Cast Iron Skillet Lasagna just completes my obsession with my cast iron and verifies my theory that you can make anything in your cast iron skillet. I’ve been doing lasagna all wrong until this point and so have you.
I love my cast iron, like a love that runs so deep that we will never part. Is it getting weird yet? Well, then it’s about to. I bought my first Lodge Cast Iron almost 8 years ago now and it still brings me the same joy as if it were the first day. I make everything in this thing from bread, to desserts, to searing all the meats. And, yes, now lasagna. Although, this isn’t my first casserole style meal. >>Check out my Tater Tot Casserole <<
Lasagna can sometimes be tedious; you have to boil the noodles, cool the noodles, make the sauce, make the ricotta filling, then layer it all together and bake it. But this takes some steps out of the work. I used ‘no boil, oven ready’ noodles for this dish and it was a total game changer. Also, everything just tastes better in a cast iron skillet.
Barilla makes oven ready lasagne noodles, and I’m here to tell you, it’s a revelation!
Instead of the normal squares, you serve this dish like a pie and for whatever reason it’s so much better. Every slice gets a crispy edge piece and a tender, cheesy, saucy center.
Wine Pairing Recommendation: If you’re lucky enough to find a Corvina for this or a Passimento blend then I highly suggest that {apassimento is the style to make Amarone, but now Italian wineries are embracing the style with similar blends just not similar price tags}. Italian is always the way.
Cast Iron Skillet Lasagna
This recipe uses no boil, oven ready lasagne noodles. Barilla is my go to and I love the easy prep of this recipe. It is also a recipe for a 12
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 pound Italian Sausage
- 1 whole Onion, diced
- 3-4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 jar {24 ounces} Marinara
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper, to taste
- 1 {15 ounce} package Whole Milk Ricotta
- 1 whole Egg
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 tablespoons Parsley, chopped
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 1 {12 ounce} package Oven Ready Lasagne Noodles
- 2 cups Low Moisture Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- Nonstick Cooking Spray
- Parsley, chopped for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Step 2 In a 12 inch cast iron skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat, add the Italian sausage to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes while breaking apart with the edge of your wooden spoon or cooking utensil. Add chopped onion to the pan and stir to combine. Brown onions while stirring, another 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning to the pan. Stir to combine and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Step 3 Add in marinara and add about a 1/2 cup of water to the jar, seal and shake all the good bits around, add into the pan. Stir and bring to a slight simmer. Remove from heat, season with kosher salt and ground black pepper, and pour the sauce into a prep bowl or pot. Set your cast iron skillet aside for assembly, no need to clean it.
- Step 4 In a medium size mixing bowl add ricotta, eggs, kosher salt, parsley, and parmesan cheese. Mix well.
- Step 5 In the same cast iron skillet you used to make the sauce assemble your lasagna. Ladle your marinara mixture in the bottom of the pan to coat, layer about 4 dry lasagne noodles evenly on top, {break apart to fit the pan, and fill in empty sides with broken lasagne pieces, I like to call it noodle shrapnel}.
- Step 6 Using a spoon dot the top of lasagne with the ricotta mixture and repeat layers until all ingredients end with the marinara as the top layer. Then top everything with the shredded mozzarella. At this point, I like to gently press the mixture down in the pan. {Get in there and use your hands.}
- Step 7 Spray a piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray and cover spray side down to cover the lasagna. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes.
- Step 8 Remove the foil and broil until the cheese is slightly golden and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Remove and cool for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley and enjoy!
The result is a very rustic, easy to put together, delicious lasagna!
Savor and Enjoy!
Hi,
This recipe looks great. How many layers do you typically get with the ingredients?
Thanks!
Hi James, About 3 or 4 layers. Cheers!
Hi Victoria,
This is a delicious and easy recipe! Didn’t have fresh parsley, so I used a little dry and fresh basil with the ricotta. Didn’t have oven bake noodles used regular. Just soak in warm water at least half an hour before using works well to.
Great recipe, thanks!
Hi Lindsay! Glad you enjoyed! Thank you and Cheers!
I made this to take to the church potluck today. It turned out perfect and one guy came back to scrape the sides of the skillet – he said he couldn’t bear to let any of it go to waste! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Thanks Karen, that’s so wonderful to hear! Cheers!
Tomato sauce in cast iron skillet — a no no, takes a while to clean the sauce out as it permeates the cast iron. The pan would have to be retreated after this use. Us another type of oven ready pan.
Hi John,
With a well seasoned cast iron it is completely fine to cook this in it, here’s some cast iron myth busters for you to educate yourself on >> https://www.americastestkitchen.com/guides/cook-it-in-cast-iron/busting-cast-iron-myths But feel free to make this dish in a different pan if that makes you more comfortable, might I suggest an enameled cast iron skillet like Le Creuset instead. The point of this recipe is that it’s so easy to make in a one skillet dish. Feel free to leave feedback when you actually make the recipe. Enjoy!
I use polenta instead of lasagna noodles in my lasagna. Would that work with this receipt?