[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by Buzz

I just took a small lasagna out of the oven, how do you do a skillet version?

Make a skillet meat sauce with whole peeled tomatoes blitzed in the food processor (more liquidy and crushed tomatoes), then summer with broken lasagna noodles until done. Add some cheese and mix in, then top with more cheese and dollops of ricotta.

3(14.5-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
1tablespoon olive oil
1medium onion, minced
Salt
3medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
⅛teaspoon red pepper flakes
1pound meatloaf mix
10curly-edged lasagna noodles (about 8 1/2 ounces), broken into 2-inch lengths
2ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
½ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
Ground black pepper
¾cup ricotta cheese (see note)
3tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

INSTRUCTIONS
SERVES 4
Do not substitute no-boil lasagna noodles for the traditional, curly-edged lasagna noodles here. Meatloaf mix is a combination of ground beef, pork, and veal, sold pre-packaged in many supermarkets. If it’s unavailable, use 1/2 pound each ground pork and 85 percent ground beef. We recommend using either whole milk or part-skim ricotta here, but do not use fat-free ricotta, which has a very dry texture and bland flavor.

1. Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until coarsely ground and no large pieces remain, about 12 pulses.

2. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground meat and cook, breaking apart the meat, until lightly browned and no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Scatter the pasta over the meat, then pour the processed tomatoes over the pasta. Cover, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.

4. Off the heat, stir in half of the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dot heaping tablespoons of the ricotta over the noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and let stand off the heat until the cheese melts, 2 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with the basil and serve.