No-fuss lasagna

Detroit Free Press (MCT) - Take a deep breath. The biggest food holiday of the year is out of the way, with Christmas soon to follow.

Now it's back to what's-for-supper mode. These lasagna rolls take about 35 minutes to make and bake and are packed with flavor using minimal ingredients.

It's best to use lasagna noodles with ruffled edges for a nice presentation. You can saute all the stuffing ingredients and put the rolls together in the morning and bake them later in the day. Or you can make them the day before.

Once baked, these rolls freeze beautifully. Make a double batch and freeze what you don't use. When using frozen rolls, pour the sauce on just before baking, cover the dish with buttered foil so it doesn't stick to the rolls and add about 10 minutes more to the baking time.

You can use any variety of sausage with this recipe. These rolls also get a spicy kick from crushed red pepper flakes _ though you can tone it down if you like.

Using spinach, zucchini and red pepper provides a good serving of vegetables. Sliced and sauteed mushrooms would also make a nice addition.

For the sauce, use your favorite store-bought pasta sauce and freeze any leftover sauce in a plastic sealable bag.

Or here's a quick way to make your own sauce that costs pennies per serving: In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute 2 minced garlic cloves for 1 minute. Add Ľ cup chopped onion if you like. Add one can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes with all their juices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, ˝ teaspoon sugar, dried basil or Italian seasoning. Puree in a blender to desired consistency. The sauce keeps in the refrigerator for three days or frozen for about one month.

Menu

Spinach and Sausage Lasagna Rolls

Mixed greens salad with cucumber, tomato and olives

Garlic bread

Crisp chardonnay

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SPINACH AND SAUSAGE LASAGNA ROLLS

Makes: 10 / Preparation time: 15 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Make a double batch and freeze what you don't use in plastic sealable bags. Freeze the sauce separately.

10 lasagna noodles

˝ pound mild or spicy Italian sausage

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 medium onion, peeled, sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 medium zucchini, washed, diced

10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

˝ cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese

ľ cup shredded Italian-blend cheese

Salt and black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

1 ˝ cups favorite pasta sauce

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse and set aside.

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Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the onion, red pepper and zucchini. Continue sauteing until zucchini is just tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the spinach and heat through. Remove from the heat. In a separate bowl mix the cheeses. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Stir the cheese mixture into the sausage mixture.

Place the cooked lasagna noodles flat on a clean work surface. Evenly divide the sausage mixture on one end of the noodles. Roll up the noodles. Place the lasagna rolls in a baking dish and pour the pasta sauce over. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese if using. Bake about 15 minutes to just heat through. Remove from the oven and place two rolls on each serving plate along with some sauce and serve.

From and tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

Analysis per roll: 237 calories (38 percent from fat ), 10 grams fat (4 grams sat. fat ), 25 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams protein, 561 mg sodium, 21 mg cholesterol, 162 mg calcium, 2 grams fiber.

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© 2008, Detroit Free Press.