Lasagna Fritta

One of my favorite recipes is this simple lasagna fritta.

The texture of the fried lasagna and the combination of red and white sauce underneath and over the pasta are what make it particularly delicious. I don’t have to select between the best flavors that are all on one platter.Lasagna Fritta

At first, I thought it would be difficult to perfect this olive garden knockoff recipe, but it’s actually quite easy!Lasagna Fritta

Try my other Olive Garden impersonations, which include Simple Weeknight Chicken Scampi, Spinach Artichoke Dip, and Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup, if you fall in love at first bite.Lasagna Fritta

What is Lasagna Fritta?

You might be completely unaware of the beginnings of this extravagant, cheesy extravagance if you haven’t visited Olive Garden recently.

It’s a wrapped pasta dish with classic lasagna filling that’s fried rather than baked in an oven and may be found in their appetizer section. After that, the pasta is served with alfredo sauce on the side and traditional marinara drizzled over it.Lasagna Fritta

It has fried spaghetti with stuffing and is crunchy and flavorful. The layers of melting cheese in a conventional lasagna don’t overpower the taste; they all work so nicely together. It left an impression, of course.Lasagna Fritta

What you need to make this recipe

A few ingredients and some preparation are needed for this recipe, but the delightful effort is well worth it.

As directed in this recipe, gather the following ingredients: lasagna noodles, milk, parmesan and ricotta cheeses, pepper, butter, your preferred marinara or alfredo sauce, egg, bread crumbs, and ground sausage.

How to make Lasagna Fritta

This recipe is a little challenging at first, but it becomes simpler as you get the feel of it! Here are our easy how-to guide and step-by-step images for this imitation Olive Garden recipe.

To begin, prepare the cheese sauce by heating the milk and then whisking in the butter, parmesan, ricotta, and white pepper. At this time, I also decided to use a lot of Italian spice.

As directed on the packaging, prepare your pasta by boiling the noodles. Drain the pasta when it’s al dente and hang it on a clean wire hanger to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other in the pot.

Then, fill each noodle with the milk and cheese mixture. If using, now is the time to top the center with the cooked sausage.

Each noodle should be rolled up in thirds, much like a piece of paper being folded into an envelope. At this stage, be careful to allow time for the pasta to freeze. Pasta that has been par-frozen for an hour will firm up and hold its shape when put in the frying.

It is essential to the success of this dish. Don’t neglect it.

After the pasta has been frozen for an hour, prepare the oil for frying in a Dutch oven or deep fryer with high sides and a hefty bottom. Generally speaking, when frying, you should be at least two inches above the oil of high walls to prevent oil splashing out and reduce the risk of fire and burns.

To achieve a beautiful coating, dip the par-frozen pasta in the egg wash and bread crumbs. Then, fry it until it becomes crispy.

Using a wire spoon with a long handle, remove the pasta from the fryer. While you put the plate together as elegantly as you wish, place it on a wire rack set over a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain any leftover oil.

The lasagna fritta is stacked like tilting dominoes on top of a plate lined with marinara, which is the last step. Finally, garnish with a spoonful of the warm marinara.

Serving this in a single large plate makes for a lovely appearance. Smaller serving dishes, though, are very attractive for individual portions.

Originally found as an appetizer, this meal is noteworthy for that reason alone at large gatherings. On a typical weeknight, however, I offer this lasagna fritta as the main dish, accompanied by a salad, and end the meal with this million-dollar pound cake.

Can I freeze my lasagna fritta?

Yes, after rolling it up and putting it in the freezer for an hour, you can freeze leftovers or uncooked food. For up to two months, keep the meal in an airtight container.

How do I reheat?

Before reheating in the oven or air fryer, let it fully thaw in the refrigerator.

Lasagna Fritta Variations

Make this fried lasagna meatless by using any of the plant-based alternatives you can find at your grocery store or by omitting the meat entirely.

Do you want to add some spice? For a nice kick, feel free to grab some spicy Italian sausage.

Experiment with your fixings; the options are endless:

•  different cheese additions
•     ground beef
•    olives
•  butternut squash
• mushrooms

Ingredients

• alfredo sauce
• marinara sauce
• 7 lasagna noodles
• 1 tbsp butter
• ⅔ cup milk
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 6 oz ricotta
• ¼ tsp white pepper

For the Breading:

Preparation:

1. Bring the butter, milk, parmesan, ricotta, and white pepper to a boil and stir.
2. As instructed, boil the lasagna noodles.
3. After the noodles are done, cover them with a thin layer of the cheese and milk mixture and fold them into 2-inch pieces.
4. To keep it together, place something heavy on top and let it set in the freezer for an hour.
5. After removing them from the freezer, split each piece in half lengthwise.
6. Before dipping each piece in the bread crumbs, dip it in the milk/egg mixture.
7. Fry for 4 minutes at 350°.
8. Place each piece in the Alfredo sauce after spreading it on the bottom of the serving plate.
9. Pour marinara sauce over the top.

Notes

While the ricotta mixture was boiling, I tossed in a handful of Italian seasoning.
In addition, I cooked some fresh ground sausage and layered it with my marinara sauce within the roll-ups. Before you roll up the pasta, just sprinkle the cooked ground sausage on top of the cheese layer.
The original reference recipe called for feta instead of ricotta, but I decided to use ricotta because I don’t think feta would provide the flavor I wanted.