Skillet Lasagne

Adapted from Bon Appetit

My husband makes the best lasagna.  I've only tasted it once, 12 years ago, and I've been trying to get him to make it again since then.  Unfortunately, he claims that it's too much work.  So, with the help of Bon Appetit, I've discovered a compromise.  It may not be AS good, but with only an hour from start to finish, I'll take second best.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz of lasagna sheets
• 1 10 oz pack frozen spinach, thawed 
• 16 oz ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 24 oz jars Rao's Marinara Sauce
• 8 oz low moisture shredded mozzarella

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven with a rack in the top third to 425 degrees F
3. While the water is boiling, wring the spinach out as much as possible into a kitchen towel.  (Better to use a dark towel, otherwise you may have a dreary green towel at the end of all of this.  Mix the dried out spinach together with the ricotta, the Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
4. When the water is at a rolling boil, add the sheets of lasagna and stir occasionally for 6 minutes before draining.  The pasta will still taste too al dente but will cook further in the oven.
5. Heat the olive oil in your oven safe skillet and cook the beef until browned. Drain the excess oil from the skillet and mix the beef into the marinara sauce, reserving 2 cups of the sauce for later. Transfer the beef mixture to another dish.
6. Spread a cup of the reserved sauce over the bottom of the skillet. Layer 1/3 of the lasagna sheets over the sauce, followed by half of the beef mixture, followed by half of the spinach mixture, and topped with 1/3 of the mozzarella. Don't be afraid to tear the lasagna sheets to make them fit the bottom of the pan, although I admit to loving the little crispy edges that come up the sides as well.
7. Layer another 1/3 of the lasagna sheets, followed by the remaining beef mixture, the remaining spinach mixture, and another 1/3 of the mozzarella.
8. Finish by layering the remaining lasagna sheets, followed by the remaining reserved sauce, and then finally, the remaining mozzarella.
9. Bake for 25 minutes.  Let cool on an oven rack for an additional 10 minutes.