Skillet Lasagna Dip with Pasta Chips

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Lay each noodle flat on a rimmed baking sheet and thoroughly pat dry with a paper towel. Set aside.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and sausage; cook, stirring often and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and wipe out the pan. Add remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil and onion and cook until softened, about 2 more minutes. Add garlic and Italian seasoning; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in marinara sauce and cooked meats and remove from heat.

4. Dollop with ricotta cheese and pesto. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

5. Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and bubbly, 12 to 15 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

6. While dip sits, pour vegetable oil to a depth of 3 inches into a Dutch oven; heat over high heat to reach 360 degrees F (182 degrees C).

7. Cut each lasagna noodle into desired shapes. Add 8 to 10 pasta pieces, one at a time to avoid them sticking together, and cook, lightly tapping under the oil and stirring with a spider tool occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove using a spider or tongs to a paper towel-lined sheet tray, and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining pasta pieces, allowing oil temperature to reach back to 360 degrees F (182 degrees C) before adding the next batch.

8. Sprinkle dip with parsley and basil and serve with hot pasta chips.

Cook's Notes:

You could also dump the leftovers into any kind of cooked pasta and have a great pasta dish ready in minutes.

Get this ready in your skillet up to 3 days ahead and keep covered in the fridge until you're ready to bake!

Crostini work perfectly for this, in case you're not feeling up to cooking and frying a bunch of pasta. Not gonna lie, this was also really excellent with a roasted broccoli dipper.