Sausage Lasagna Roll-Ups

So if you note the tomatoes on your screen, you might have been able to guess that I really enjoy Italian cuisine. Today I was in the mood to try something a bit more interesting than your standard spaghetti and tomato sauce. I started leafing through cook books and scrolling through Giada recipes. Finally, I decided I'd toy with lasagna. I wanted to incorporate plenty of vegetables and Italian sausage. Rather than layering cheesy filling atop cooked noodles, I thought I might roll up the noodles into cute little bundles of ricotta joy. I prefer the individual rolls for a couple of reasons. First, the presentation is simply cleaner. Trying to cut neat squares out of a pan of lasagna usually results in a mess of ricotta cheese and noodles slopped all over a plate, unless of course you possess lasagna-serving magically powers. I simply wasn't born that lucky, so I tend to gravitate toward the roll-ups. Additionally, the rolls are easy to freeze into small individual portions for a quick dinner a few weeks later. The individual portions particularly appeal to me as a college student. So there you have it. Lasagna Roll Ups > Traditional Lasagna

I began by cooking up some crumbled Italian sausage in just a bit of olive oil. If there is one thing Anne Burrell taught me it's that brown food tastes good! Into that same pan I tossed in handfuls of spinach, garlic, and onions. I thought I might season up the pan with dried oregano, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. In another bowl, I mixed together ricotta cheese, an egg, a mess of shredded mozzarella, and a bunch of fresh basil. In an attempt to squeeze in a few more vegetables, I added a bunch of shredded zucchini. Both the egg and the zucchini help to keep the cheese mixture moist. After the sausage had completely cooked through and the spinach was wilted, I took the pan off the stove and allowed it to cool - unless of course you like scrambled eggs in your lasagna, in which case you should immediately mix it into the cheese. While waiting for the sausage to cool, I boiled the lasagna noodles in salted water. Then I folded the sausage mixture into the ricotta. After saucing the bottom of a baking dish, I began assembling the rolls. I found it handy to use an ice cream scoop when spooning the filling onto the noodles. I managed to squeeze eighteen of these rolls into the pan. Each roll was topped with a healthy spoonful of tomato sauce and a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese. At this point, there was nothing to do but patiently wait for bubbly, cheesy goodness rolled up in a pleasant little package.

It's my guarantee that your family and friends will adore this recipe. Granted, it may take a little more effort than your typical spaghetti dish, I would say that your efforts will be rewarded. And remember, this recipe will freeze wonderfully, so do yourself a favor and double the recipe for future use.

Sausage Lasagna Roll-Ups

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb Italian sausage
•  1 small onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups spinach
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 lb lasagna noodles
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 2 medium zucchini, grated
• 1 tbsp fresh basil
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup pecorino romano
• 1 jar tomato sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in pan. Remove sausage from casing and crumble into pan. Cook sausage until brown in color. Add onion, garlic, spinach, oregano, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Rub oregano between fingers while adding to pan in order to release its oils and flavors. Cook lasagna noodles in salted, boiling water according to package. In a separate bowl, mix together ricotta, egg, zucchini, basil, 1 cup of mozzarella, and pecorino romano. Chiffonade basil before adding to ricotta. Once the sausage has cooked through and the spinach has wilted, remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Fold the sausage mixture into the ricotta blend. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce onto the bottom of a 13x9'' baking dish. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the filling onto a lasagna noodle. Spread the mixture over the noodle. Carefully roll up the noodle and filling. Place the roll in the sauced pan spiral side down. Repeat several times until every noodle has been filled. Should any of the ricotta, sausage mixture remain, spread on top of the rolls. Spoon tomato sauce over top of the rolls. Top with 2 cups of shredded mozzarella. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 425°F for 45 minutes. Remove foil and allow cheese to bubble and brown.

Serves 6