Thursday, February 3, 2011

Skillet Lasagna

I needed a quick, hearty and tasty meal last night. My husband had been shoveling snow a big part of the day, and I had helped some also, so I wanted something easy to prepare. I had been wanting to make Skillet Lasagna for a while, and I had most of the ingredients needed. The original recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated, so I was reasonably sure it would be good. It was; this lasagna has a wonderful Italian flavor! The whole dish is assembled and cooked in a large skillet and ready to eat in 30-40 minutes, depending on how fast you are. All the flavor of a delicious lasagna, but this dish is so much faster to prepare. The recipe calls for a mix of ground beef and ground pork. I replaced the pork with Italian sausage since I had it on hand. It added great depth of flavor to this dish. You gotta try it! Here's the recipe that I found at Apples and Twinkies.
SKILLET LASAGNA
adapted from Apples and Twinkies and Cook's Illustrated
3 cans (14.5 oz.) whole, peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 medium garlic cloves, pressed- I only used 2
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes- I used a pinch
1/2 pound of ground round beef
1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
10 curly edge lasagna noodles- it is NOT recommended that no-bake noodles be used
1/2 cup (2 ounces) mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
pepper to taste
1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 cup full fat ricotta cheese
DIRECTIONS:
Pour the 3 cans of tomatoes into a blender or food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
Heat oil in a 12 inch non-stick skillet. Add diced onion and salt and cook until softened; stir in garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground meats; break up the meat as it cooks. Drain grease from skillet if needed.
Break the lasagna noodles into 2 inch pieces and scatter over the meat in the skillet. Pour the tomatoes over the noodles and sprinkle with the dried basil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. (I used a stainless steel skillet, so I stirred the lasagna a couple of times to keep the noodles from sticking).
When done, remove the pan from the burner. Carefully stir the mixture together, taste and add pepper to taste; more salt if needed. Lightly stir in half of the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheeses over the top. Spoon the ricotta cheese in spoonfuls over the lasagna. Cover skillet with lid and let the cheese melt. I added some chopped fresh parsley also. Serve with some garlic bread and salad if desired. My husband and daughter loved it-it got 2 thumbs up, so I'll be making it again often. Let me know if you give this a try!

16 comments:

  1. Mmmm that does look tasty!!! Can't wait to make it.

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  2. That's another great way to make lasagna!

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  3. Thanks for the shout out, Lynda! yours looks terrific!

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  4. Wow, this looks fantastic and so much faster to prepare than the baked version. I will use Italian sausage as well for the added flavor. What a great weekend dinner!

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  5. I've followed your blog for a long time and you've never posted a recipe I haven't wanted to try! I've chosen your blog as one that I want to pass the Stylish Blogger Award on to! Stop by http://catberner.wordpress.com/2011/02/04/stylish-me/ to pick up your award :)

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  6. That looks like a great, hearty, comfort-food sort of a meal! We love lasagna, but I found that it is VERY time consuming to make...what a great compromise! By the way...my husband was eyeing your brisket post!!! :)

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  7. I may make this. Last time I made a 9x13 pan of lasagna, I swore I'd never make that much again for just the two of us. A skillet full sounds more like it!

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  8. I feel the same way about Cook's Illustrated recipes - confident that it will be delicious. This one looks perfect for a busy weeknight.

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  9. This sounds amazing! I love skillet meals!

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  10. i haven't seen lasagna prepared this way before, but it's a great idea! i love the blobs of ricotta. :)

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  11. Grand recipe, Lynda! On my winter-list. We have another arctic blast coming through this week and this will warm down to the toes.

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  12. Now how easy is that? And all in one pan too. Great recipe, Lynda!

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  13. Looks great, I have to try this soon.

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  14. I really like this idea -- what a great dish. Thanks!

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  15. This is calling my name! I stumbled across this recipe from Friday Favorites :) I can't wait to try some of your other recipes too... like your Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars and your Cheese and Jalapeno Corn Bread. I am your newest follower ;)

    Check out my blog and follow back if you like :)

    http://steaknpotatoeskindagurl.blogspot.com

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  16. We made this the other day and loved it! Thank you!

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