Lidia Bastianich's skillet lasagna recipe is destined to spark discussion. The Italian cuisine queen in the States surprises with her unorthodox composition and unconventional cooking technique. Ready in 45 minutes, it's extracted from the book "A Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl."
Cover photo: @Armando Rafael
The dish
Interpreting Italian Sunday dishes is not difficult for Lidia Bastianich, accustomed as she is to setting the table for her five grandchildren and two children, Joe and Tanya. The latter helped her write the book "A Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl," whose recipes were tested during the pandemic. But her thoughts went back to her grandmother's kitchen, where rarely were there two pans on the stove. "I wonder if she had more than one pot," she jokes. "For me, it's about going back to basics. It's the way I cooked with her, it's comfort food."
"My idea was to make simple things so that people would return to cooking. It's so nice to smell food in the house. It conveys the positive feeling that someone loves us." Of course, the recipe may raise eyebrows for its cooking technique and unorthodox composition.
But Lidia doesn't hesitate to invite readers to incorporate sautéed mushrooms, a handful of baby spinach, or crumbled Italian sausage into the sauce, as desired.
Lidia Bastianich Skillet Lasagna's Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 sheets of raw lasagna
- 3 1/4 cups of marinara sauce
- 1 cup of fresh ricotta
- 1 cup of diced mozzarella
- 1/2 cup of grated Grana Padano
- 1 large beaten egg
- 1/2 cup of frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
- Kosher salt
- Red pepper flakes
- Extra virgin olive oil
Method
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add enough oil to form a thin film on the bottom of the skillet. Add 1 3/4 cups of marinara sauce with 1/4 cup of water, then bring to a simmer over medium heat.
In a bowl, mix ricotta with half of the mozzarella and half of the Grana Padano, the egg, peas, and parsley. Season with salt and red pepper flakes. Mix well.
Arrange 3 sheets of pasta over the sauce in the skillet. Dollop a third of the cheese mixture, then sprinkle with a quarter cup of sauce. Form two more layers and finish with pasta. Pour the remaining sauce, mozzarella, and Grana Padano. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the pasta is al dente (check by piercing the center with a paring knife).
Preheat the broiler. Broil the lasagna until the surface is golden brown, about 1 minute. Let it sit for 15 minutes before portioning and serving, so it can flavor and be cut more easily.
Recipe from Lidia Bastianich's official website
