We have never liked lasagna. We didn't love the dry noodles, the ground beef, or the plain sauce. So I pinpointed all those things and created something we now can't get enough of. The rolled up noodles nestled in the sauce keep them from drying out or getting hard. The variety of cheeses adds so much flavor, as does the Italian Sausage. We hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do!
Skillet Lasagna
Red Sauce Ingredients
1 pound Italian Sausage, ground
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
Red bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme (if using dried, add another teaspoon)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (if you DON'T like a spicy kick, omit this ingredient or just add a tiny sprinkle)
1 (28 ounce) can Hunt's crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Lasagna Ingredients
10-12 uncooked lasagna noodles, depending on how you want your sauce to noddle ratio
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese (I use part skim)
1 cup shredded fontina cheese
3/4 cup basil pesto
1 cup chunked mozzarella for topping (shredded mozzarella will work as well)
Sprinkle of fresh or dried parsley for topping
In a normal saucepan, brown the meat until no longer pink, then add in the chopped onion, red bell pepper and garlic. Let the meat brown and cook the pepper until it is soft.
Once the sausage onion and pepper are fully cooked, add in all spices (thyme, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper). Let cook for 5 minutes at medium high heat.
Reduce the heat to low and add in the crushed tomatoes, stirring to combine. Cover and let simmer for at least 10 minutes (the longer the better as this will bring out the spices more)
Meanwhile, add water to a large pot and bring to boiling point. Add in uncooked lasagna and cook until soft, stirring often so the noodles don't stick. Once noodles are done, strain them and run under cold water to cool them down.
In a separate bowl, combine ricotta, shredded fontina, and 1/2 cup pesto.
Pour the simmering sauce into a cast iron pan.
Spread noodles out flat, pat them fry with a tea towel and spoon the cheese mixture down the length of the noodle. Starting from the short end, gently roll up the noodle being careful not to squeeze the cheese mixture out. Place each cheese roll into the sauce, pushing it down so the sauce nearly envelopes it.
Once all noodle rollups are added, carefully spoon the sauce surrounding each noodle on top of the noodles. Sprinkle the shredded or chunked mozzarella over the top.
Bake the skillet on a center rack at 425 degrees fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese on top is melty and slightly browned.
Sprinkle with dried parsley and serve!
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