Skillet Chorizo and Ricotta Lasagna

This Skillet Chorizo and Ricotta Lasagna is an absolutely delicious change from the usual and quick and easy to put together, too!

This delicious lasagna (from the always fabulous Donna Hay!) is perfect weekend cooking and eating. Not that you couldn’t make it for a weeknight meal. As far as lasagna goes, this one is a lot quicker than most! It’s just that there’s a lot to be said for enjoying the process of putting this together and pulling it out of the oven in all it’s glory to leisurely enjoy with a glass or red, a loaf of crusty bread and a salad. That’s the stuff weekends are for!

The beauty of this lasagna was in both the nice change of the spicy chorizo and the combination with the fresh oregano that flavoured the sauce. Together with the generous ricotta and pecorino cheese layers, it was absolutely perfect. It was also a serious skillet full, so you’ll find this one skillet will easily serve 6-8 (or for most, great for left-overs!).

I fought the urge to put a bit of cheese on the top of this one. In the end, I enjoyed it very much without it (there’s lots of ricotta hiding inside!). As always though, if you are feeling a cheesy layer on top, absolutely top with some shredded mozzarella.

Cook’s Notes for Skillet Chorizo and Ricotta Lasagna

Oregano is a key element of this dish, so if you can, pick up some fresh oregano from the market. Dried will work, just use considerably less.

Yes, my oregano topping got a little well done :) I have reduced the cooking time after adding it at the end in the recipe here. Turns out 10 minutes was a bit too long for it. Be sure to oil it well, as well, to keep it moist.

Using fresh lasagna sheets makes the preparation a lot quick and easier as they boil for a much shorter time. I know some people will use fresh lasagna noodles in lasagna without pre-boiling, but I have never been really happy with them without a short boil. If you have had success, by all means skip the boil and go for it. You can also substitute dried lasagna noodles if you can’t find fresh. Just cook according to package directions to al dente.

I love the flavour and spice that chorizo brought to this lasagna, but do note that chorizo is spicy (unless you can find a particularly mild variety), so keep this in mind if feeding the spice-averse. You could also cut the spice in regular chorizo by mixing it with a mild Italian or pork sausage.

Skillet Chorizo and Ricotta Lasagna

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Energy: 467 kcal

Author: Jennifer Maloney

An easy and delicious lasagna, with flavourful, spicy chorizo sausage meatballs and ricotta filling.

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Ingredients

Sauce:

• 6 fresh Chorizo sausages, casings removed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves (or 1 Tbsp dried oregano leaves)
• 2 400g/14oz cans cherry tomatoes (with liquid)
• 1 cup tomato puree (passata)
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cheese filling:

• 4 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
• 13oz/375g fresh lasagna sheets (can use dried lasagna, cooked per package directions)
• 1 cup grated mozzarella
• Additional 2 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves, for topping

Instructions

1. Slice each chorizo sausage (with casing removed) in to 8 equal pieces and roll each in to a ball. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and 1/4 cup of oregano leaves and cook for a further minutes or so, or until golden. Add the cherry tomatoes (with liquid), the tomato purée, sugar, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Cook for 8–10 minutes or until reduced slightly.  Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, boil a large pot of water. Salt and cook lasagna noodles according to package directions (a few minutes for fresh lasagna noodles up to 10-12 minutes for dried noodles). Drain, rinse with cold water and dry. Set aside.

3. Prepare the ricotta filling by combining the ricotta and pecorino in a large bowl and mix to combine. Set aside.

4. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease your cast-iron or oven-proof skillet (10-12 inch top diameter) with a little olive oil. Line the base of the skillet with 1 layer of lasagne sheets, overlapping as needed to cover the bottom and up the sides (overhanging a bit here and there is ok). Top with 2 cups of the chorizo mixture and then another layer of lasagne sheets. Spoon over half the ricotta mixture and spread evenly. Top with another layer of lasagne sheets. Spoon over the remaining ricotta mixture and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the grated mozzarella then top with remaining chorizo mixture.

5. Place skillet on a baking sheet (just to catch any bubble over and cook in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Combine the remaining oil with the 2 Tbsp fresh oregano leaves with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle over the top of the lasagne and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Don’t have a cast iron skillet yet?

I love cooking and baking with cast iron! You just can’t beat it for heat retention and even cooking and when properly seasoned, it’s completely non-stick, too. They last forever and are a small investment for the value they bring to your kitchen arsenal. Here’s a few cast iron skillets that would be a great start.