Monday, October 17, 2011

Three Cheese Skillet Deliciousness

As the temperatures fall, my motivation for cooking rises.  Perhaps it's simply the coziness of the kitchen and the warmth of the oven that makes me want to spend more time in this room, fattening up the family for winter.  I've been dusting off my old recipe binder to make some of my winter go to recipes:  soups, stews, cookies, granola, and this delicious three-cheese skillet lasagna (via Martha Stewart)! Easy to make, even though it does keep you in the kitchen longer than my usual preferred maximum 10 minute prep time.


Ingredients

  • 43 ounces canned whole peeled plum tomatoes (from a 28-ounce can and a 15-ounce can)
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt and ground pepper
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese, room temperature
  • 1 box (12 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, shredded
  • 1/4 cup grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, pulse tomatoes until coarsely pureed. In a large deep skillet, bring tomatoes, garlic, and oil to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce to a simmer and cook on medium until thickened, about 12 minutes (you should have 5 cups marinara sauce).
  2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together egg yolk, ricotta, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
  3. Carefully pour sauce into a heatproof bowl and return 3/4 cup to skillet; spread sauce evenly. Add a single layer of noodles, breaking them up to fit. Top with half the ricotta mixture, spreading evenly. Follow with a second layer of noodles, then 1 1/2 cups marinara. Add a third layer of noodles, then remaining ricotta mixture. Follow with a final noodle layer, then remaining sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella and pecorino over top.
  4. Bake lasagna until golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
MY TIME SAVING HINT:  If you don't have time to make the marina with the plum tomatoes, you can simply use a box or two of POMI Marina or start with strained tomatoes and skip the food processor part.  POMI tomatoes are fantastic and I keep my cupboard stocked with them.  I try my best to stay away from canned goods (because of the PBA issue) and these are a great replacement to canned tomatoes, which happen to absorb higher amounts of PBA compared to other canned foods because of their acidity.  I used one box of strained tomatoes when I made this last week.  The recipe calls for more, but one box was fine.



Have a winter go to recipe to share?



16 comments:

Danielle (elleinadspir) said...

I love comforting winter food....and this fits the bill for sure! yum.

Melissa Blake said...

Ooooh, that looks so delicious!!! :)

Kimia Kline said...

YUM. i love winter food :) though it's never good for my waist line!

Cara Kuhl said...

this sounds AWESOME. and I love your intro to this, it resonates with me and is so well put!

Anonymous said...

Ooooh. That looks like a major yum! BTW, I love your blog redesign. :)
Katie

Cat said...

Oh goodness ... you had me at cheese ... the cheesier the better :)

♥ Cat brideblu

About Last Weekend said...

Yum - and apparently canned or boxed tomatoes and even more healthy for you than fresh!

Eat. Live. Laugh. and sometimes shop! said...

Yummy, cheesy goodness! And I love the tip about the boxed tomatoes in lieu of canned!

THE ALTERNATIVE WIFE said...

Sounds amazing! This time of year the kitchen definitely calls my name :)

Josie said...

STOP -- dear Lord, this looks so delicious!
xo Josie
www.winksmilestyle.com

audrey marie said...

oh i need to make this for our next football sunday!

bestie said...

i should mention that i added italian seasonings and oregano to the ricotta and i used fat free ricotta and it was actually good!

Life Through Preppy Glasses said...

i would love for someone to cook for me right now! haha. THis sounds delicious

Karena said...

It is comfort food weather as soon as Autumn begins!! This looks simply delish!

I love your general 10 minute rule!!

Oh I have a Designer Pillows Giveaway! I hope you will join! ( a great source as well)

xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena

STYLE'N said...

I agree-as the weather gets cooler I feel like cooking more too..especially comfort foods. This looks super easy and yummy. Thanks for sharing. I am always up for some new inspiration in the kitchen.

torrie said...

I am right there with ya... I have so much to do that I'm forcing myself NOT to cook as much for these few days, but I keep seeing all of these delicious-looking recipes (like this one)!