I bought The Best Skillet Recipes last month solely for this lasagna on the cover. It looked amazing, and I counted down the days until I could try it. And it’s every bit as good as I thought it would be. It’s getting late in the season for something this hearty, but if it gets cold and rainy again soon this would be fairly awesome.

The book specifies that you have to use regular lasagna noodles, not the no-boil kind. I’ve never tried to the no-boil for anything, but I’m putting the word out there.

Meaty Lasagna (adapted from The Best Skillet Recipes)
Serves 4

3 (14.5 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
Salt
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 lb meatloaf mix (which is a mix of beef, pork, and veal) or 1/2 lb ground pork and 1/2 lb ground beef (I just did all beef)
10 curly-edged lasagna noodles (about 8.5 ounces) broken into roughly 2″ lengths
2 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1/2 cup) **This is where I diverge in a big way. I also used a small ball of fresh mozzarella because, as far as I’m concerned, that was nowhere near enough cheese.
1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/4 cup)
Ground black pepper
3/4 cup ricotta cheese (whole milk or part-skim, NOT fat-free)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

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