Skillet Lasagna

I've seen this dish on both Josie's blog, and more recently on Elly's blog. I had to try it. Lasagna holds a special place in our kitchen. It is one of my mom's favorite dishes. Whenever I bring her a batch of frozen meals, I always try to include some kind of lasagna dish. Which means, I'm always on the hunt for a good lasagna recipe. I love that everything (including the noodles) cooks in the skillet, making it a perfect one dish meal. Elly added Italian sausage to her recipe, which I look forward to trying as well.

Skillet Lasagna
adapted from Pink Parsley
originally from America’s Test Kitchen, Pasta Revolution

note: When breaking the lasagna noodles, I found it easiest to break each one in half lengthwise (so there was a curly edge on each piece.) Then I broke those into about 4 pieces each.


1 Tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, with liquid
4 garlic cloves, minced
⅛ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 lb ground sirloin
10 (curly-edged) lasagna noodles, broken into pieces (see note)
½ c water
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
3 Tbs chopped fresh basil


Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick (or cast iron) skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook,until softened, stirring occasionally (5 to 7 minutes.) Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the garlic, pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add ground beef to the skillet. Cook, stirring often and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until meat is no longer pink (about 10 minutes.)

Scatter the pasta in the skillet, then pour the crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes over the top. Stir, increase the heat to medium-high, and cover. Cook at a bubbling simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender, 20 minutes. Keep the pan covered when not stirring. About halfway through, stir in the water. Stir the noodles frequently to keep them from clumping together or sticking to the bottom of the skillet.

Preheat the broiler. Remove the skillet from heat. Stir in half the mozzarella, all of the Parmesan, and a third of the ricotta cheeses. Dot the remaining ricotta over the noodles in tablespoons, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Transfer to the oven and broil until the cheese melts and is starts to brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and serve.