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Recipe: Lasagna Rotolo (as cooked by Charley Belcher!)

By Chef Jeff Philbin
Published  July 25, 2024 12:00am EDT
Dinner DeeAs
FOX 13 News

Today we're making Lasagna but with a twist! We're rolling Rotolo. Plus, the secrets to 2 essential sauces as we make a Béchamel and Chef Jeff's favorite Bolognese. This recipe was created for FOX 13 roving reporter Charley Belcher, who joined Chef Jeff in the Dinner DeeAs kitchen to ask for help making one of his favorite meals, so his wife doesn't have to do it all the time! Watch ‘Charley’s World' segments on Good Day every weekday morning.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of the recipes below. If you make it, let us know how it turns out! 

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Watch the recipes again any time by clicking on the video at the top of the page, and see more Dinner DeeAs every weekday at 1pm ET on FOX13. 

San Marzano Tomato Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
  • 1 lb ground beef (optional: mix with ground pork or veal)
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 can (28 oz) San Marzano tomatoes, crushed
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • ¼ cup whole milk
  • Fresh basil and parsley, chopped (optional for garnish)

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat.
  2. Sauté onion, garlic, carrot, and celery until softened, about 10 minutes.
  3. Brown ground beef in pot, breaking it up as it cooks.
  4. Add white wine to pot and simmer until mostly evaporated.
  5. Mix in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, and bay leaf.
  6. Bring sauce to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1½–2 hours.
  7. Season with salt and pepper; add milk and simmer 10 more minutes.
  8. Remove bay leaf and add basil and parsley if desired.

Béchamel (or ‘Belcher’-mel) Sauce

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups whole milk, warmed
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Melt butter over medium heat in medium saucepan.
  2. Whisk in flour and continue to cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until roux forms and has light golden color.
  3. Slowly add warmed milk to roux, whisking continuously to ensure mixture is smooth and free of lumps.
  4. Keep cooking sauce, whisking regularly, until thick enough to coat back of spoon; this should take approximately 10 minutes.
  5. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper, adjusting seasoning according to preference.

Lasagna Rotolo (assembly)

Ingredients

  • store-bought pasta sheets (if you want to make fresh pasta dough, see recipe below)
  • Bolognese Sauce (see recipe above)
  • Béchamel Sauce (see recipe above)
  • 2 cups ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • fresh basil leaves (optional)
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
  2. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta sheets for about 2 minutes. Drain and lay on clean kitchen towels to dry slightly.
  3. Spread thin layer of Bolognese Sauce on each pasta sheet, followed by a layer of ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a few fresh basil leaves if desired.
  4. Carefully roll up each pasta sheet into a cylinder (rotolo) and place them upright, in baking dish.
  5. Pour Béchamel Sauce over top of rotolos, then add generous layer of Bolognese Sauce.
  6. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese on top.
  7. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake additional 15 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly.
  8. Let rest a few minutes before serving. Garnish with additional fresh basil if desired.

Fresh Pasta Dough

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tbsp olive oil (optional)

Directions

  1. On clean work surface, make mound with flour and create well in center.
  2. Crack eggs into well, add pinch of salt, and olive oil (if using).
  3. Using a fork, slowly whisk eggs, gradually incorporating flour from edges of well.
  4. Once dough starts to come together, knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
  5. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
  6. Roll out pasta dough into thin sheets (about ⅛" thick). Cut into rectangles approximately 6" x 8".

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