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an everyday deep skillet of irregular flat lasagna noodle squares in red ground-beef tomato sauce with small white ricotta dollops and melted white mozzarella between them, with no layered slice or garnish
Rachel Kim

Skillet Lasagna

Break the lasagna sheets into rough squares so they can settle into the sauce without forming one hard stack at the bottom of the skillet. Lift and separate them as they soften, then leave the ricotta in little pockets instead of stirring it into the beef. Those white pockets and a covered mozzarella finish make this taste like lasagna without requiring an oven, but the sheets still need enough thin sauce to move freely while they cook.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 can 28 oz crushed tomatoes
  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup water reserved as needed
  • 8 oz regular dry lasagna sheets broken into 2-inch pieces
  • 3/4 tsp fine salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta
  • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
  • 4 oz low-moisture mozzarella grated

Method
 

  1. Brown beef and onion in a deep 12-inch 5-quart saute pan over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, breaking up the meat and cooking to 160°F. Drain excess fat.
  2. Add garlic, basil and oregano for 30 seconds, then crushed tomatoes, the 2 1/2 cups water, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
  3. Add broken lasagna sheets a few pieces at a time, pushing them under the sauce and separating overlapping sheets. Cover loosely and simmer over medium-low heat for 16 to 20 minutes, lifting and stirring every 3 minutes until tender; add reserved water as needed.
  4. Mix ricotta with Parmesan in a bowl. When the pasta is tender and the sauce still moves around it, spoon 8 small dollops over the skillet and scatter mozzarella between them.
  5. Cover tightly and heat on low for 3 to 4 minutes until mozzarella melts and ricotta is hot. Rest off the heat for 3 minutes before spooning into bowls.