You young married cooks take note: This recipe is a MUST HAVE if you’ve been serving your man boiled chicken or hamburger helper! If it doesn’t impress him, you’ll have to buy something from Victoria’s Secret and give up on cooking! Ha!
The recipe is from an older supermarket cookbook called “Best Recipes: Dalla Casa Buitoni – Contandina Italian Cooking – Quick, Easy, Delicious” – Long name, but priceless little soft-back check-out line recipe book! I can’t tell you how many meals have been saved by grocery line cookbooks in my house!
Lasagna Roll-Ups
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb mild Italian sausage – casings removed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 1/3 cup (12 oz) can Contandina tomato paste (the brand counts!)
1 2/3 cup water
1 tsp dried oregano leaves crushed
1 egg
1 pkg. (10 oz) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese DIVIDED
1 cup (4 oz) grated parmesan cheese (not the powder!)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
8 dry cooked and drained (kept warm) lasagna noodles (whole wheat is really awesome – try Hodgeson mills brand)
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a large skillet, crumble and cook sausage. Add garlic and onion and cook until no longer pink. Drain. Stir in tomato paste, water, oregano and basil; cover. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, for 20 min. In medium bowl, beat egg lightly. Add spinach, ricotta cheese, 1 CUP mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Spread about 1/2 cup cheese mixture from bowl onto each noodle and roll up into a spiral. Place seam side down in 12X7.5 inch baking dish (lasagna pan/cake pan). Pour sauce over rolls; top with REMAINING mozzarella cheese. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 30/40 minutes or until heated through with melted cheese on top.
We serve this with a salad (chopped broccoli heads, chopped cauliflower heads, chopped green onions, chopped tomatoes, chopped avocado slices, Italian dressing from a powdered mix), cold black olives in a side dish, stuffed mushrooms – my husband makes these (optional), and a pre-packaged (frozen) baked Italian French loaf with butter and seasonings cooked in the oven.