Name: Home Kitchen Unfussy Skillet Lasagna
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon olive oil; 1 medium yellow onion (diced); 4 clove garlic (minced); 3/4 pound ground chuck; 1/4 pound Italian sausage; 8 lasagna noodles (broken into thirds); 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes; 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce; 1/2 cup water; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1/2 cup ricotta; 4 ounces fresh mozzarella (sliced thin and torn); fresh basil leaves (for serving); shaved Parmesan cheese (for serving)

This Straightforward Skillet Lasagna is dependable any night of the week because you make the entire dish in one skillet. Even the noodles! Broken lasagna noodles simmer in a simple tomato sauce with ground beef and sausage before being swirled with ricotta, topped with mozzarella. Serves 6.

One lasagna.

One skillet.

One serving.

Only kidding. It’s more like two. Okay, fine- six. But it could be a single serving right-right? I mean, if you’re genuinely hungry of course.

Did you know the hardest part about blogging is the cooking, photography and of course taste testing? No truly, that’s the simplest part… it’s the having to stop after one bite, pack it all up and wait for dinner. Because you know I don’t make dinner at regular hours. My poor family.

Oh and the dishes. How I hate all those dirty dishes.

I’ve done my skillet lasagna research and didn’t truly find one I liked. So I set out to truly create a straightforward skillet lasagna recipe that worked for me. One that requires a skillet (obviously) and as few dirty dishes as blog-ly (completely not a word) possible. Well folks, I found-err made it.

To cook this Unfussy Skillet Lasagna Gather:

olive oil
yellow onion
fresh garlic
extra lean ground beef
bulk Italian sausage
uncooked lasagna noodles
crushed san Marzano tomatoes
tomato sauce
water
kosher salt
black pepper
red pepper flakes
ricotta cheese (whole milk or low-fat)
fresh mozzarella

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a 12-inch skillet that has been preheating over moderate heat. You want to go big with the pan here so everything fits and cooks evenly.

Throw in 1 medium diced yellow onion and cook for 5-8 minutes or until they are soft and translucent. Man, if I had a dollar for every time I typed that.

Next, throw 4 cloves of minced garlic and cook for a minute or two.

The smell of onions and garlic is one of my favorites.

Then add in 3/4 of a pound of lean ground beef and 1/4 pound of ground Italian sausage.

Side Note: I had a remaining 3/4 pound of Italian sausage so I wrapped it in foil so I could freeze it for later. Two days after I made this exact lasagna I went to my pantry, pulled out the drawer for my olive oil and there was my shiny foil-wrapped package of sausage. So not in the freezer! Then today, I opened a different cupboard for some plastic storage containers and found a box of couscous. I truly think I’m losing it.

Next, using a wooden spoon, break up the meat. Cook the ground beef and sausage, stirring occasionally until fully cooked. If there is a ton of grease in the pan, use a spoon to remove it and discard. If using extra lean ground beef, there may not be a whole lot grease to drain off.

Then season the meat mixture with kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and a few pinches of red pepper flakes, stir to combine.

Meanwhile, break about 8 to 10 lasagna noodles in to thirds. Never mind those shrapnel pieces that fly across the counter, you won’t need them.

Then scatter the noodles over top evenly.

Next pour 1 (28 ounce) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes, 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of water over top.

Then carefully toss to combine. Next increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sauce simmer the noodles into submission, stirring every so often so the noodles won’t stick to the bottom of the skillet.

Then, after about 20 to 25 minutes the noodles should be al dente.

Next using a spoon, place dollops of ricotta over top of the skillet lasagna and gently stir it in a smidge.

Don’t stir it in too much, you want the ricotta to still be visible and not disappear in the lasagna.

Lastly, top with 4 ounces (more or less to your preference) torn pieces of thinly sliced fresh mozzarella.

Lastly, cover with a lid and let the steam melt that glorious cheese.

Serve this straightforward skillet lasagna piping hot with fresh basil, shaved Parmesan and maybe with a fresh green salad, crispy garlic bread and a glass of wine.

Side note: try this lasagna with a spoonful of basil pesto, it’s notable!