Lasagna Roll Ups

 

This recipe is a favorite in my family. My husband and kids are extremely picky eaters. They refuse to eat anything that resembles a casserole and unfortunately, that means lasagna (which I love love love). So when I came across this recipe on Pinterest I was beyond excited! It's very easy to make and it got 2 1/2 thumbs up from the hubby and kiddos. My one year old, Drake, ate TWO of these roll ups by himself and he's the pickiest of them all :)

8 lasagna noodles

1 pound ground hamburger meat

1 T olive oil

1 clove garlic (I use 2 tsp of the minced garlic in a jar)

1/2 onion

1 can Spaghetti sauce (I use Hunt's Traditional )

1 egg

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 T fresh basil, chopped

1 1/2 T fresh oregano, chopped

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large pot of water to boiling over high heat. When it reaches a boil, salt liberally and drop noodles. Stir occasionally and cook to just al dente. You want to leave them slightly more firm since you'll be baking the pasta. Drain noodles and set aside.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add meat and brown. Drain the meat if needed. Add the can of spaghetti sauce and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Add 1/2 the basil and oregano and stir to combine.

In a small bowl, lightly beat egg. Add ricotta, Parmesan and remaining basil and oregano and stir together. Spray pan lightly with cooking spray. Add enough sauce to lightly cover the bottom of the pan. To assemble, on a drained noodle, add a spoonful of ricotta mixture. Top with a spoonful of meat sauce and roll up. Place seam side down in pan. Continue until you've used all the noodles. Top each with a little more meat sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake approximately 20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

* I like to go the easy route and sub Italian Seasoning spice mixture for the basil and oregano. It's basically the same thing and gives it a great flavor!