Lasagna Roll Ups with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

A delicious, flavorful and gorgeous twist on your traditional lasagna.  Easy to pull together and the entire family will eat this up!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

Filling:

16 oz ricotta (can also do half ricotta and half sour cream)

6.5 oz soft spreadable herbed cheese (such as Boursin or Alouette)

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 - 16 oz bags chopped spinach, thawed and all excess juice squeezed out

1 box long lasagna noodles

Sauce:

16 oz jar roasted red peppers, drained

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

4 cloves garlic

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bring a large stockpot 3/4 full of water to a boil.  Once boiling, generously salt.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients for filling, ricotta through spinach.  Note, ensure all excess liquid is squeezed out of spinach.  This can be done by wrapping spinach in a paper towel or dish cloth and squeezing liquid out.  Set aside.

Add lasagna noodles to boiling water.  Cook 1 minute less than package instructions.

Prepare sauce by blending all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Use a large braiser or 13 x 9” pan to bake noodles.  Add 1/2 of sauce to bottom of pan.  Set remainder aside.

Drain lasagna noodles. Lay out on counter or towel.  I like to do this quickly so they don’t stick.  Spread filling 3/4 of the way down cooked noodle.  Gently roll.  Stand each roll upright in pan.  Continue until all noodles are done.  Add extra sauce around and on top of rolled noodles.

Cover pan with lid or foil.  Bake 25 minutes.  In last 5 mixtures, sprinkle extra Parmesan or mozzarella on top and remove foil or lid.