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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.

STEP BY STEP

Building Skillet Lasagna

To cook all of the ingredients in one pan, a little attention to the ordering of the layers is necessary. It may not look like much as you begin the cooking process, but, after 20 minutes and an occasional stir, a layered lasagna appears almost as if by magic.

1. Start by sautéing onion, garlic, and meat in the skillet. Scatter the broken lasagna noodles over the meat.

2. Pour the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce over the noodles.

3. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Add Parmesan, dot with ricotta, cover the skillet, and let cheese soften off heat.

Skillet Lasagna

Serves 4 to 6

Meatloaf mix is a combination of ground beef, pork, and veal, sold pre-packaged in many supermarkets. If it's unavailable, use ground beef. Use a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.

	1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
	Water
1	tablespoon olive oil
1	medium onion , minced
	Table salt
3	medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1/8	teaspoon red pepper flakes
1	pound meatloaf mix
10	curly-edged lasagna noodles , broken into 2-inch lengths
	1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2	cup grated Parmesan cheese plus 2 additional tablespoons
	Ground black pepper
1	cup ricotta cheese
3	tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1. Pour tomatoes with their juices into 1-quart liquid measuring cup. Add water until mixture measures 1 quart.

2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ground meat and cook, breaking apart meat, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

3. Scatter pasta over meat but do not stir. Pour diced tomatoes with juices and tomato sauce over pasta. Cover and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.

4. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Dot with heaping tablespoons ricotta, cover, and let stand off heat for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Serve.