Lasagna Rolls

No.1 in Food Network's Top 10 Pasta Recipes! :)

Cook Time: 50 min
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
Sauce:

* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
* 1 1/4 cups whole milk
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
* Pinch ground nutmeg

Lasagna:

* 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
* 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
* 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
* 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
* 1 large egg, beaten to blend
* 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 12 uncooked lasagna noodles
* 2 cups marinara sauce
* 1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

Directions

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over
medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the
milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes
to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt,
pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and
pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water.
Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain.
Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent
them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce
over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a
work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture
evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a
jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching,
atop the bechamelsauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles
and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna
rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan
over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated
through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake
until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let
stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in
a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve
alongside.

Baked Rigatoni with Bechamel Sauce

Cook Time: 30 min
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
Bechamel sauce:

* 1 stick unsalted butter (4 ounces)
* 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1 quart whole milk, at room temperature
* Pinch fresh nutmeg
* Sea salt and white pepper
* 1 cup grated fontina
* 1/2 pound thinly sliced prosciutto, julienned
* 1 pound dry rigatoni
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Bechamel sauce:

In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour
and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Always stirring, gradually
add the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and
creamy. Simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in
nutmeg, 1/2 cup fontina, prosciutto and season with salt and white
pepper. Set aside.

In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add the
rigatoni and cook for about 5 minutes. Since you will be cooking the
pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is
still hard. Drain in a colander. Return pasta to the pot and pour in
bechamel sauce. Using a wooden spoon, mix well until all the pasta is
coated with the sauce.

Into a greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pour the pasta with cream
sauce. Smooth out top and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup fontina. Dot
the top with diced butter and bake in oven for 25 minutes or until
bubbling and the top is golden brown.

Crab and Ricotta Cannelloni

Cook Time: 45 min
Level: Intermediate
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

* 1 box (8 ounces) cannelloni or manicotti pasta (about 12 shells)
* 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
* 3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
* 1 egg yolk
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
* 1 pound lump crabmeat
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
* Bechamel Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the
pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring
occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.

In a large bowl, mix together ricotta, 3/4 cup Parmesan, egg yolk,
basil, crab, salt, and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Fill the cannelloni with the crab mixture and place in a buttered
baking dish. Top the filled cannelloni with the Bechamel Sauce and
sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake until bubbly and the
top is golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Bechamel Sauce:

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups whole milk, warmed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour
and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the warm milk,
whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick, smooth, and creamy,
about 10 minutes (do not allow the sauce to boil). Remove from the
heat and stir in the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. (The sauce can be made
up to 3 days ahead. Cool and then cover and refrigerate.)

Yield: about 4 cups

Classic Italian Lasagna

Ingredients


Bechamel Sauce

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons for the lasagna
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk at room temperature
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, recipe follows
Salt and white pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound ground chuck beef
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese
3 large eggs
1 pound lasagna sheets, cooked al dente
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bechamel sauce:

In a 2-quart pot, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When
butter has completely melted, add the flour and whisk until smooth,
about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to
prevent any lumps from forming. Continue to simmer and whisk over
medium heat until the sauce is thick, smooth and creamy, about 10
minutes. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of wooden
spoon. Remove from heat and add the nutmeg and tomato sauce. Stir
until well combined and check for seasoning. Set aside and allow to
cool completely.

In a saute pan, heat extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add
the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat, breaking
any large lumps, until it is no longer pink. Remove from heat and
drain any excess fat. Set aside and allow to cool completely.

In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta and eggs. Season
with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Into the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish, spread 1/3 of the
bechamel sauce. Arrange the pasta sheets side by side, covering the
bottom of the baking dish. Evenly spread a layer of all the ricotta
mixture and then a layer of all the spinach. Arrange another layer of
pasta sheets and spread all the ground beef on top. Sprinkle 1/2 the
mozzarella cheese on top of the beef. Spread another 1/3 of the
bechamel sauce. Arrange the final layer of pasta sheets and top with
remaining bechamel, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cut the remaining
2 tablespoons of butter into 1/4-inch cubes and top lasagna.

Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place lasagna dish on
top, cover and put on the middle rack of the oven and bake until top
is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue to bake for
about 15 minutes.

Simple tomato sauce

Yield: 6 cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes
Ease of Preparation: Easy

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

In a large casserole pot or Dutch over, heat oil over medium high
heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about
5 to 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and
pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 to 10
minutes. Add tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered on low heat
for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning.
If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a
time to round out the flavors.

Add 1/2 the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process
until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.

If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and pour 1 to
2 cup portions into freezer plastic bags. This will freeze up to 6
months.

From: food network