Skillet Lasagna

You know when you're craving the delicious cheesy, meaty, saucy pasta deliciousness that is a good lasagne but lack the time to precook noodles, assemble, and bake for an hour? This recipe here is my answer at those times. It is soooo much quicker to make and at least as good as the classic dish that inspired it. It is even saucier than your typical lasagne, which I love, and calls for plenty of garlic bread on the side to soak it all up.   

Skillet Lasagne

slightly adapted from The Pampered Chef 29 Minutes to Dinner 

1 jar marinara sauce

3 C water

8 oz. lasagna noodles or other pasta

1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed

2 garlic cloves, pressed

2 oz. or about 2/3 C grated Parmesan cheese

1 T chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

1 C fresh whole milk ricotta cheese

1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 t coarsely ground black pepper

additional grated Parmesan

Place sausage into large skillet; cook and stir over medium-high heat 6 - 8 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking into crumbles. Add pressed garlic; cook one minute. Remove from pan and set aside. 

In same pan, combine sauce and water. Cover; bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, wrap lasagne noodles in a clean kitchen towel and break crosswise into quarters. Stir noodles into sauce. Cover; reduce heat and simmer 16 - 18 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir sausage into noodles and sauce.

Combine Parmesan, ricotta, mozzarella, parsley, and pepper in a bowl. Scoop cheese mixture over noodles. Cover skillet and simmer gently 3 - 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and ricotta mixture is heated through.

To serve, sprinkle lasagna with a little more parsley. Serve with additional Parmesan, garlic bread, and salad.