Name: Skillet Lasagna with Sausage and Peppers
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Cuisine: ItalianEurope
Ingredients: 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes; Water; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 medium onion , minced; 1 red bell pepper , chopped; Table salt; 3 medium cloves garlic , minced and pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon); 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1 pound Italian sausage removed from its casing; 10 curly-edged lasagna noodles , broken into 2-inch lengths; 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce; 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus 2 additional tablespoons; Ground black pepper; 1 cup ricotta cheese; 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Why This Recipe Works

Lasagna isn’t usually a dish you can throw together at the last minute. Even with no-boil noodles, it takes a good amount of time to get the components just right. Our goal was to transform traditional baked lasagna into a stovetop skillet dish without losing any of its flavor or appeal.

We built a hearty, flavorful meat sauce with onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, and sausage (a more flavorful alternative to plain ground beef). A large can of diced tomatoes along with tomato sauce provided juicy tomato flavor and a nicely chunky texture. We scattered regular curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into pieces, over the top of the sauce (smaller pieces are easier to eat and serve). We then diluted the sauce with a little water so that the noodles would cook through. After a 20-minute simmer with the lid on, the pasta was tender, the sauce was properly thickened, and it was time for the cheese. Stirring Parmesan into the dish worked well, but we discovered that the sweet creaminess of ricotta was lost unless we placed it in heaping tablespoonfuls on top of the lasagna. Replacing the lid and letting the cheese warm through for several minutes was the final step for this super-easy one-pan dish.

Before You Begin

Use a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe.

Instructions

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

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, bell pepper, 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 sausage and cook, breaking apart meat, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

Scatter pasta over sausage 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.

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.