A few weeks ago, my sister tried to make lasagna using a slow cooker. The result was an inedible, mushy mess of sauce and noodles. Her boyfriend, with a “no waste” mentality, trooped through them throughout the week. She, on the other hand, refused to consume any of it after her first bite. I had originally wanted to make heart cupcakes for Valentine’s Day, but after hearing about the slow cooker lasagna fail, I knew a change of plan was in order.
Lasagna Roll Up Ingredients
I must admit, I hadn’t been very successful with homemade lasagna myself. The last time I made lasagna was five years ago. I followed a lasagna roll-up recipe I saw on TV, and the roll-ups turned out beyond bland. On each noodle was just a layer of ricotta and some spinach, and each bite felt like I was eating a spoonful of pure ricotta. Yuck!
Heart Lasagna Roll-Ups Ready for Baking
I promise these heart lasagna roll-ups do not have that problem. On each noodle is one layer of cheese filling and another layer of meat sauce, making the cheese to sauce ratio just right. The cheese mixture is a combination of ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and spinach. The sauce is cooked with onions, garlic and Italian sausage. I have tested this recipe on my family and they have all declared it to be delicious.
These easy lasagna roll-ups are perfect to make for the people you love. Individual lasagna servings make it easy to serve and store. Whether it be Valentine’s Day or just Thursday, show your love with these heart shaped lasagna roll-ups.
- 12 lasagna noodles
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ cup onion – minced
- 1 garlic clove – minced
- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage – casing removed
- 4 cups (1 32-ounce jar) tomato sauce
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach – thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease a 13 x 9 baking pan.
- Boil 4 to 6 quarts of water in a large pot with a pinch of salt.
- Add the lasagna noodles to the water and stir frequently the first two minutes, then occasionally until cooked al dente. (Refer to instructions on lasagna noodle package.)
- Once cooked, remove lasagna noodles from heat. Do not drain water.
- In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions. Add the garlic when onions are translucent. When garlic is fragrant, cook the Italian sausage until it is no longer pink.
- Pour the tomato sauce into the skillet. Simmer the sauce on low heat for ten minutes.
- Mix all the filling ingredients in a large bowl.
- Pour 1 cup of the meat sauce into the greased baking pan.
- Take a lasagna noodle out of the pot and place onto a clean surface. Spread 3 tablespoons of the cheese filling onto the lasagna noodle. Distribute 2 tablespoons of the meat sauce on top of the filling.
- Roll one end of the lasagna noodle towards the center of the noodle. Then roll the other end of the noodle towards the center.
- Put the lasagna roll-up on its side into the baking pan. The two rolled ends will be on top of each other.
- Repeat with remaining lasagna noodles.
- Transfer the remaining sauce onto the lasagna roll-ups. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup parmesan cheese on top of all the rolled lasagna noodles. Bake pan of lasagna roll-ups for 30 minutes or until cheese has melted.
- Spoon some sauce around a plate. Stand the lasagna roll-up on one edge and place onto the plate. Fill the top of the lasagna roll-up with more sauce. Enjoy the heart shaped lasagna roll-ups!
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