Lasagne Roll Ups

I love lasagne. Everyone loves lasagne. Otherwise Olive Garden wouldn't be as crowded as it is. I saw this interesting twist on making lasagne in a magazine while waiting in my doctor's office and thought  "Hey. Worth trying".

I had no recipe but who needs a recipe for lasagne anyway. I started out making my world-famous Puttanesca sauce. OK NOT world famous. Not even famous oustide my family but they seem to like it.

I sauteé one lb of italian sausage in a little bit of olive oil. Sometimes I buy it in the links and slice it up leaving the casings on or peeling the casings off and browning it like hamburger. I throw in a tsp of crushed fennel seed, a diced onion and after the onion's soft and the sausage is cooked (don't overcook) I put in a teaspoon of capers, 4 minced garlic cloves,  salt and pepper (maybe start off with 1/2 tsp salt and same for pepper) about a tsp or more of italian seasoning, sliced olives if you like olives, throw in some parsley, and 10 good sized fresh basil leaves rolled up together and sliced thin. Cutting like this is called a chiffonade. Don't ask. It comes from France and who can understand them.

My not-so-famous sauce

Then I throw in a large can of crushed tomatoes and a can of diced tomatoes. Or whatever is in my cupboard. If I have a lot of tomatoes from my garden I chop those up and use them. 1/2 cup red wine goes in next. Then I cook it on low for an hour or so. Taste from time to time and adjust seasoning.

I boil the lasagne noodles in my big white enamel pot. One large package. Put salt in the water and after the water has come to a boil put in the noodles and quickly bring back to a boil. I use tongs to separate them so they don't stick together while this happens. Don't cook the lasagne noodles all the way, about halfway so they are pliable but still underdone.

When done drain out the hot liquid. I wish I had a nickel for everytime I've burned myself doing this. I'd be a nickel-aire. Then just set the pot in the sink, running cold water into the pot of noodles to cool them down. I can sense the spirit of every dead italian grandmother in the world rolling in their graves when I say that. It's OK. I'm not Italian.

Mozzrella and basil....mmmm

Meanwhile you've set out your pint of ricotta cheese on the counter to come to room temperature, right? Oh I failed to mention that at the beginning. Shoot.Half the time I forget to do it too. In a bowl plop the ricotta, a BIG ball of mozzarella that you've grated (watch your fingers!) a handful of grated parmesan, half a handful of more chiffonaded fresh basil and two eggs. Mix it up till the eggs are incorporated.

Now for the fun part. Your lasagne noodles are cool now. Take them out one by one and lay them on a clean tea towel. Pat dry, turn over and pat again.

Voila! 

Into two 8x8 casserole dishes ladle a ladle-full of sauce.

Spread the cheese mixture onto a lasagne noodle like you are buttering it. Eye the cheese mixture and the number of noodles and guesstimate how much cheese goes onto each noodle. About two tablespoons. Once the noodle is cheesed, roll it up and place it in the casserole dish. I fit 9 to a dish.

Then ladle your sauce over the noodles and you are in the home stretch!

Put more mozzarella and parmesan on top of the noodles. More basil if you dare. Oh get crazy and put some sliced olives on top. I double-dog dare you.

Remember how you didn't cook the noodles all the way through? They will now cook in the generous amount of sauce you put over them.

Ready to rock. And roll.

Take one of the casserole dishes, put tin foil over the top and put in the freezer. You'll cook this another night when you come home from work exhausted and feeling deprived. You will be able to get through that tough day knowing there is lasagne defrosting in your fridge at home waiting for you.

Put the remaining one in the oven at 350 for oh, say half an hour to 45 minutes. Just till the sauce is boiling and filling the house with wonderful smells and the cheese is turning a lovely golden brown.

Lessons I Learned:
1. When I was a young housewife I used to overcook lasagne noodles and they'd fall apart on me. It took me 30 years to figure out I didn't need to do that.
2. Mama used to use hamburger instead of italian sausage and SLICE the giant ball of ricotta over each layer. God bless you mom. It tasted wonderful. Just not as good. It's OK. She wasn't Italian either.
3. Tip: I put  1/2 tsp of crushed fennel seeds in with the sausage. Give's it a certain je ne sais quois. But if you can find Sweet Italian Sausage (good luck) it already has fennel in it.
4. Speaking of fennel, how about chopping some up with the onion and throwing that in? Just a thought.

Hurts like the dickens

Your Horrible Warning:

Grating your thumb into the cheese adds a bit more protein but it really hurts. And I've done this more than once. I saw on Amazon.com that you can actually buy gloves that will prevent  you from grating your thumb as you grate cheese. Brilliant!  I'm just going to wait till one of the grandkids are over next time and make them do it.