Skillet Lasagna with Italian Sausage and Pesto
Skillet Lasagna is perfect for when you’re craving lasagna, but short on time! This one-pan dinner has all the delicious flavours of lasagna — with Italian sausage, tomato sauce, noodles, ricotta, and mozzarella cheeses.
Let’s talk about the ingredients for Skillet Lasagna
Italian sausage – I’ve used the hot Italian sausage here. It comes in a bulk package — no need to remove the meat from sausage casings, so it saves on time.
Noodles – You can use any large, flat noodle! I’ve used farfalle pasta (bowties), but you can also use broken lasagna noodles, Mafalda corta, or even rigatoni.
Tomatoes – You can use canned crushed tomatoes, or whole tomatoes that have been mashed up.
Ricotta – I love mixing the ricotta up with spices to give it a little bump in flavour. Did you know? Making your own ricotta is incredibly easy!
Mozzarella – Creates a beautiful, melty top to the skillet lasagna.
Pesto – Salty pesto is the condiment, drizzled over the ricotta for a burst of brightness.
Can I Make Substitutions?
Italian Sausage – Feel free to substitute ground beef or ground pork. I would add more Italian seasoning if you do.
Ricotta – Feeling spendy? Use torn up chunks of burrata cheese instead.
Mozzarella – You can substitute an Italian shredded cheese blend if you like. As long as it has mozzarella in the blend, it would work in a pinch.
Tomatoes – Instead of crushed tomatoes, you can use whole tomatoes (crush them first) or diced tomatoes. There are lots of options of diced tomatoes that have additional flavours added – give one a try!
Pesto – you can purchase basil pesto in a jar, in the refrigerator section of your grocery store, or you can make your own. Don’t have any? Leave it out if you need to.
Skillet Lasagna with Italian Sausage and Pesto
Equipment
- Large skillet with lid
- Mixing bowl
- cheese grater
Ingredients
- 280 g container ricotta about 8 oz
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp dried basil leaves
- salt & pepper
- 375 g pkg Italian sausage 3/4 lb
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 large onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning blend
- 796 ml can crushed tomatoes 26 fl oz
- 500 ml chicken stock 2 cups
- 226 g pasta 8 oz such as broken lasagna noodles, rigatoni, bowties
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ¼ cup basil pesto prepared
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Combine ricotta, red pepper flakes, basil leaves in a small bowl until completely mixed. Add salt & pepper to taste. Set aside.
- In a large skillet with a lid over medium heat, add olive oil. When hot, add Italian sausage and cook until crumbled and just starting to brown, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning, and cook until onion just starts to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, and pasta. Stir to combine. Use a large spoon to make sure all pasta is covered with the liquid. Increase heat to high so that the pasta comes to a boil, then reduce to low.
- Cover and cook until pasta is tender (time depends upon what pasta you used) – usually 15-20 minutes.
- Take off heat and place spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture on top of the cooked pasta. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the surface of the whole dish.
- Place uncovered under a broiler for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted, golden, and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes to cool slightly.
- Before serving, garnish with torn basil leaves and drizzle pesto over the whole dish.
- Serve with a green salad for a complete dinner!