How To Make Skillet Lasagna Without an Oven

Lidia Bastianich is the Italian cuisine queen in the States and she recently surprised her fans with an unorthodox composition and unconventional cooking technique ready in 45 minutes. 

When Lidia Bastianich put together her book "A Pot, a Pan, and a Bowl," she wanted to remind people of how it felt to cook simply.

The book, whose recipes were tested by many during the pandemic, was put together by Bastianich and one of her grandkids.

It forced her to remember her grandmother's kitchen, where she says there were rarely ever 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."

Lidia Bastianich said: "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."

Naturally, the recipe may raise eyebrows because of its cooking technique and unorthodox composition.

But Lidia Bastianich still invites readers to incorporate sautéed mushrooms, a handful of baby spinach, or crumbled Italian sausage into the sauce, as desired.

Below is Lidia Bastianich Skillet Lasagna's Recipe:

What you'll need

• 12 sheets of raw lasagna3
• 1/4 cups of marinara sauce
• 1 cup of fresh ricotta1 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 rest for 15 minutes before portioning and serving, so it can flavor and be cut more easily.