Skillet Veggie Lasagna

The week after publication was disorienting in the best way. Emails from strangers who had read the book. Reviews online, most of them kind, some of them extraordinary — a long review in a regional paper that said the book "reads like sitting down in someone's kitchen and being fed something real." Comments on the channel from people who'd found the videos through the book and people who'd found the book through the videos. Two different tributaries flowing into the same river.

Debra texted me a photo of the book with a cup of coffee on her kitchen table with the message: "Reading you this morning. You did it." I texted back: "We did it." She replied: "No. You did it. I just brought the families." I sent her back: "That's everything." She sent a heart.

Ethan's response to the book news — he'd gotten an email about publication day — came in a letter that arrived Thursday: "Mom. I read the excerpt you sent. You wrote about me and you got it right. You wrote about Mason and you got him right. You wrote about us. I'm proud of you across an ocean. When I get home I want to cook through the whole book with you, recipe by recipe." He comes home in three months.

Ethan comes home in three months. I've been counting since the day he left. The distance is real and the return is real and the book in which I wrote about both is real and sitting on a shelf in a bookstore with my grandmother's hands on the cover. I had a very big feeling about all of it Thursday evening and I went into the kitchen and made his favorite dinner so it would be ready when he came back.

Ethan’s letter said he wanted to cook through the whole book with me, recipe by recipe — and I just about fell apart at the kitchen table reading that. I couldn’t wait three months, so I did the only thing that made sense: I went in and made his favorite, this skillet veggie lasagna, and set the table like he was already sitting across from me. It’s the kind of dish that fills a kitchen with the smell of something ready, something waiting — and right now, that’s exactly what I needed.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
1 cup water
6 lasagna noodles, broken into rough thirds
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions

Sauté the vegetables. Heat olive oil in a large, deep oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, mushrooms, and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 6–8 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute more until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.
Build the sauce base. Pour in the marinara sauce and water, stirring to combine with the vegetables. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
Add the noodles. Nestle the broken lasagna noodle pieces into the simmering sauce, pressing them down to submerge as much as possible. Cover the skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent sticking, until the noodles are tender, about 18–22 minutes. Add a splash more water if the sauce becomes too thick.
Prepare the cheese topping. While the noodles cook, stir together the ricotta, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, and the Parmesan in a small bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Add the cheese and finish. Once the noodles are tender, drop spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture across the surface of the skillet. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella over the top. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Rest and serve. Remove the skillet from heat and let rest, uncovered, for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve directly from the pan.

Nutrition (per serving)

Skillet Veggie Lasagna — Made It the Night I Knew He Was Coming Home