CS Skillet Lasagna with Italian Sausage

★★★★★

Entrees, MVPs

Ingredients

Pasta, campanelle - 8 oz (sub any pasta shape - fusilli or penne would work well)

Garlic - 4 cloves, chopped

Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp

Sausage, Italian and raw - 8 oz (use mild or spicy)

Italian seasoning - 1 tsp

Red pepper flakes (opt) - 1/4 tsp

Tomato paste - 2 Tbsp

Tomato puree (14 oz / 397 g) - 2 cans

Cheese, part-skim ricotta - 1/2 cup

Cheese, parmesan (opt) - 2 oz, grated

Bitter Lettuce Salad:

Shallots - 1 clove, diced

Lemon juice - 1 Tbsp

Honey - 1/2 tsp

Mustard, Dijon - 1/4 tsp

Oil, olive - 2 1/2 Tbsp

Oranges - 1, segments

Greens, bitter - 2 oz (use any combination of bitter greens like escarole or radicchio; or just use all baby spinach)

Baby spinach - 4 oz

Directions

Pasta - Cook pasta according to package directions. If making ahead, toss pasta with some olive or cooking oil after it has cooled to help prevent sticking. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)

Garlic / Shallots - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)

Make vinaigrette - Whisk together shallots, lemon juice, honey, and mustard. Add olive oil while whisking. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)

Oranges / Greens - Slice oranges into segments. If using bitter greens, tear or chop them into bite-sized pieces.

Heat a Dutch oven or very large skillet with cooking oil over medium heat. Add sausage to heated oil and cook, breaking sausage apart, until browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain off any excess oil.

When sausage is cooked, add garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste, stirring to combine.

Add tomato puree and stir well to combine. Reduce heat to low-medium to prevent the sauce from boiling. Cook sauce, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes to let the flavors develop.

Stir pasta into sauce until everything is well combined. Taste and season with some salt and pepper if needed.

You can stir ricotta into sauce or just add small spoonfuls of ricotta to the top of the pasta. (It’s good either way.)

Toss together bitter greens (if using), baby spinach, and oranges. Add vinaigrette until dressed to your liking.

Top pasta with grated parmesan (if using) and serve with salad on the side. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Saturated Fat 12g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 65mg
Sodium 798mg