the large French bread loaves from the bakery at the grocery store and then serve it with small bowls of olive oil and spices, such as an Italian seasonings and parmesan mixed in. The crusty bread tastes delicious with a fresh, oily dip.
Wine
Try an Italian wine to keep with the theme. Look for a Frascati, Soave, Orvieto, or Bardolino. But the most important thing is not the wine you serve but the company you serve it to.
