Veggie Loaded Chicken Sausage Lasagna Skillet

Recipe adapted from The Natural Nurturer and Yep Recipes. Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

Homemade Italian Chicken Sausage:

• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, ground
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1 TBSP red wine vinegar

Lasagna Skillet:

• 1 c. ricotta cheese, whipped (add salt and half and half or cream, if desired)
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 zucchini, grated (about 1 1/2 – 2 c.)
• 2-3 carrots, grated (about 1 1/2 c.)
• 1/2 lb. pasta of your choice
• 1/2 c. reserved pasta water
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 lb. chicken sausage (see above)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• 32 oz. Rao’s pasta sauce
• 1 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded + more if desired
• Basil, chopped

Directions:

1. Homemade Chicken Sausage: In a bowl combine chicken through vinegar and gently mix to combine. Set aside.
2. Whipped Ricotta: Add ricotta to a food processer and blitz. Taste and add salt, if desired, and add half and half or cream to make it creamier, if desired. Continue blitzing until the ricotta is creamy. Set aside until ready to use.
3. Prep Veggies: Finely dice onion, grate zucchini, and grate carrots. Set aside.
4. Cook Pasta: Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente.  Once done cooking, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, drain and set aside.
5. Cook Onions, Zucchini, and Carrots: While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onions, grated zucchini, and grated carrots, and cook for about 5 minutes or until the veggies start to soften.
6. Add Chicken Sausage: Push the veggies to one side and add the chicken sausage into the empty side of the skillet. Cook, breaking apart the meat into bite size chunks, until almost cooked. About 5 minutes.
7. Add Garlic and Worcestershire: Once the sausage is almost cooked through, add the garlic and Worcestershire sauce and stir the sausage and veggies together. Let the mixture cook for another 4 minutes or until the sausage is completely cooked through.
8. Add Pasta Sauce, Reserved Pasta Water, and Pasta: Add the pasta sauce, the ½ c. pasta water and cooked pasta into the skillet. Stir everything together and let it simmer for 3 to 5 minutes to let the pasta soak up some of the flavors.
9. Add Mozzarella: Add 1 c. of the mozzarella cheese to the skillet and stir together until the cheese is melted and mixed in.
10. Add Whipped Ricotta and Remaining Mozzarella: Remove the skillet from heat and dollop the whipped ricotta over the hot lasagna. Top with the remaining 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese. Cover the top of the pan to melt the cheese or place under the broiler until the cheese is bubbling and brown.
11. Serve: Serve and enjoy garnished with chopped fresh basil.