Dinner :: Skillet Lasagna

I can't say enough good things about this dish. It was simple, tasty, easy yet still rewarding to create. One of my favorite recipes! It's very important to get the right kind of lasagna noodles. This recipe calls for no-bake, so in other words, you want to get the noodles that need to be boiled in water (or in this case, tomato sauce).

Skillet Lasagna
Recipe courtesy of Aug/Sept 2009 Food Network Magazine

Heat 1/4 C. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add 4 sliced cloves of garlic; cook until golden (1 minute). Add 1.5 lbs. diced ripe tomatoes, 1 T. chopped basil/parley (your choice), 1/2 t. salt, and pepper to taste; cook until "saucy," about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree. Return 1 C. of the sauce to the skillet and reduce heat to low; reserve the remaining sauce.

Meanwhile, mix 1 C. ricotta cheese, 1 egg, 2 T. grated parmesan, 3 T. chopped herbs, 1/2 t. salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl. Wash and peel 1 carrot and 1 zucchini into ribbons (I used my potato peeler).

Place 2 sheets no-bake lasagna noodles over the sauce in the skillet. Layer half of the carrot and zucchini on top; drizzle with olive oil and season with slat and pepper. Cover with a layer of baby spinach (about 1.5-2 C.), half the ricotta mixture, a few pieces of thinly sliced mozzarella and 2-3 T. of the reserved tomato sauce. Repeat the layers, ending with noodles. Top with any remaining sauce and the rest of the mozzarella (in total, you'll want about 1/3 lb. of mozzarella). Cover and simmer until the lasagna is cooked and the cheese melts (20-25 minutes).

Let rest for a few minutes before slicing, Garnish with more parmesan and fresh herbs.

Checking on the status of the noodles - nope, not done yet!


The final product! I promise you, it tastes better than it looks (and don't look too hard because I burned some of the cheese...). Here's a trick if you don't have a cooling rack - turn your muffin tin upside down and put the dish on that.