Shelly's Recipe

* SKILLET LASAGNA*

Category: Pasta - Meat

1 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt
8 curly-edged lasagna noodles (6 ounces; do not use no-boil variety), broken into 2-inch pieces
1 26-ounce jar marinara sauce (about 3 cups)
2 cups water
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (divided)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (divided) Ground black pepper
3/4 cup ricotta cheese (part-skim or whole milk )
1/4 cup minced fresh basil

Cook meat in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat, breaking it into pieces with a wooden spoon.

Add red bell pepper and cook until fat from the sausage renders, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain fat from meat mixture and return meat to skillet.

Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook over medium-high heat until garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add broken noodles to skillet, marinara sauce and 2 cups water. Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain vigorous simmer, until noodles are tender, about 20 minutes. If mixture seems too dry, add a few tablespoons water.

Off heat, stir in half of mozzarella and half of parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Dot heaping tablespoons of ricotta over noodles, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.

Cover and let stand off heat until cheeses melt, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle with basil before serving.