Skillet Lasagna

AmyZoe's Note:

I would have posted a photo, but there wasn't much left. I found this recipe in America's Test Kitchen 2006, and it's fantastic. I used cottage cheese instead of ricotta, but whatever you have on hand or prefer. I didn't use a nonstick skillet, and I found a 12" skillet wasn't large enough. I wound up cooking this in an actual skillet (the kind you plug in) by the time I got all the ingredients in the pan because there wasn't room to stir anything.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 45 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 28 ounces diced tomatoes
• water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion , minced
• 1 red bell pepper , chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 medium garlic cloves (about 1 tablespoon in a garlic press)
• 1⁄8; teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 10 curly-edged lasagna noodles , broken into 2-inch lengths
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• ½ cup plus grated parmesan cheese plus 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• ground black pepper
• salt
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions:

1. Pour the tomatoes with their juices into a 1-quart liquid measuring cup.
2. Add water until the mixture measures 1 quart.
3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
4. Add the onion, red bell pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
6. Add the ground meat and cook, breaking apart the meat, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
7. Scatter the pasta broken into 2" lengths over the meat but do not stir.
8. Pour the diced tomatoes with their juices and tomato sauce over the pasta.
9. Cover and bring to a simmer.
10. Reduce the heat to a medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.
11. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup parmesan.
12. Season with salt and pepper.
13. Dot with heaping tablespoons of the ricotta, cover, and let stand off the heat for 5 minutes.
14. Sprinkle with the basil and the remaining 2 tablespoons parmesan and serve.

Reviews

[PSU Lioness]

My step-daughter chose this recipe as the weekly meal that she wanted to have. She helped me prepare most of the recipe (after I cooked the meat). The only things I did differently was that I added some basil, oregano and parsley to the diced tomatoes before cooking and I also cooked it in a large, rectangular electric skillet. I did have to add more water toward the end of cooking but I think that was because I can't really regulate the heat on the skillet as well as I would like. We also sprinkled mozzarella cheese over the top after we added the ricotta and Parmesan and let it melt before serving. Everything cooked well (no raw noodled) and the entire family liked it. I will make it again. Thank you for posting!

[Cherie Hoelscher]

I saved this recipe a long time ago to try and finally did yesterday! What a nice skillet dinner, sometimes Lasagna has a heavy/strong tomato flavor to me, but this is a nice mellow tomato and cheese flavor. I didn't have fresh basil so I added dried basil with the tomatoes, and only had cottage cheese to spoon over the top,it melted with no problem,and the best was it was quicker than regular Lasagna and very tasty.

[Bay Laurel]

this is yum yum.I had some no boil lasagna noodles so I used those instead but I think I wouldve prefered the regular kind. I have a serious cheese proble so I think I used twice the amount of cheese it called for plus mozerella. I couldnt help it. Also, since I knew I would make a mess, I made it in a pot instead of a skillet. I think I wouldve had it everywhere otherwise. Oh yea, I used cottage cheese instead of ricotta too. Great easy recipe and fun to play with.