Most folks like Lasagna and this month I’m bringing you a

little different take on Lasagna,

LASAGNA ROLL UPS

A nice company dish and if you want, add some crusty Italian bread from the bakery and maybe a fresh garden salad, with some toasted croutons and Olive Garden salad dressing!

Bon Appetit!!!

Lasagna Roll Ups

Meat Sauce:

1 lb. very lean ground beef (90-10%)

½ lb. ground Italian sausage

2 Tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil

½ cup Vidalia sweet onions, finely chopped

2 cloves minced garlic

28-oz. can Italian type crushed tomatoes

15-oz. can tomato sauce

1 tsp. dried basil

¼ tsp. dried thyme

½ tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

Cheese Filling:

15-oz. container Ricotta cheese

2 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (save out ¼ cup)

1½ cups finely shredded Parmesan cheese, divided (save out ¼ cup)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

In a Dutch oven type pot, boil the pasta noodles in salted water until fork tender about 12 to 15 minutes. Drain and place them on a wire cooling rack. When cool, put them parallel in a row on a large, lightly sprayed cookie sheet. That’s where you’re going to fill and roll them up. You can get 5 or 6 on a pan. I used 2 pans and boiled 12.

Use the same pot to make your sauce. Over medium heat, cook the ground beef and sausage in the oil, breaking it up in very small pieces. Cook, stirring constantly, until the meat is no longer pink. Drain in a colander, to get rid of the excess fat. Then add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, spices, salt and black pepper. Simmer about 10 minutes (with the lid on, because it spatters). Stir often.

In a small bowl place ¼ cup mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, mixed together and set aside. Put the rest in a medium size bowl along with the Ricotta, parsley, and egg. Stir, mixing by hand.  It won’t look like it will come together but it will, just continue until it becomes a creamy mixture.

To Assemble:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread evenly, about 1/3 cup measure of the creamy cheese filling, carefully over each pasta noodle to end, using up all of the cheese mixture.  Then put 3 tablespoonfuls of the meat sauce on top of the cheese mixture and carefully roll up lightly, not tight.

Spoon about 1 cup of the meat sauce evenly in a 9x13 baking dish. Carefully place each of the 12 rolled up Lasagna noodles in the pan, 3 down and 4 across, with the seam side down They will fill up the pan. Spread the remaining sauce over the noodles, about 1 tablespoonful over each and sprinkle with the reserved mozzarella and Parmesan mix.

Cover the pan with foil and bake 30 minutes.  Makes 12 Lasagna Roll ups.