Skillet Lasagna

Reminds me of a home cooked gourmet Hamburger Helper. I used to love that stuff as a kid. Cleanup is pretty simple since it only uses one pan (a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid) on the stove so you don't even need to turn on the oven during those hot summer days. The cheese doesn't get nice and bubbly like when you bake it, but the pasta comes out tender and the sauce is rich and sweet. It's really pretty good and overall much easier than baked lasagna.

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
2 C chopped spinach
Salt
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
12 oz Italian sausage, casing removed (can also buy sausage not in casings)
10 curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 C mozarella
Grated Parmesan to taste (optional)
Ground black pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Pour tomatoes with their juices into 1-quart liquid measuring cup. Add water until mixture measures 1 quart.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach.

Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sausage and cook, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

Scatter pasta evenly over meat but do not stir. Pour diced tomatoes with juices and tomato sauce over pasta. Cover and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally (which really means pressing the pasta back into the sauce and kind of poking around), until pasta is tender, about 20 minutes. (The sauce should look watery after 15 minutes of cooking.)

Remove skillet from heat and stir in the mozarella. Season with salt and pepper. Dot with heaping tablespoons ricotta, cover, and let stand off heat for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Serve.

 Serves 4 to 6, from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook