Lasagna Rolls

I have made these a few times now and I always love them. They're a little fiddley (try not to be put off by the number of ingredients and steps!) but perfect for one of those days that you just like being in the kitchen. They are also chock full of spinach, which I like to think balances out the quantity of cheese. Once I'm back at work, I think these will be a staple that I can make on a lazy Sunday afternoon and then have prepared for the week ahead to pop into the oven for dinner.

When making these, I also tried my hand at making marinara sauce, which I think went quite well. Now that I've used it as a base, I'm more confident to experiment and squeeze some more veggies into this meal.

Lasagna Rolls
Serves 6

Ingredients

White Sauce:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 4 tsp flour
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk (I used a combination of skim and 10% cream)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• pinch nutmeg

Lasagna:

• 1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
• 1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 6 cooked lasagna noodles*
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions

• Make the white sauce: melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over low-medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for three minutes. Whisk in the milk and increase the heat to medium high. Whisk until the sauce comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• In a bowl, blend the ricotta, spinach, parmesan, egg, salt and pepper.
• Lay the noodles out on a cutting board and spread the ricotta mixture out evenly over each noodle. Roll like a jelly roll.
• Pour the white sauce over a 9x13 baking dish and place each noodle roll seam-side down. 
• Spoon one cup of marinara sauce over the noodles and top generously with mozzarella cheese. 
• Cover tightly with foil and bake in pre-heated oven at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove tin foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce and serve alongside.

* the original recipe says 12 noodles, but I have only ever been able to get six, though they are full and big!

Recipe adapted from Giada de Laurentis

Classic Lasagna

A classic lasagna is something everyone should have in their cooking repertoire, but who knew it was so easy?

This recipe is my mom's traditional lasagna and while it's not difficult to make, it's what my mom calls "fiddley." Honestly, I don't know what that means, but this recipe is easy, delicious and easily feeds 14 people.

I made this in a 10 x 20 pan, but you could easily half it for a couple of weeknight dinners and you can also freeze individual pieces for a healthy frozen entree that lasts for three months.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef (I used extra lean)
• 1 medium onion
• 2 jars of your favourite tomato sauce (I used Presidents Choice primavera)
• 3 tsp each of basil and oregano
• 10 lasagna noodles
• 2 tubs ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions


Chop onion and put in large pot. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink -- about 15 minutes. Drain liquid off.

Add both jars of tomato sauce, basil and oregano. Let simmer for flavours to meld.

In a pot of salted, boiling water, cook 10 lasagna noodles. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Put each tub of ricotta in a separate bowl and mix in an egg into each.

Start to assemble layers in a buttered lasagna pan:

• place five noodles as the bottom layer
• spread one tub of ricotta across layers of noodles
• spread half of meat
• spread 1/2 of shredded mozzarella cheese
• top with five more noodles
• spread other tub of ricotta
• spread other half of meat
• top with remaining cheese

(bottom layer of noodles)

(noodles with ricotta)

Bake covered with tinfoil for 60 minutes at 325 degrees. Bake uncovered for another 30 minutes. Take out when cheese is brown and bubbling.

Download a printable recipe for Classic Lasagna