This summer skillet lasagna is sponsored by Stella Cheese. I’ll be creating a few recipes for them throughout 2020.
Today we’re celebrating summer with a bright, cheesy skillet lasagna.
Skillet lasagna has long been one of my favorite weeknight meals — quick, flexible and loaded with cheese. Use whatever pasta you have, mix in seasonal produce, and don’t be shy with the cheese.
Give me all the cheese, please.
I’m excited to be partnering with Stella Cheese for this recipe. Their selection of Italian-style artisan cheeses is excellent — flavorful and high quality. For this dish I used Stella Parmesan, aged 10 months, which adds a nutty, buttery depth to the pesto and the lasagna. I also finish the skillet with Stella Fresh Mozzarella for a melty, pillowy topping.
The parmesan pulls double duty here: stirred into the sun-dried tomato pesto and sprinkled over the assembled skillet for salty, savory finish. The fresh mozzarella melts beautifully on top — it’s delicious on pizza too.
Skillet lasagna, step by step
Start with a sun-dried tomato pesto that’s tangy and bright: sun-dried tomatoes, lots of fresh basil, garlic, toasted pine nuts and grated parmesan blended with olive oil. It’s intensely flavorful and may become your go-to pesto for summer.
Making pesto from scratch adds a short step, but it’s easy to make ahead and store in the fridge. If you’re short on time or ingredients, a good jarred pesto will work too.
The lasagna itself is straightforward. I lightly caramelize shallots and add sweet corn straight from the cob for a summery note. If fresh corn isn’t available, frozen or canned corn will do. Fold cooked pasta into the corn and pesto, add spoonfuls of ricotta for creaminess, nest slices of fresh mozzarella, and sprinkle with grated parmesan. Fresh basil on top brightens the whole dish.
Simple, fresh, and full of flavor
Use whatever pasta you have: broken lasagna noodles, bowties, or another short pasta. Break the lasagna noodles into thirds if you want that classic lasagna texture, or toss everything together for a faster assembly. Either way, the combination of pesto, corn, ricotta and melty mozzarella is wonderful.
This skillet lasagna is also easy to transport: make it in an oven-safe skillet or transfer to a baking dish to bring to a cookout or dinner with friends. Comforting, cheesy, and perfect for summer.
Sun Dried Tomato and Corn Skillet Lasagna
Sun Dried Tomato and Sweet Corn Skillet Lasagna
4
25 mins
20 mins
45 mins
Ingredients
Sun dried tomato pesto
- 1 cup packed basil leaves
- 1 (7 oz) jar sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup freshly grated Stella Parmesan Cheese
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ⅓ to ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Lasagna
- 8 ounces lasagna noodles, broken into thirds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 4 ears corn, kernels cut from cob
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 (8 oz) ball Stella Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
- 1 cup freshly grated Stella Parmesan Cheese
- Handful basil leaves for garnish
Instructions
Sun dried tomato pesto
- Combine basil, sun-dried tomatoes (including the oil from the jar), garlic, parmesan, pine nuts, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until combined. With the processor running, stream in olive oil starting with ⅓ cup, adding more as needed to reach a spreadable consistency. Can be made ahead and refrigerated.
Lasagna
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions, reducing the time by 1 minute so they remain al dente. Drain.
- Heat an oven-safe 8 or 10-inch skillet over medium-low and add the olive oil. Add the shallots, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the corn kernels and then the pesto.
- Fold the cooked noodles into the corn and pesto mixture. Dollop spoonfuls of ricotta over the noodles and tuck in slices of fresh mozzarella. Sprinkle with grated parmesan, reserving some for topping. Ensure the noodles are well coated and evenly distributed. Top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until bubbly and golden on top. Remove from oven, garnish with fresh basil and serve.
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My middle name should be cheese.