We entertain pretty often during the year and during the holiday months, I have to improvise a bit since it’s not barbecue season. It can be challenging to feed a crowd on a tight budget, so I often turn to pasta dishes since they’re relatively inexpensive and can easily be doubled to feed a lot of people. There are many recipes that are easy, yet wholesome so they make a great meal, plus the carbs are great fuel for our brains and muscles.
I’ve found some great meal inspiration from Pasta Fits over the last few months, which is a great resource for nutrition and culinary education sponsored by the National Pasta Association. I’ve also found some great cooking tips and pasta facts as well as great promotions and contests at Pasta Fits.
In my family, I’m known for my Italian dishes and some have become my specialty through the years. Like my lasagna for instance; it’s a favorite in my household and guests like to hear when I’ll be making it for our holiday gatherings. Just last week, I decided to put a little spin on my traditional Lasagna recipe and make Lasagna Rolls for a little pre-holiday gathering we did.
These rolls were so quick and easy to make. I just mixed all of my ingredients in a big bowl {aside from some of the sauce and mozzarella cheese} and spread it onto the cooked noodles. I added mushrooms to give it some extra fiber, plus they can add a lot of flavor to meals and so can spices, so I really try to play on that, especially in Italian pasta dishes. We all know that tomato sauce is rich in antioxidants, so this really was a well rounded meal. Once I had all of the Lasagna Rolls in my baking dish, I poured some sauce over the top to keep the noodles from drying up while baking.
After baking, the finishing touches came once each Lasagna Roll was plated. A heaping spoonful of simmering sauce blended with spices, a few pinches of mozzarella cheese and a dash of Parmesan cheese completed this delicious dish.
I’ve shared the recipe below in case you’d like to try it for yourself. Of course I’m a bit biased, but I would highly recommend it! I do however absolutely love spices and believe that they really make Italian dishes especially more flavorful. So keep that in mind when trying to recreate this tasty dinner for a crowd. Pair these Lasagna Rolls with garlic cheese bread and a side salad for a complete holiday meal. You can easily feed 16 people with this dish, or double it to feed more!
Lasagna Rolls Recipe
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