Sausage & Ricotta Lasagna Roll Ups with Garlic Bread

Sausage & Ricotta Lasagna Roll Ups

• 1 - 19.5 oz. package sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
• 1 - 19.5 oz. package spicy Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 - 24 oz. jars Tomato & Basil pasta sauce
• 1 - 1 lb. box lasagna noodles (18 noodles)
• 2 - 15 oz. container low fat ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, minced
• 4 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 eggs

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add the sausages and crumble in the pan and cook until sausage is crumbled and cooked through, 7minutes.  Drain the fat and return to the pan.  Season with salt and pepper and add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute.  Add the remaining pasta sauce and combine well.  Remove from the heat and let cool.

Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to instructions and then lay them out on parchment paper to cool.  Do this right away or they stick!

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine the ricotta, 2.5 cups of the mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, basil and parsley in a large bowl and mix well.

Pour about a cup of sauce each into two 9x13 baking dishes.  You will need two 9x13 baking dishes, fitting 9 lasagna roll ups in each pan.

Spoon a thin layer of the ricotta mixture down the entire length of a lasagna noodle.  Cover the ricotta with a thin layer of the sausage sauce mixture.  Starting from one end roll the noodle up and place in a 9x13 baking dish seam side down.  Repeat this with all 18 noodles.  Cover each roll up with remaining sauce mixture and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

Cover the pans with foil and cook for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted.

Garlic Bread

• 1 large loaf Italian bread
• 4 tbsp. light butter
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• dried oregano
• paprika

Cut bread in half lengthwise.

Mix the butter, garlic and olive oil in a bowl.  Generously spread the mixture over both sides of the bread.  Sprinkle both sides with oregano and paprika.

Wrap the loaf in foil and refrigerate all day.  Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.  You can cook this at the same time as the lasagna roll ups.

Serve with a salad.  Perfect for entertaining!