Ingredients
- 1 box uncooked lasagna noodles
- 1 lb. ground beef
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1 jar of pre-made pasta sauce
- 1 cup of whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 tbsp. chopped basil
- 1 tsp. sugar (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Tips and tricks
- You can substitute the ground beef for ground turkey, or combine with Italian sausage for a more zesty lasagna.
- To cut down the acidity of the sauce, you can add a carrot to the sauce and meat mixture while cooking, then take it out before making the rolls.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375, and set aside a large baking dish. Put a large pot of salted water to boil and follow directions on the pasta package to cook the lasagna noodles. Heat up a skillet, add onions and garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Drain the fat and return to pan. Add the pre-made sauce, or your own homemade sauce. Throw in the salt, pepper, and sugar. Set aside. Once noodles are cooked, drain them and lay them flat on a clean surface. Combine half of the parmesan cheese with the ricotta and mix together, with another dash of salt and pepper. Spray baking dish with cooking spray or put a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish. Spread a layer of the ricotta cheese down the length of each noodle, followed with a layer of the meat mixture, and a sprinkle of the mozzarella cheese. Roll up and line in the baking dish, seam side down. When finished, use the remainder of the sauce and meat mixture to cover the top of the rolls. Add the mozzarella cheese and chopped basil over the top. Bake for 40 minutes.
By Hannah Machado
Hannah Machado is a blogger and freelance writer from Pompano Beach, Florida, focused on social activism, the LGBT community, and culinary arts.
