Samantha Nicole Who knew you could use a cast-iron skillet to make lasagna?! Cast-Iron Lasagna is delicious proof that just about everything tastes better cooked in the beloved seasoned pan. Everything you love about regular lasagna–spicy sausage, a delicious red sauce, all the cheese you can dream of, and soft, smooshy lasagna noodles — can be found here, but just upgraded because it’s all nestled into the cast-iron skillet to make sure the flavor is really packed into every bite. Once you try Cast-Iron Lasagna, you might just ditch your casserole dish until the end of time!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 3 (14.5-ounce) cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 15 ounces ricotta
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 2 1/2 cups mozzarella, shredded
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 12 no-boil lasagna noodles, broken in half
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, optional, for garnish
Directions
Step 1 -Place the oven rack in the middle position.
Step 2 -Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 3 -Place a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil.
Step 4 -Once the olive oil is shimmering, add the onions and cook until lightly browned, about 6-7 minutes.
Step 5 -Add the garlic, the red pepper flakes, and the sausage to the onions.
Step 6 -Use a wooden spoon to break the sausage up into bite pieces and cook until no longer pink, about 6-7 minutes.
Step 7 -Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and their juices to the sausage mixture. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Step 8 -Transfer the sausage mixture to a bowl.
Step 9 -In a separate medium bowl, add the ricotta, the egg yolk, the thyme, the oregano, the salt, and the pepper. Stir to combine.
Step 10 -In a third bowl, combine the mozzarella and the parmesan.
Step 11 -On the bottom of the skillet, spread 1 cup of the sauce.
Step 12 -Add 7 of the noodle halves around the edges of the skillet and 1 of the noodle halves in the middle.
Step 13 -Add 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles.
Step 14 -Top the ricotta mixture with 1/3 of the mozzarella-parmesan cheese mixture.
Step 15 -Repeat the layering process two more times, ending with the mozzarella-parmesan cheese mixture.
Step 16 -Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the edges are bubbling and the cheese is slightly golden-brown, about 30-35 minutes.
Step 17 -Top with the basil and serve.
