Lasagna Roll Ups

I wanted to make lasagna but it takes so long. So, I decided I would make some lasagna roll ups. They should be faster, right? I'm not quite sure if they were any faster but they were just as good. I asked my daughter if she would freeze a couple since they would make a great frozen lunch. She told me that there will be none left. She was going to finish the rest for lunch tomorrow. I also prepared supper at the same time as this meal which I will show you on the next post. I didn't want the leftover filling to be wasted and I needed a quick weekday meal especially after recovering from the lost daylight savings hour. To be able to make two meals from one is the best thing ever.

Lasagna Roll Ups
15 lasagna noodles
1 (15 oz) container of part skim milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg
3 cup mozzarella, shredded
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
8 cups of spaghetti sauce
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced 
1 Tbsp olive oil
8 links of sweet Italian sausage
Bechamel Sauce:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups milk (I used skim)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper

Directions:

1. Add the pasta to a large pot of boiling water. Cook until al dente. 
2. Drain the hot water and rinse with cold water. Allow the cooked pasta to sit in cold water until ready to use.
3. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
4. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat.
5. Add the Italian sausage with casings to the skillet and brown for about 5 minutes.
6. Add 3 cups of spaghetti sauces to the browned sausage and cook for about 3 minutes. Set aside.
7. To make the bechamel sauce: in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
8. Add the flour to the melted butter and whisk for 3 minutes.
9. To the flour mixture add the milk and whisk. Simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes until it thickens.
10. Whisk in the salt and pepper to the flour mixture.
11. To assemble: in a clean surface, lay a lasagna noodle flat.
12. On top of the lasagna noodle cover with the ricotta cheese mixture.
13. Top the ricotta cheese mixture with the sausage mixture.
14. Top the sausage mixture with the bechamel sauce. (See above photo.)
15. In a baking dish, add 1 cup of spaghetti sauce.
16. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
17. Starting from one end, roll the lasagna noodle up to the other end. Don't worry if some of the filling falls out since you can just place it on the next noodle. 
18. Add the noodles to the baking dish with the open side facing down and up. ( See above photo.)
19. Add additional filling to the center of the noodle if needed.
20. Continue the noodle assembly until all the noodles are used.
21. Top the noodles with the remaining cheese.
22. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes and the cheese is golden brown. 
23. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
24. To the remaining Italian sausage spaghetti sauce, combine the remaining spaghetti sauce, ricotta cheese filling, and bechamel sauce. Mix well and set aside to assemble Lasagna french bread pizzas.   

Inspired by Giada De Laurentis. 

One year ago.......................I made White Cupcakes.

Did you already know........
-The majority of the U.S and Canada observe daylight savings time.
-Benjamin Franklin is credited for the concept of daylight savings time but Germany was the first to enact it.
-Near the equator, the length of day varies little making daylight savings time unnecessary.