Ruffle Lasagna Recipes

ULTIMATE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cook noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles one at a time to keep them from sticking. Boil until al dente: they should still be a little firm in the middle but not hard. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process, and toss with a drizzle of olive oil. This will keep them from sticking together as they sit.
• While your pasta water is coming to a boil, brown your meat and drain if there is a lot of fat. Add to your pasta sauce of choice. At this point make my 15 minute sauce if you want a fresh sauce! If you are using jarred sauce or sauce that you made in advance, there is no need to reheat that sauce. Just mix in the ground meat.
• Mince your fresh herbs and mix them into the ricotta.
• Assemble lasagna: I add a little bit of sauce to the bottom of the dish to keep the noodles from sticking. I try to just get sauce and not meat. Start with noodles and cover the bottom of the dish, overlapping a little bit if necessary. I usually get 3 across. Then spread about ½ cup of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, holding them in place with your hand while you spread. Add about a quarter of the sauce and then sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan. Repeat until you have filled your dish! Top with extra mozzarella and parmesan.
• Bake in preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes or until the top browns and the sauce bubbly. I suggest letting it cool 15-20 minutes before serving, but if it is dinner time, DIG IN!

RUFFLED LASAGNA ROLL-UPS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to broil. Rub 1 teaspoon olive oil on the bottom of a baking sheet to prevent the noodles from sticking.
• Cook the lasagna according to the package directions for al dente.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in an oven-safe medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until sausage is browned, breaking it into crumbles with a wooden spoon, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Reserve the skillet for assembling the lasagna.
• Combine the ricotta, spinach, mozzarella and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan in a medium bowl.
• When the lasagna noodles finish cooking, drain them, then rinse them with cold water. Lay the noodles on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer so the edges touch each other. Cut the noodles in half lengthwise with the tip of a paring knife.
• Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles with an offset spatula. Evenly sprinkle the sausage on top of the ricotta mixture.
• Spread the marinara sauce on the bottom of the medium skillet used to cook the sausage. Carefully roll each noodle into a pinwheel starting from the short end, using your fingers to keep the ricotta and sausage contained. Rotate the pinwheels so the frilling ends are on top, then transfer them to the prepared skillet with the marinara sauce in a snug, even layer.
• Brush the tops of the lasagna roll ups with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle evenly with the remaining 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Put the skillet of over medium heat and cook until the sauce simmers and the filling is warmed through, 2 minutes. Broil until the top is dark golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Serve the lasagna roll ups with the sauce.

LASAGNE AL FORNO

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, stir together the beef, milk, parsley, salt, and pepper. Form into balls the size of olives. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and brown the meatballs in small batches. Remove from the pan as they brown and drain on paper towels. Set aside.
• In the same skillet, add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is lightly browned. Then stir in the tomato puree and tomato paste. Simmer for 15 minutes.
• Bring 6 quarts of water to boil in a large pot.
• Add the meatballs to the tomato mixture and continue cooking for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, liberally salt the boiling water and add the lasagna. Cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain in colander.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a shallow ovenproof pan, roughly 13 by 9 by 2 inches, spread a thin layer of the sauce (no meatballs). Then spread a layer of overlapping lasagna 1 strip thick (don't let the strips run up the side of the dish). Cover that with mozzarella slices and then 5 tablespoons ricotta. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and then spread on 1/4 of the sauce and meatballs. Begin again with a layer of lasagna and continue as above until all the ingredients are used up, ending with the Parmesan.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. If the cheese on top hasn't melted, run under the broiler briefly. Then let the dish rest at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.

LASAGNA ROLL-UPS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. You may want to cook an extra noodle or 2 in case they rip. Drain and toss with some oil. Drape the noodles over the edge of the pot, without overlapping, to cool.
• Meanwhile, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl.
• Lay out the noodles and evenly divide the ricotta mixture on the noodles, spreading it from end to end of each noodle. Top each with about a few pieces of basil and 3 pepperoni slices per roll if using. Roll up and cut each roll in half to make 16 cylinders. Pack 4 pieces, ruffle-side up, in each lunch container and refrigerate. Pack 1/4 cup of marinara sauce in a separate container with each serving.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE LASAGNA ROLLS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir 4-6 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 40 minutes. Stir in olives., Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions for al dente. Cook sausages in a large skillet according to package directions; drain. Remove sausages and cut in half widthwise. In the same skillet, cook and stir spinach over medium-high heat 2-3 minutes or until wilted; drain spinach and squeeze dry., In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and spinach. Spread 3 cups sauce mixture into a 13x9-in. baking dish. Spread 2 tablespoons cream cheese mixture on each noodle. Place a sausage half on a short end; carefully roll up. Cut in half widthwise; place ruffle side up in sauce mixture. Repeat with remaining noodles, cream cheese mixture and sausages., Pour 1-1/2 cups sauce mixture over rolls; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake, covered, 40 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serve with remaining sauce mixture.