Speedy Suppers: Skillet Lasagna

By , SparkPeople Blogger
Mmm, Italian food.

Cheesy, rich and delicious.

Whether it's covered in red sauce, white sauce or anything in between, we're fans of all fare from the boot-shaped country. My boyfriend, Fred, lived in Naples as a kid and his mom cooks some really delicious, authentic meals. When he makes dinner, it's usually some sort of pasta dish.
Unfortunately, Italian favorites like spaghetti and meatballs or lasagna are fairly time-consuming for a weeknight meal. They're pretty heavy, too!

I came across this popular dish on SparkRecipes: Skillet Lasagna. It takes just under half an hour, instead of an hour or more like regular lasagna. A perfect addition to our Speedy Suppers blog series. Seems like a keeper to me! Plus, it has only 336.5 calories and 10.6 g fat and serves six. Leftovers--yeah!

We'll be making some modifications to this recipe in our flexitarian household, but the versatility is one of the advantages of this dish. Here are some tips to modify this recipe for your family.

  • Swap ground turkey for the beef and save about 22 calories, 8.7 grams of fat, and 6 grams of saturated fat per serving.

  • Use low-fat or regular cheeses if you're not a fan of fat-free dairy.

  • Saute veggie "meat" crumbles or mushrooms instead of beef.

  • Add a few handfuls of fresh spinach or a 1 cup of chopped frozen spinach.

  • Add diced or shredded zucchini to the sauce.

  • The possibilities are endless!


Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 small onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)
1-1/4 cup water
8 oz tomato sauce
1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried basil leaves
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp salt
2-1/2 cup broken up whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 cup fat free cottage cheese
1/4 cup fat free grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
Shredded fat free mozzarella cheese for garnish

Directions:
In a large skillet, brown beef with onions and garlic. Drain.

Add tomatoes, water, tomato sauce, parsley, basil, oregano, and salt.

Stir in uncooked pasta.

Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Combine cottage and Parmesan cheeses.

Mix in the egg.

Sprinkle in basil and pepper to taste.

Drop cheese mixture by rounded tablespoons onto pasta mixture.

Cover and cook for 5 minutes more.

Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and serve.

Find the full nutrition info (and offer feddback on the recipe) here.

Have you ever tried this recipe? Will you? What's your favorite busy weeknight meal? Share your favorite recipe (paste links from SparkRecipes, if you'd like) in the comments below.