All the comfort of lasagna, minus the layering marathon. Everything comes together on the stovetop, which is my kind of dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 jar (24–26 oz) marinara sauce
- 3 cups water
- 8 oz dry lasagna noodles
- 1 lb ground meat: a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage (Laura’s version; the original uses Italian turkey sausage)
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- Extra grated Parmesan, optional
Directions
- Pour the marinara and water into a covered 12-inch stainless steel skillet and bring to a boil.
- Break the dry lasagna noodles into quarters and stir them into the sauce. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 16–18 minutes, stirring now and then, until the noodles are tender.
- Meanwhile, cook the ground beef and Italian sausage in a separate sauté pan over medium-high heat, breaking it into crumbles with the Mix ’N Chop. Cook thoroughly, about 6–8 minutes if starting with raw meat. Stir in the pressed garlic and cook another minute. Drain excess fat if needed. Add the meat to the noodle skillet.
- In a glass mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, grated Parmesan, 1 tablespoon of parsley, and black pepper. Stir until mixed.
- Spoon the cheese mixture over the hot noodles. Cover and simmer gently for 3–5 minutes, until the cheese is heated through and the mozzarella melts.
- Top with the remaining parsley and extra Parmesan, if desired. Serve warm.
Yield: 6 servings.
Laura’s Tip: Prep Once, Cook Later
I used a combination of hamburger and Italian sausage that I had cooked and frozen together ahead of time. Thaw it in the refrigerator and warm it with the garlic before adding it to the sauce. One less thing to deal with at dinnertime!
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