The best ingredients, prepared properly with lots of flavor, deliver pleasure in abundance. Perhaps that is the beauty behind the increasingly-popular, one-pan meals. No fuss, minimal mess, maximum satisfaction.
To prove this point, take a turn making a one-pan pasta. Noodles that cook in their sauce pack tons of flavor. This method also delivers toothsome texture and prevents soggy pasta. The all-in-one skillet cooking means there’s no need to wait for a pot of water to boil.
The only prerequisite is the proper-sized skillet. A 12-inch skillet (measure across the top of the pan) allows the right space for noodles and sauce. Nonstick, or well-seasoned skillets, make clean-up a snap.
I seem to always have half of a box of pasta in the cabinet. Perfect for use in the following dish. Broken lasagna noodles yield a terrific finished dish with al dente noodles interspersed in sauce, sausage, meatballs, and cheese. Medium-sized shells, corkscrew shapes, penne, and rigatoni work well too. Skip skinny noodles such as angel hair.
You will need 5 cups (40 ounces) of a thickish liquid to cook 8 ounces of pasta—a combination of bottled pasta sauce and broth works perfectly. Check the ounces on the jar of your favorite marinara sauce and adjust the amount of broth accordingly.
Lately, spicy, bright, and fruity Calabrian chiles have captured my taste buds. Look for Calabrian chile flakes or powder in Italian markets or online. Stir a spoonful or two into bottled marinara for a zesty richness that pairs well with tomatoes. Crushed red pepper flakes or chipotle chiles pack much more punch, so use these substitutes sparingly.
Sweet Italian sausage, cooked with onion, is the first step in the skillet. Then, add fully cooked meatballs, sauce, and broth. When the mixture is hot, stir in the uncooked pasta. Cook at a very gentle simmer, stirring often, to keep the noodles submerged in liquid. As the mixture cooks, the pasta will soften by absorbing the liquids.
Three-Cheese Pasta Skillet With Sausage and Meatballs
Servings: 4 to 6- 8 ounces dried lasagna noodles, about 10 sheets (or 8 ounces penne, rigatoni or medium-size shells)
- 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon each: salt, freshly ground pepper
- 1 jar (22 to 25 ounces) pasta sauce, such as marinara, tomato basil, or roasted garlic
- 2 to 2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon Calabrian chile flakes or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 cups (5 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 pound raw sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 12 to 14 small, fully-cooked meatballs, about 10 ounces
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- Small basil leaves, for garnish
Set an oven-proof 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and onion. Cook, chopping sausage with a wooden spoon into small bits, until sausage is fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Stir in meatballs and garlic.
Stir in the sauce mixture and heat to a simmer. Add the noodle pieces; stir well so all the noodles are submerged in liquid. Cook, stirring often, over medium heat until noodles are al dente (still a bit toothsome in the center), about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the broiler. Adjust the rack to be 6 or 8 inches from the heat source.
Dollop the ricotta mixture evenly over the mixture in the pan. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
Slide the pan under the broiler. Broil, without walking away, until cheese is melty and golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes before serving. Use a wide spatula or large spoon to serve. Sprinkle with basil, if desired. Serve hot.
