Dinner For Mommy Blair And Friends

Today I made a dinner for my friend Blair, who just had a little baby girl.

I wanted to make something easy that could just be heated up when she wanted a bite to eat. 

Flipping through my new Food Network Magazine I came across a recipe, for Lasagna Marinara Rolls, courtesy of Anne Burrell. It looked simple and didn't seem really expensive. They looked like they could be reheated with no problem.

I bought extra ingredients to make some extra for Matt and I, but I had so much left over I invite a few friends by for a taste. Oh, also, I didn't add the pecorino cheese and the Parmesan cheese because I didn't have a copy of the recipe at the store, Instead I added a bit of cream cheese. Also, I added a bit of rosemary, basil, and Greek oregano from my garden to the filling. Also (hahaha) I did use jar marinara... Here is the recipe, It was very good, not hard to make, there were a lot to serve and I'll know tomorrow if it can be reheated. :)

Lasagna Marinara Rolls

Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell for Food Network Magazine

Prep Time: 30 min, Inactive Prep Time:--, Cook Time: 3 hr 17 min, Level: Easy, Serves: 12 servings

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced pancetta (about 2 ounces)
• 1 large Spanish onion, diced
• Kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 28-ounce cans San Marzano plum tomatoes

For the Lasagna:

• Kosher salt
• 1 16-ounce box lasagna noodles
• 4 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated pecorino cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)
• 2 large eggs
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves roughly chopped

Directions

Make the sauce: Pour the olive oil into a large pot, add the pancetta and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion, season generously with salt and cook until soft but not browned, 6 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring.

Pass the tomatoes through a food mill (or puree in a food processor) and add to the pot. Fill one of the empty tomato cans with about 2 1/2 cups water, add to the pot and season generously with salt. Simmer 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste frequently and season with salt as the sauce simmers-tomatoes take a lot of salt.

Make the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 375. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil (the water should taste like the ocean). Add the lasagna noodles and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Fill a bowl with salted ice water. Remove the pasta from the boiling water and transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking. 

Mix the ricotta, pecorino, 1/4 cup parmesan, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, eggs, thyme and

2 teaspoons salt in a bowl. Drain the pasta and place on a clean towel in a single layer.

Coat the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a ladle or two of sauce. Spread 3 heaping tablespoonfuls of the cheese filling down the center of each lasagna sheet; roll up the sheet (but not too tightly or the filling might ooze out). Place seam-side down in the baking dish, leaving a little room between each roll. Cover with 3 to 4 cups sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella. 

Bake, uncovered, until the lasagna bubbles around the edges and the cheese melts, about 1 hour. Let rest 10 minutes, then serve with extra sauce.

 

It was really yummy!