Meat Lover’s Lasagna Roll-Ups

 

16 lasagna noodles

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup finely chopped mushrooms

1 green bell pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef

1 pound Italian sausage

Kosher salt and fresh-ground pepper, to taste

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

4 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

4 tablespoons minced fresh basil

1 30-ounce container whole-milk ricotta cheese

1 pound mozzarella, grated

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 large eggs

 

Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water to cool and lay flat on a sheet of foil. Set aside.

 

Make the sauce: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, mushrooms, green pepper and garlic and sauté 4 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables are starting to soften. Remove the veggie mixture from the pan, then add the ground beef to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until it’s totally browned. Drain the excess fat, then add salt and pepper, the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, the veggie mixture and 1 tablespoon each parsley and basil and stir to combine. Let the mixture simmer over low heat, 30 minutes.

 

Make the filling: Combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 3/4 cup parmesan, the eggs, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and the remaining 3 tablespoons each parsley and basil. Stir to combine.

 

Assemble the lasagna: Spoon a thin layer of sauce onto the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons ricotta filling on each lasagna noodle, then roll them up so that the cheese is on the inside of the roll. Lay them sideways in the dish. Top with the remaining sauce and plenty of grated mozzarella and parmesan.

 

Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly.