Here's a tasty variation on an old favorite: flaky pesto ricotta lasagna rolls. Sun-dried tomatoes, basil pesto, and ricotta cheese are folded together with lasagna noodles. Then, it's simmered in a rich tomato sauce flavored with herbs. You can make excellent use of pantry goods and frozen meat in this manner. More importantly, whip up a healthy and hearty meal for the whole family in no time at all. This meal is as enjoyable on a Sunday evening as it is throughout the week (or is there really a difference?). You should round up your meal with a salad and some warm, fresh bread. I'm sure you've noticed that I've been depending heavily on freezer basics and the pantry search as of late. Since I try to stay away from the supermarket at all costs, we have to become resourceful. Really, which one? That's all right with me. As I've said previously, I'm at my most creative when I'm forced to make do with fewer resources. Why? The most likely explanation is that they are constantly shifting identities. One of a kind, never-before-seen work by me. They're simple to put together and, in most cases, call for just a handful of readily available ingredients. These baked lasagna roll-ups satisfy all three requirements, and they taste great to boot! The simplicity (no layers!) is the icing on the cake. In addition, what could be better? That lasagna in a pan is really good. Consider a springtime version of a classic like a lasagna, but with fewer layers and less sauce. 
This space is warm and inviting, while nevertheless having a modern vibe. The perfect choice for the first few weeks of spring. This dish is straightforward but does call for some advance planning. Begin by preparing the tomato sauce. I used just a few basic ingredients: canned tomatoes, dried oregano, dried thyme, and a dash of crushed red pepper flakes for heat. Since I always have ground beef in my freezer, I utilized that. Alternately, if you like something spicier, you may use ground chicken or even hot Italian sausage. You may choose the one that suits you and your needs the most. The meat in the sauce is optional and may be left out if you are vegetarian or simply want a meatless night. The variety of tastes remains high. If you want to really step up the flavor of the sauce, try sautéing some mushrooms and sliced cauliflower beforehand. Yummy, this is going to be great too! Toss the cooked noodles in the cheesy pesto while the sauce simmers. Lasagna noodles may be prepared in the same way by boiling them dry. Ricotta cheese, Fontina cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil pesto may be combined while the dish is cooking. Wrap the noodle and cheese mixture with foil. It's not as difficult as it appears to pull off. This is a fun activity for any children you may have at home. In addition to enjoying themselves, they will also be hard at work on your behalf. If you don't have any Fontina cheese on hand, you may substitute any other cheese you have in the fridge, such as provolone. You have very little room for error. And if you don't have any sun-dried tomatoes on hand, or just don't like them, that's no problem either. 
Seeing how popular they are around here, I never find myself without a supply. Cook the lasagna rolls in the tomato sauce until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling for about 30 minutes. The aroma will transport you to an Italian grandmother's kitchen. With none of the hours spent bent over a hot stove making tomato sauce. What about the kids? In the end, that is all there is. Observe it; do you? The dish was simple yet bursting with flavor. It's a lot like slow-cooked lasagna, just easier and with fewer layers. In all candor, it's equally as enjoyable, if not more so. Spicy, not too spicy, loaded with veggies and macaroni and cheese. What a wonderful turn of events! I'd want to stress, last, that you should modify this recipe to suit your tastes and the ingredients you have on hand. Noodles and canned tomatoes are a need. However, use another seasoning if you don't have pepper. If you have some spinach on hand, it would be fantastic. If you don't have all of the items called for in my recipe, use what you do have as a suggestion. If you added some spaghetti, tomato sauce, and cheese, that would be fantastic. I mean, what are your thoughts now? Need a quick and easy dinner idea? How about some lasagna rolls? Is it likely that you already possess the majority of the required substances? Let's hope the answer is yes by crossing our fingers. Start by setting the oven temperature to 425 degrees F. 2. Heat the olive oil in a wide, oven-safe skillet. Add the ground beef when the oil is hot and cook for another 5–8 minutes. 
Turn down the heat and stir in some chopped red pepper, garlic, oregano, thyme, fennel, and salt and pepper to taste. Prepare until aromatic, about 5 minutes. Keep the temperature low as possible. Cook the tomatoes down for about 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reached the desired thickness. In the meanwhile, boil a big pot of salted water, add the pasta, and cook until al dente; then drain and rinse with cold water to halt the cooking process. Fourth, mix the ricotta, Fontina, half a cup of pesto, and the sundried tomatoes in a medium bowl. The next step is to add the cheese mixture to the noodles, and for that, you will need around 2 teaspoons. Put the sauce on a skillet and wrap up the meat, placing the seam side down. Do the same with the other strings. Spread the last 1/4 cup of pesto all over the food. Cheese pizza, anyone? After the cheese has melted and the top has browned somewhat, place the casserole in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Put it in the fridge for 5 minutes to cool down. Fresh basil and thyme may be added to the dish if desired. Enjoying! 
Ricotta Lasagna Rolls
The flavor and texture of lasagna rolls are identical to those of traditional lasagna; however, their preparation is far simpler, they cook in a significantly less length of time, and they may be consumed right away. It is possible to prepare them in advance, place them in the freezer, and then reheat them directly from the freezer. Ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese are the three kinds of cheese that go into the making of our sauce. Parmesan cheese is the most savory of the three. After being cooked, the sauce takes on a flavor that is uncannily similar to that of Alfredo; more precisely, the sauce transforms into one that is silky, creamy, and rich in texture. The greatest sauce to put on lasagna is ragout, which is a sauce that is produced by blending ground beef, onions, different spices, and marinara sauce. This is a consensus that has been reached by the majority of people. Because we use a whole pound of ground beef in this lasagna, it packs a lot of flavors and makes for a really delicious meal. In order to put together this dish, you will need to make use of the marinara sauce of your choosing, which may be prepared from home or purchased from a grocery shop. Either way, you will need to use it. Using ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef in the recipe for lasagna will result in a dish that has a lower total amount of fat. 
A Step-by-Step Guide to Making Your Own Lasagna Rolls, Including Detailed Instructions - This is a straightforward method that makes use of the same components as traditional lasagna; however, the dish is rolled up rather than layered when it is prepared in this manner. This recipe makes enough lasagna for twelve serves, and each one will be more than plenty on its own. A fantastic complement to any celebration or get-together! To create lasagna rolls, you only need to boil some noodles, prepare some meat sauce, and then spread half of it along with some cheese sauce on each strand of cooked noodles in a 9-by-13-inch pan. That's all there is to it! Prepare the rolled noodles in the pan with the remaining beef sauce and mozzarella cheese from the last meal. Cook until the noodles are tender. You should probably go ready for the possibility that some of the noodles may break when you boil them and make a few extra servings just in case this happens. The directions that are written on the packaging state that the noodles need to be cooked in salted water until they achieve the al dente consistency (do not overcook). When a significant amount of salt is added to a big volume of water, the typical amount used is three tablespoons. 
After the noodles have been cooked, the cooking liquid should be drained off of them, and then you should cover them with cold water until it is time to use them. Because of this, the noodles won't stick to one another while they cook. Cooking the noodles in batches of six on a baking sheet that does not cling is the best way to keep the kitchen clean while they are being prepared (keep the rest of the noodles in cold water until ready to use). It is possible to get a head start on making these roll-ups made from lasagna in one of two distinct methods. After all of the ingredients have been well combined and the dish has been cooked, you must wait until it has cooled to room temperature before covering it and placing it in the refrigerator to keep it fresh. Before serving, you have the choice of either melting the cheese in the microwave or warming the roll-ups in the oven. Both of these options are available to you. The finished roll-ups should be kept in the refrigerator for at least one night and for up to three months while still being stored in the pan in which they were cooked. The minimum recommended time is one night. After being refrigerated for one hour, the lasagna rolls need to be cooked for a total of forty-five minutes in an oven that has been set to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake it in an oven that has been preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour, ensuring that the temperature is maintained during the baking process. The temperature inside the oven should be set at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. After boiling the noodles in a large pot of salted water according to the instructions on the box, the pot should be emptied and replaced with cold water to put an end to the cooking process and prevent the noodles from sticking together. This step is necessary to prevent the noodles from sticking together. 
Because ground beef must be cooked until it is no longer pink and easily crumbles with a spatula, the most efficient way to cook it is in a large pan or Dutch oven placed over medium heat. This is because ground beef must be cooked until it is no longer pink and easily crumbles with a spatula (2 minutes). Put the onion in the pan and turn the heat down as low as it can go so that it can cook all the way through and become soft (3 minutes). During the last minute of cooking, stir in the minced garlic along with one teaspoon of salt, half a teaspoon of pepper, and half a teaspoon of oregano. Repeat the procedures once the pot has been brought to a boil, the spaghetti sauce has been added, and the heat has been turned off. The first step is to coat the bottom of the saucepan with a quarter of a cup of meat sauce. Ricotta, one egg, one-fourth of a cup of Parmesan cheese, one-half a cup of mozzarella cheese, and one-fourth of a cup of chopped parsley should be combined in a large bowl and mixed well. Before beginning to boil the noodles, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet so that there is less chance of a major mess being created. 
On top of each serving of noodles, evenly distribute roughly one tablespoon's worth of cheese sauce. One scoop is equivalent to about a quarter of a cup. It is recommended that the beef sauce be applied in the shape of a long, thin strip along the middle of the noodles as it is being added. Before placing the strings into the container, it is strongly suggested that they be wrapped up first. Coat the rolls in the sauce that is left over after preparing the pizza, and then sprinkle the remaining half cup of mozzarella on top of the rolls. Make sure that the cheese does not come into contact with the aluminum foil; if your baking dish is on the shallower side, you may use a wrapped-up toothpick instead. After placing in the oven, bake for forty minutes at a temperature of 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Take off the lid and continue cooking on the grill for another two or three minutes, or until the cheese has melted and become a pale golden color. Just before serving, garnish the dish with some chopped parsley by sprinkling it on top.