Recipe by Mary Lou, B. Daytona Beach
“There are many advantages to baking lasagna in the electric skillet. Primarily, it takes less time. Secondly, you can serve the lasagna right from the skillet—and thanks to the insulated legs, you can even place it directly on the dining room table. Love it!”
🍲 Stovetop Baked Lasagna (with Gluten & Dairy-Free Options)
Preparation Time
⏱ 1 hour
🍴 Makes 12 servings
Equipment
- Chef’s knife & cutting board
- Kitchen machine food cutter (1 & 3 cones for cheese)
- 13-inch Oil Core electric skillet (or 13-inch French skillet)
Ingredients
- 4 cups (1 L) Italian Meat Sauce (see recipe below)
- 8–10 oz fresh lasagna pasta OR 1 box (8 oz / 230 g) uncooked lasagna pasta
- 16 oz (460 g) ricotta cheese
- 2 cups skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (#3 cutting cone)
- ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (#1 cutting cone)
Gluten & Dairy-Free Options
- Use rice pasta (Barilla of Italy makes an excellent gluten-free pasta).
- Substitute Pecorino Romano (goat’s milk) for Parmigiano.
- Use goat’s or sheep’s milk ricotta and mozzarella (both available at specialty markets).
Assembly & Cooking
- Layer the base: Spread Italian Meat Sauce over the bottom of the electric skillet. Lay down 1 layer of uncooked lasagna noodles.
- Continue layering in this order:
- Meat sauce
- Lasagna noodles
- Ricotta cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
Repeat the sequence until the 4th noodle layer is added.
- Finish the top: Spread with meat sauce, sprinkle with mozzarella, and dust with Parmesan.
Cooking Methods
Electric Skillet or Induction
- Cover the skillet and close the vent.
- Heat at 210–225°F (99–110°C).
- Bake 35–45 minutes.
- Unplug/turn off, uncover, and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Large Sauté Skillet
- Cover and close the vent.
- Heat to 275°F (135°C) for 3 minutes.
- Reduce to 210–225°F (99–110°C) and cook 35–40 minutes.
- Remove from heat, uncover, and let stand 10 minutes.
⚠️ Note: Some skillets may run hot—at 225°F, noodles can scorch. For your first batch, begin at the lower setting and adjust as needed.
Serving
Cut into 16 equal squares using a serrated spatula or knife (avoid scratching the skillet). Lift out portions with a flexible spatula. Serve with Italian Garlic Bread.
Nutrition (Per Serving)
- Calories: 310
- Fat: 16 g
- Carbs: 17 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 66 mg
- Sodium: 534 mg (320 mg if using homemade sauce)
🍅 Italian Meat Sauce (Quick & Uncomplicated)
Preparation Time
⏱ 35 minutes
🍴 Makes 8 servings
Equipment
- Chef’s knife & cutting board
- Kitchen machine food cutter (#2 cone for onion)
- 6-quart stockpot
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter (optional, for richness)
- 1 onion, peeled & chopped (#2 cutting cone)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup Chianti or Port wine
- 2–3 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 lbs (1 kg) lean ground beef (or ⅓ each ground beef, pork, and veal)
- 1 can (28 oz / 800 g) plum tomatoes, diced
- 1 can (12 oz / 350 g) tomato sauce
Method
- Preheat pot: Heat 6-quart stockpot over medium-high (375°F) for 2–3 minutes (induction: <1 min). Test with water droplets; they should dance, not evaporate.
- Sauté aromatics: Add olive oil, butter (if using), and onion. Cook 2–3 minutes until caramelized. Add garlic; cook another 2–3 minutes.
- Deglaze: Pour in wine. Stir with seasoning and sugar until the liquid mostly evaporates.
- Cook meat: Add ground meat. Cover (vent open) and dry sauté 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain fat.
- Finish sauce: Stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce. Reduce to 175–200°F and simmer 15–20 minutes.
Nutrition (Per Serving)
- Calories: 261
- Fat: 15 g
- Carbs: 0 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
- Sodium: 154 mg