Skillet Lasagna

Do you think you know lasagna? Sauce, noodles, maybe some ground beef, lasts for a few nights...the end? Well, you are in for a treat because this post is all about some really good (and really easy)  lasagna. Does it include "revolutionary" ingredients? No, not really. But there are some subtle differences that make this the best lasagna that I have ever had. Stuart agreed on this one, saying that it tasted like it came from a fancy restaurant! And the biggest perk? It's all cooked in a single stove-top skillet, no hour-long baking time needed!

I have to thank my favorite blogger, Joanna Goddard, for this recipe. I bookmarked it when she posted it back in January 2014, then promptly forgot all about it. It wasn't until my sister Anna raved about the recipe that I decided to give it a try. It's hard to put into words what makes it better than other lasagna I've had. I think it has a lot do do with the fact that it uses cream cheese (instead of ricotta), canned tomatoes (instead of tomato sauce), and Italian sausage (versus ground beef). Maybe a little bit of magic too, who knows?!

*Cooking note: Before you begin, make sure that you have an extra-large saute pan ready to use. I used a 12-inch skillet, and even that was a bit too small. Ideally, you want a big skillet with high sides so that nothing sloshes out during cooking. 

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. sweet or hot Italian sausages, casings removed
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
Large pinch of hot red pepper flakes
1 tsp. dried oregano
Two 28-oz. cans whole, peeled tomatoes (diced tomatoes also works. If you are using a smaller pan,  cut down the amount of tomatoes to 1 or 1 1/2 cans.)
1 sprig fresh basil, plus a handful of leaves
Salt and pepper
One 9-oz. package no-boil lasagna noodles
4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 cup)
1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced and patted dry

Directions:
1. In a large high-sided sauté pan with a 3-quart capacity, heat the olive oil over high heat until it shimmers. Add the sausages and cook, stirring often and breaking up the meat, until browned, about 4 minutes. Leaving as much oil in the pan as possible, transfer the sausage to a medium bowl and set aside.

2. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the onions, garlic and pepper flakes to the pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 7 minutes. Add the oregano, the tomatoes and their juices, crushing the tomatoes with your hands or a potato masher, the sprig of basil, and the cooked sausage and any juices. Season with salt and pepper, then gently simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Check the seasonings (it should be a little salty) and discard the basil sprig.

3. Break half of the lasagna noodles in half crosswise (it’s fine if smaller pieces break off) and as you do so, push each piece into the sauce under the sausage, distributing them evenly throughout the pan. Break the remaining half of the noodles in half and distribute them evenly over the sauce, then push down on them with the back of a spoon to submerge them. Cover the pan (you can use aluminum foil if your pan doesn't have a lid) and simmer until the noodles are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 12 minutes.

4. Dollop the cream cheese over the lasagna and swirl it into the sauce. Top with the mozzarella and continue to simmer, covered, until the cheese is melted (about 2 minutes). Off the heat, top with the basil leaves, tearing any large ones. Let the lasagna rest, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, then serve.