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The Best Skillet Lasagna

By Charlotte on October 9, 2013 1:00 AM

By Anne Byrn, author of Unbelievably Gluten-Free!

I have been intrigued by skillet lasagnas ever since I saw a recipe for one in a Williams-Sonoma catalog. Such a great way to make the dish, I thought, although I never seemed to give it a try.

So when testing recipes for my new cookbook, and thinking pasta and lasagna, I thought back to the skillet method and concocted my own delicious version. It is based around a very simple red sauce with turkey, onions, carrots and garlic, which you layer in a large, oven-proof skillet along with uncooked brown rice lasagna noodles, ricotta and cheese. In about an hour, you have the most yummy lasagna imaginable.

I love lasagna made with ground turkey because it is lighter than beef. Use this recipe as a basic plan and add sliced mushrooms to the sauce or a layer of lightly steamed fresh spinach in the middle. Or change up the cheeses, adding a little feta to the mozzarella--so many possibilities.

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• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 4 cups (32 ounces) good gluten-free marinara (pasta) sauce
• 2 tablespoons red wine (optional)
• 1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
• 9 brown rice lasagna noodles (see Note)
• 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Place the olive oil in a large, ovenproof skillet that is 12 inches in diameter, at least 3 inches deep and has a lid that fits securely. Heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, garlic and carrot and cook, stirring, until the onion softens and begins to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Crumble the turkey into the skillet and cook, stirring, until the turkey is cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the marinara sauce and red wine, if using. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors come together, 5 minutes.

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.

Leave about a third of the sauce in the skillet, transfer the remaining two thirds to a bowl, and set it aside. Place the ricotta, egg, and Parmesan cheese in a medium-size bowl and stir to combine. Break 3 of the lasagna noodles into 3-inch pieces and distribute them over the sauce in the skillet. Spoon a third of the ricotta mixture on top of the lasagna noodles and spread it out thinly to nearly cover them. Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese evenly over the ricotta mixture. Repeat the layers of sauce, noodles and cheese 2 times, ending with the mozzarella.

Place the lid on the skillet and carefully place the skillet in the oven. Bake the lasagna until the noodles have cooked through, the sauce bubbles, and the cheese has melted, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and let the lasagna rest, covered, for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Note: I use DeBoles gluten-free rice lasagna noodles, made from rice flour and rice bran extract. I do not preboil the noodles, but I do break them into 3-inch pieces to distribute them more evenly around the pan.

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Ann Byrn, author of Unbelievably Gluten-Free! and the bestselling The Cake Mix Doctor cookbooks

 

About the Author

In addition to Unbelievably Gluten-Free!, Anne Byrn is the author of the bestselling Cake Mix Doctor series and The Dinner Doctor, with over 3.5 million copies in print. She makes frequent appearances on Good Morning America and QVC. She lives in Nashville, TN, with her family.

Recipe Excerpted from

Unbelievably Gluten-Free!*

Author: Anne Byrn

Publisher: Workman Publishing

Penned: November 2012

What's Inside: 128 delicious recipes for gluten-free pizza, fried chicken and pasta plus breads, dumplings, fritters, pies, cakes, puddings and more.  Although gluten-free, these comfort foods taste just as good as the traditional versions and many include dairy-free variations because people with gluten intolerance often have a problem with dairy.

Time Out: 374 pages

Available: $18.95 at Amazon and other retailers

* Recipe reprinted with publisher permission.

             Book                            Kindle

 

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