Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy

In my family, we always knew it was a special occasion by the telltale aroma of lasagna baking in the oven. Neither my grandmother nor my mother made it often. A traditional lasagna is a labor intensive dish that takes several hours to prepare – even longer if you make your own pasta. So, it was usually reserved for holidays and the occasional birthday, christening or graduation party. Maybe that’s why this classic Italian combination of layers of tender sheets of pasta filled with meat, veggies and ooey, gooey cheese tasted so wonderful to me. Or, maybe it was because lasagna is just plain wonderful.

The thing is, that with a little advance planning and a few teensy shortcuts, you can make a perfectly scrumptious lasagna in a lot less time than you may think. And, if you prepare it in the form of these luscious, self-contained lasagna rolls, you can easily make enough to stash a batch or two in the freezer for later. How about that! You can enjoy lasagna any old time you feel like it! What a concept!

So, grab an apron and let’s make some lasagna rolls!

Remember those teensy shortcuts I mentioned? Well, the first one is using marinara sauce from a jar. Oh yes, I really did just say that. I know that cooking a marinara from scratch is preferable, but I’m trying to save you some time here. And, unless you already have a vat of homemade marinara sauce in your freezer, it’s going to take an extra hour to make some. Besides, there are some really excellent jar sauces out there made with San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil and other quality ingredients. So, don’t be a sauce snob. Embrace the convenience!

Another shortcut I take is using pre-shredded mozzarella. Sargento makes a very good one, as does Sorrento. There is no shame in not shredding your own cheese. Even my mother does it. I swear.

When I make this dish, I start preparing my filling at the same time I put a big pot of water on to boil for the lasagna sheets. By the time the pasta is cooked, my filling is all ready to go.

Roll, baby, roll!

Cook your lasagna sheets just to the shy side of al dente. They will be drenched in sauce and baking for a while. This will help keep them from falling apart. Also, be careful not to put too much filling into each roll. A couple of tablespoons is enough. If you overdo it, the filling will ooze out during baking. It will still taste good, but it will look kind of yucky. Yucky is not a good look for lasagna.

Snugly fit your rolls together in a baking dish and smother them with sauce and cheese. See! It looks just like a traditional lasagna, except that it will be a lot easier to serve.

These lasagna rolls can be prepped the night before and will be ready to bake when you get home from work the next day. They can also be made ahead and frozen in one of two ways. You can prepare them and freeze either before baking or after. I prefer to freeze before baking. If do you freeze them, you’ll need to either thaw them out first, or add at least an extra half hour or so to the baking time. This is no big deal, as your prep work is already done.

So, don’t wait for a special occasion to treat yourself to these cheesy, meaty, yummy lasagna rolls. Every day should be a celebration!