Deconstructed Lasagna

So I wanted to share with you a quick dinner idea I got from Rachel Ray's Magazine...it was the February 2009 edition...I like to keep my magazines for new inspirations! I tried this one out the other night and my family loved it and it fed a lot of bodies...hope you enjoy, the picture is from the magazine because mine was eaten up too fast...

By: Rachael Ray
4 Servings
Prep 20 min

Ingredients:
Salt and pepper
1 pound long fusilli or mafalda pasta ~I used bow-tie
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 pound ground beef sirloin
1 small carrot, grated or finely chopped -didn't have on hand, but a great way to get in your veggies!
1 small onion, grated or finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
1 cup beef broth~didn't have on hand, turned out fine
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes ~Used diced because that is all I had...worked great!
A few leaves of basil, torn~Used the ones in my spice rack...
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (a generous handful)
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (a couple of generous handfuls), plus more to pass around the table

Directions:
1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.
2.While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the beef, crumbling it into bits, and cook until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the carrot, onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables are softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the beef broth, then the tomatoes and basil; simmer.
3.In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta and parsley.
4.Toss the pasta with the butter, then stir in the parmigiano-reggiano and meat sauce. Scoop the ricotta mixture into each of 4 shallow bowls, then top with the meaty pasta. Pass more parmigiano-reggiano around the table.