Skillet Lasagna

There’s no denying it: Lasagna is a pain to make. Each component has to be prepared, and then there’s that precise layering. It can take hours. But in the end, is it the layers that matter, or the flavor? We wanted to make a quick dish with all the flavor of the classic--just not the tedious effort. Here’s what we discovered:

Test Kitchen Discoveries

• Lasagna--noodles, sauce, and cheese--can be made in one large skillet. The meat and flavorings are browned in the pan, to which the noodles--broken into short lengths--are added. Canned diced tomatoes, diluted with water, are then stirred in and the noodles cook as the sauce thickens and the flavors blend.
• Use meatloaf mix (a blend of ground beef, pork, and veal) for the deepest flavor.
• Top the lasagna with fat dollops of ricotta cheese just before serving; diners can then mix it all together on their plate.
• Sprinkle with chopped basil just before serving.