Stovetop Lasagna (One Skillet, No Oven, Under 30 Minutes)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1 pound ground turkey (or chorizo or ground beef — any protein you prefer)
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• garlic powder, to taste
• oregano, to taste
• paprika, to taste
• sugar, to taste (just a little)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (15 oz) can Hunt's tomato sauce
• fresh parsley, to taste, divided (for the sauce, the ricotta mix, and garnish)
• 8 lasagna noodles, broken in half (about 4 to 6 in the sauce plus a few more on top — add as much as you like)
• 1/2 cup water (swirled in the empty tomato sauce can to capture remaining sauce, then poured over the top noodles so they soften too)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese (spread as much as you like)
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (fresh, for topping)
• fresh cheddar cheese, to taste (for topping)

How to Make It

1. Melt the butter in a skillet.
2. Add the garlic and onion and saute for about 3-4 minutes.
3. Add the ground turkey (or your protein of choice) to the skillet.
4. Season the meat with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, and a little sugar.
5. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, until the meat starts to turn brown.
6. Strain the meat to drain off as much grease as possible, then return it to the skillet.
7. Stir in the tomato paste.
8. Add the tomato sauce and bring it to a boil.
9. Stir in some fresh parsley.
10. Break the lasagna noodles in half and stir them into the sauce.
11. Lay a few more broken noodles across the top.
12. Swirl 1/2 cup water in the empty tomato sauce can and pour it over the top noodles so they soften too.
13. Cover with a lid, turn the heat down as low as it will go, and simmer for approximately 15 minutes.
14. Meanwhile, beat the 2 eggs in a bowl.
15. Mix the ricotta cheese (and a little parsley) into the eggs.
16. Refrigerate the ricotta mixture until the pasta is ready.
17. Partway through the simmer, stir the pasta to make sure it is not sticking to the bottom and burning.
18. Spread the ricotta mixture over the top of the pasta — as much as you like.
19. Top with fresh parmesan and cheddar cheese.
20. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.
21. Cover with the lid and cook until the cheese melts, then serve.

Curtis's Tips

• Protein swap: use any protein you want — chorizo, ground beef, whichever you prefer. I chose ground turkey for a leaner, more tender meat.
• Strain the cooked meat well — get all that grease out so the dish isn't super greasy.
• On the sugar: just a little — if you know, you know.
• Add as much pasta as you would like; I use roughly 4-6 noodles, broken in half, plus a few extra on top.
• Can trick: add water to the empty Hunt's can to rinse out the remaining tomato sauce, then pour it over the top noodles so they get soft as well.
• Stir during the simmer so nothing sticks or burns on the bottom — I had issues with it the first time.
• Don't forget to add parsley to the ricotta-egg mixture — it's easy to forget.
• If you really like ricotta, just fill the whole pan up.
• Leftovers keep well for two or three days, and the dish gets better and better each day.
• This is an easy, under-30-minute recipe.
• Doneness cue: once the cheese on top starts to melt, that's when you know it's ready.
• Sauce shortcut: for a looser, quicker sauce, swap the tomato sauce, tomato paste, and can-swirl water for 1 (24 oz) jar of marinara plus 1 1/2 cups water added directly to the pan before the noodles. This skips the tomato paste entirely.
• Seasoning shortcut: replace the garlic powder, oregano, and paprika with 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and tie 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to the ricotta mixture rather than the meat.
• Cheese swap: use 1 cup shredded mozzarella (divided, some stirred into the ricotta mixture and some on top) plus 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil in place of the cheddar topping.