Italian Sausage & Venison Lasagna Roll Ups

Fall is around the corner and what better meal to cozy up with than Italian Sausage and Venison Lasagna Roll Ups. These give you all the classic flavours of lasagna with a homemade tomato basil sauce, and tons of meat wrapped up into beautiful rolls.

Lasagna is always a favorite in our house to enjoy with our wild game meat. What I love about these lasagna roll ups though, is that you get perfectly portioned rolls full of all that meaty goodness great for family dinner or a dinner party! They look complex, but are really quite simple.

You start by making a homemade roasted tomato and basil sauce. Then you brown up some Italian sausage and ground venison to mix into that glorious sauce. Next boil some lasagna noodles until al dente and mix up a simple ricotta cheese mixture. Once all of the components are ready, you layer them onto the lasagna noodles, and roll them up tight. Place the rolls in a baking dish, cover with cheese and bake until golden!

These Venison Lasagna Rolls ups can be made with mild or spicy Italian sausage, ground beef, ground venison, or a combination of any of the above (I like to do a combination). If you want to keep them simpler, you can of course use store bought marinara sauce. No matter what variation you make, they will be a crowd favorite with everyone!

Tips for Making Perfect Italian Sausage & Venison Lasagna Roll Ups

1. To get the most silky smooth sauce possible, make sure you are using a really good blender or immersion blender. This will help get through the skins and seeds making it smooth and delicious.
2. When boiling the noodles, I like to add a dash of olive oil to the water just to help keep the noodles from sticking together. You want to be very gentle pulling them out of the water so that they don’t break.
3. These Venison lasagna roll ups can be baked in a casserole dish or a cast iron skillet. If you don’t want any of the noodles exposed, make sure you use a deeper dish, and pack them tightly.

Italian Sausage & Venison Lasagna Roll Up Ingredients

Tomato Basil Sauce– You can follow the sauce recipe or buy one if you prefer. My recipe just uses tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil and Italian seasoning.

Italian Sausage– This can be mild or Italian and it can be homemade or store bought.

Ground Venison– Use any ground wild game meat you have! Deer, elk, moose, bear, etc.

Lasagna Noodles– Try to make sure you are getting a box that isn’t full of broken or cracked ones.

Ricotta Cheese– This adds a delicious creaminess to the filling.

Parmesan Cheese– Fresh grated is best as it melts the nicest.

Mozzarella Cheese– Fresh grated for this as well.

Basil- Adds delicious flavour to the ricotta cheese mixture.

Egg- You need one egg in the ricotta mixture to help stabilize it.

The Steps

1. Start by preheating your oven to 410-415F.
2. Then, add the diced tomatoes, onion and garlic to a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes or until the onions and garlic are nice and tender.
4. Remove from the oven and scrape all of the vegetables (including the juices) in a blender or large bowl with an immersion blender. Reduce oven temperature to 400F.
5. Add in the basil, Italian Seasoning and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until nice and smooth, then set aside.
6. Next, remove the Italian sausage from its casings and brown in a pan along with the ground venison.
7. Cook until the meat is not longer pink, and season with any salt and pepper if needed. Remove from heat.
8. Take the tomato sauce and pour it over the cooked meat, and stir until combined.
9. Then, boil the lasagna noodles in a pot of salted water just until al dente. I like to add a little splash of olive oil to help prevent them from sticking together.
10. Gently remove the boiled noodles from the pot and lay them flat on a baking sheet. Lastly, stir together all of the ricotta layer ingredients until combined.

1. TO ASSEMBLE: Start by spooning a thin layer of the sauce over the bottom of a casserole dish or cast iron skillet.
2. Next, take one lasagna noodle and lay it on a flat surface. Spread a spoonful of the ricotta mixture on top, followed by a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese, then a layer of the meat sauce.

1. Gently roll the noodle up into a nice roll up (it doesn’t have to be too tight), then place it standing up in the prepared pan.
2. Repeat this process with all 10 noodles, until you have 10 roll ups tightly standing up in your pan.
3. Finally, spoon the remaining sauce over top, followed by the remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.

1. Bake the roll ups for about 20 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

If you give this recipe a try, leave a comment or a recipe review below!

Looking for more cozy meals to make with your wild game meat?

https://cmbarndominium.com/the-most-delicious-braised-venison-bolognese/

https://cmbarndominium.com/easy-delicious-venison-white-corn-chili/

https://cmbarndominium.com/slow-cooked-venison-french-onion-soup/