Skillet Lasagna

Last year I posted a similar recipe for skillet lasagna.  We really LOVE lasagna around here and I especially like the skillet lasagna...SO good and SO much faster!!



Skillet Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

28 oz. crushed tomatoes

8 oz. tomato sauce

8 oz. water, I just use the tomato sauce can to measure water and get all the sauce out

1 t. dried basil

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, minced

10 curly edged lasagna noodles, broken into 2 inch pieces

2 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)

1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 cup)

 3/4 cup ricotta cheese, or small curd cottage cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:   Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion and 1/2 t salt and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking apart the meat, until lightly browned and no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes. 

Scatter the pasta over the meat, then pour the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and water over the pasta. Cover, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in half of the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dot heaping tablespoons of the ricotta or cottage cheese over the noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and let stand off the heat until the cheese melts, 2 to 4 minutes.

Do not substitute no-boil lasagna noodles for the traditional, curly-edged lasagna noodles here.