Lasagna Beef 'n' Spinach Roll-Ups

Source: Country Italian Cookbook

I love lasagna, pasta and pretty much any other Italian carb-licious meal. This is a twist on the classic lasagna dish and incorporates the servings into a roll rather than layered with noodles in the traditional favorite.

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (can use 1lb and decrease from 12 to 10 rolls)
1 28 oz. jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (Newman's Own Sweet Onion is quite tasty)
1/2 cup A.1. Original or Bold & Spicy
1/2 teas. dried basil leaves
1 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
1 10 oz. pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed & very well drained
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded italian cheese blend or mozzarella
1/3 c. parmasan cheese, divided
1 egg, beaten
12 lasagna noodles, cooked & drained (make a couple extra for breakage)
2 tbl. fresh or dried parsley

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In lg. skillet, brown beef over med. high heat until no longer pink (I will usually add a crushed clove of garlic here to add some extra flavor), drain. In a small bowl, combine the spaghetti sauce, A.1. & basil. Stir 1 cup of the sauce mixture into the drained beef. Set aside remaining sauce.

2. In medium bowl, combine ricotta, drained spinach, shredded cheese (save a 1/2 cup for topping), 3 tbl. parmasan & the egg. Spread lasagna noodles on a baking sheet or other flat surface to cool enough to handle and to assemble rolls. On each noodle, spread about 1/4 c. ricotta mixture. Top with about 1/3 c. beef mixture. Roll each noodle from short end; lay each roll seam side down in lightly greased 13x9 baking dish. Pour reserved sauce mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and shredded cheese. Add fresh or dried parsley and cover. Bake at 350 F 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15-20 minutes more or until hot and bubbly.

Serve with garlic bread or a simple cesar salad and a nice glass of wine. Hearty and perfect for a cold winter's night. It's great reheated too!

Baked Pasta

Source: BHG

Got to love Better Homes & Gardens - that checkered cookbook has everything! A highly recommended addition to your kitchen if you don't already have it and a great gift for newlyweds or new homeowners. This baked dish is a simple, hearty meal and freezes if you'd like to make ahead.

8 oz. dried pasta (recipes calls for cavatelli but I've used rotini, penne and gemelli in the past)
16 oz. italian sausage or ground beef (go for the sausage - the flavor is great!)
3/4 c. chopped onion (1 medium)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 26 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1/4 teas. black pepper
parsley

*tip to note - I keep frozen herbs on hand as well as shallots and garlic. It's great to stock up on refrigerated staples as they have great flavor and it cuts down on your trips to the market for fresh ingredients.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Boil water and prepare pasta as directed on pkg. While the pasta is cooking, grab a large skillet and combine the sausage, onion and garlic and cook until the sausage is browned and the onions are tender. Drain the meat and pasta.

2. Pour the drained pasta into a 2 quart casserole dish and add the meat. Spoon the pasta sauce, 1 c. cheese (combine parmesan & mozz, will have 2 cups) and the pepper into the dish and stir gently to combine.

3. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 or 30 minutes until nearly heated through. Uncover and sprinkle with the remaining 1 c. of cheese and parsley as needed. Bake another 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!!

**can also prepare as individual servings using 5 or 6, 8-10 oz. casserole dishes.