Summer Vegetable Skillet Lasagna By Oh My Veggies.com

With summer in full swing, I am always looking for easy meals that don’t require a lot of cleanup. I would say it’s because I want to spend as much time as I can outside, but to be honest, with the heat and humidity by where I live, that would just be a lie. You can instead find me hibernating inside our air-conditioned house and trying to find ways to turn on the oven as little as possible because of the pesky heat.

Lucky for me, this skillet summer vegetable lasagna meets both of the above criteria. The entire dish—pasta cooking and all—is done in one skillet and on the stove. No need to turn on that oven. As an added bonus, this dish is packed full of some of my favorite summer produce. Fresh corn, zucchini and even green beans, all coated in a sauce that doesn’t feel overly heavy. Comforting, but in a summer sort of way.

First, the veggies are cooked in a large skillet just until they start to soften. Broken lasagna noodles are then added in, creating a sort of layer over the vegetables, before being topped with a large can of diced tomatoes and some broth. Another plus for this dish is that you can just add the lasagna noodles to the skillet—no lining them up in nice even layers, as it will all be stirred around as it cooks.

The dish simmers, covered, until the pasta is tender and the sauce thickens up a bit. Once done, be sure to let the lasagna rest before enjoying, just like you would a regular classic baked lasagna. This allows it to firm up and makes it much easier to serve.

Summer Vegetable Skillet Lasagna

A one-pan lasagna cooked entirely on the stove and filled with summer produce like fresh corn, zucchini and green beans.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: about 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped               
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 1 to 2 ears of corn)
• 3 1/2 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 8 ounces uncooked regular lasagna noodles, broken into thirds
• 1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese                   
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Chopped or chiffonade fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions

1. Add the olive oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add in the zucchini, corn, green beans, dried basil, dried parsley, salt and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the vegetables all start to soften.
2. Add the broken lasagna noodles on top of the vegetables in the skillet, then pour the tomatoes and broth over the top of the noodles. Increase the heat and bring the liquid almost to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer fairly vigorously for 20-22 minutes, stirring occasionally (and more frequently toward the end of the cooking time), until the pasta is tender. Turn the heat down to low.
3. Drop the ricotta in small spoonfuls over the top of the pasta, then sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Re-cover and let cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Turn off the heat. Let rest uncovered for at least 10 minutes, then garnish with the fresh basil before serving.