Skillet Lasagna

I must be a true Seattlite now because I was thrilled when it rained today.  The weather has taken a turn toward cooler weather after less than a week ago the air conditioner was blasting away!  What a difference a few days makes.  I'm thrilled because now I can make meals that are more hardy and fall-ish like this skillet lasagna I made tonight.  It was a recipe from our local Puget Consumers Coop fall publication that I got in the mail yesterday and it was just what I felt like.  This version has lots of good veggies in it along with the usual lasagna ingredients and Lauren and Bruce loved it - it other words, it passed the taste test.  Yesterday, I made split pea soup for dinner so you can see how we are all eager to start eating fall food again.  On Sunday, we barbecued a chuck roast (pot roast) which was always a favorite of mine growing up and I've never made this before so I wanted to try it.

My dad used to barbecue this for my birthday every year on his rotisserie and it was my absolutely favorite thing in the summer.   My brother and his family came over Sunday to help us eat it even though I'm still trying to perfect the recipe; nobody complained about it.  Some of the meat was still a little tough (so we need to cook it longer and slower) but the best part about this meal was having mashed potatoes and gravy with it - not your typical barbecue side dish but that's how much everyone is craving fall food now.  Once I saw how much juice was coming from the meat, I knew I needed to make gravy and it was delicious.  And, of course, peach cobbler finished off the meal for this near-the-end-of-summer barbecue.  So, moving onto fall now (have you seen the Halloween candy in the stores already?!)...this skillet lasagna is a lot faster to make than regular lasagna and you'll get your serving of vegetables with this version.  Sounds good to me.

Serves 6

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced carrots
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. dried Italian herb mix
salt and pepper, to taste
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage
1 cup diced zucchini
8 ounces farfalle pasta, uncooked
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
fresh basil leaves, to garnish 

1.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and carrots and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

2.  Stir in garlic, Italian herbs, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute.

3.  Add ground beef or sausage and cook until done; drain grease if desired.

4.  Scatter zucchini and pasta over meat.

5.  Pour tomatoes and marinara over top.

6.  Cover and bring to a simmer.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, 20-25 minutes.

7.  Sprinkle cheeses over top and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes to melt cheese.  (Optional:  place skillet under the broiler to melt cheese).  Sprinkle with basil leaves before serving.