Skillet Lasagna

I made this easy quick lasagna for my boys on a snowy Sunday afternoon.  They loved it.  I used a combination of two skillet lasagna recipes.  Enjoy!

SKILLET LASAGNA

Ingredients:

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, minced

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon white pepper

1 pound 95% lean ground beef

1 (28-ounce) crushed tomatoes

3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 egg
6 no-boil lasagna noodles

Parmesan cheese for grating

Directions:

1.      Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add in 3 tablespoons olive oil then toss in onion with ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil.  Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes, until soft.  Add in 2 cloves garlic and cook for another minute, then add in ground beef, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon.  Cook until just browned, about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  If there is excess liquid in the pan, feel free to drain a bit.  Remove beef from heat and set aside.

2.      Heat remaining olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Add in remaining 2 cloves garlic, cook until golden, 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes, 1 tablespoon fresh basil, add remaining salt and pepper, cook until saucy, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a blender and puree.  Return 1 cup of the sauce to the skillet and reduce the heat to low; reserve the remaining sauce.

3.      Meanwhile, mix the ricotta, egg, parmesan, the remaining 1 tablespoon basil in a bowl.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

4.      Place 2 lasagna noodles over the sauce in the skillet.  Layer half of the ground beef on top and season with salt and pepper.  Cover with half of the ricotta mixture, a few pieces of mozzarella and 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce.  Repeat the layers, ending with noodles.  Top with the remaining sauce and mozzarella.  Cover and simmer until the lasagna is cooked and the cheese melts, 20 to 25 minutes.

5.      Let rest for a few minutes before slicing.  Garnish with more parmesan and fresh herbs.