Skillet Lasagna is the easiest, quickest, and most convenient way to cook a layer-less lasagna entirely on the stovetop–no oven required! In 30 minutes, you can create the ultimate comforting family-friendly meal, full of authentic Italian flavor and traditional ingredients, but simply simmered in one pan.
Easy Skillet Lasagna – One-Pan Comfort Food
Skillet Lasagna is my latest and greatest way to cook lasagna skillet-style! This easy recipe requires no oven and can be served from stovetop to table in just 30 minutes!
With mixed up “layers” of ground beef, noodles, sauce, and cheese, this homemade, hearty, wholesome meal makes a delicious dinner any day of the week.
No need to boil the noodles or layer your ingredients before baking, the noodles simmer to al dente and absorb the seasoned sauce.
I LOVE lasagna in any shape and form, from savory versions (Crockpot Lasagna, Taco Lasagna, Lasagna Rollups, Lasagna Casserole) to sweet varieties (Raspberry Lasagna, Hot Chocolate Lasagna, Chocolate Peanut Butter Lasagna, and Chocolate Lasagna), it’s hard not to crave the comforts of lasagna layers!
Serve this Skillet Lasagna with my Cheesy Pull-Apart Garlic Bread and Olive Garden Salad when you need to get a delicious dinner on the table in a hurry because your family is hungry!
Why We Love This Skillet Lasagna Recipe
- Quick, convenient, and easy way to make lasagna on the stove top.
- Simple no-bake recipe that simmers in a skillet.
- No need to pre-cook the noodles, no layering, and not much to clean.
- Packed with protein from ground beef and 3 types of cheese.
- All the flavors of a traditional lasagna but made without the hassle.
- Perfect any day dinner that makes a family-friendly meal.
Ingredients
- Ground beef: I used an 80%-20% blend of ground beef for this recipe. You can use ground sirloin or lean ground beef if you prefer less fatty ground beef.
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Olive oil
- Italian seasoning
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Petite diced tomatoes in juice
- Water
- Marinara sauce: I used Classico brand tomato basil but feel free to use your favorite jar.
- Whole milk ricotta cheese
- Shredded mozzarella cheese: You can substitute an Italian cheese blend for the shredded mozzarella cheese if you prefer.
- Parmesan cheese
- Lasagna noodles
- Fresh chopped parsley
Substitutions and Additions
- More Meat Options: Ground Italian sausage or ground turkey are great substitutions for the ground beef for this recipe.
- Vegetarian Version: You can use lentils instead of meat, or leave the meat out entirely, and bulk up your lasagna with a mix of vegetables, like zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, corn, carrots, or your favorites.
- No Lasagna Noodles: No lasagna noodles? No problem! Simply use some bowtie pasta or another pasta of your choice. It will make it more like a skillet casserole but taste just as delicious!
- Replace The Ricotta: Feel free to replace the ricotta cheese with small curd cottage cheese or even plain yogurt.
- Garnish: Fresh basil would make a great alternative to the fresh chopped parsley as a garnish. A combination of both basil and parsley would be great also.
- Red Pepper Flake: You can add ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes to the sauce for a little bit of heat if you like a little kick to your sauce.
Recommended Tools
- Extra-large skillet
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring tools
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
How to Make Skillet Lasagna
- Cook the ground beef and olive oil for 3-4 minutes or until the meat is completely browned without any remaining pink.
Pro Tip: If your meat gave off a lot of extra grease, you can drain some of the grease by pushing your meat to one side of the skillet. Medium-high heat is between the middle and the highest setting on the knob of your stove. Try to stick to this temperature when browning the beef.
- Add the onions, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the empty side of the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Mix the onions and meat together in the skillet.
- Add the diced tomatoes, water, and marinara sauce to the skillet and stir to combine with the meat mixture.
PRO-TIP: A great trick to cutting down on dishes is to fill your empty petite diced tomato can with water for the recipe. A 14.5-ounce can is just about 1¾ cups liquid. This way, you do not have to wash an extra measuring cup - Add the noodles to the skillet and push them down so that they are submerged under the sauce.
- Cover the skillet and allow the noodles to cook for 10 minutes or until al dente.
Pro Tip: The noodles will continue to cook and become while you prepare the cheese mixture. If it begins to boil too hard with the lid on, turn the heat down to medium. - Combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella, and parmesan cheese and set the bowl aside.
- Stir the noodles and sauce in the skillet and then add 6-8 dollops of the cheese mixture onto the top of the noodles and sauce.
Pro Tip: Stir well to make sure the noodles do not sticking together or to the bottom of the skillet before adding the cheese. You will want to leave space between each spoonful of cheese. - Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese and chopped fresh parsley over the lasagna, cover with the lid, turn off the heat, remove the skillet from the heat and allow the cheese to melt for 5 minutes.
- Remove the lid and serve. Enjoy!
Tips
- This Skillet Lasagna is best served warm. As this dish sits, the noodles will continue to absorb the liquid of the sauce, so it is best served immediately.
- For this lasagna, I use the pre-shredded bagged cheese.
Storage Tips
- To Store: Once the Skillet Lasagna has cooled, place it in an airtight container and store in your fridge for up to 2 days.
- To Freeze: If you want to freeze the entire meal for later, allow the lasagna to cool and put it in a sealed, airtight container in the freezer. It can stay frozen for up to 2 months.
- To Reheat: If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge. When you are ready to eat, place it in a skillet and bring it to a boil. Cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes (stirring occasionally) or until heated through!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you do not need to boil your noodles in advance. Adding the noodles directly to the sauce and allowing them to cook in the covered skillet, they become al dente. They will continue to cook while you complete the recipe.
Yes, you can easily prepare your Skillet Lasagna ahead of time. Simply prepare all the ingredients, brown the beef and sauté the onions, and then finish it later by combining the meat mixture with the sauce and adding the cheese to the skillet when you are ready to serve.
You can easily make this a meat-free, vegetarian-friendly meal by simply taking out the ground beef and replacing it with a ground-meat substitute. Alternatively, if you prefer not to use any meat or a meat substitute, the lasagna will still taste delicious with vegetables. There are so many different veggies you can add to this recipe, including mushrooms, bell peppers, eggplant, or zucchinis. Just try to pick vegetables that will fry quickly in the skillet, and don’t need too much time to soften.
Yes, you can make this a vegan Skillet Lasagna and cook the dish just as quickly and easily as the meat or veggie version. You will, however, need a little bit of preplanning to ensure that you have totally vegan ingredients! Instead of meat, use vegetables or a meat substitute, and instead of the dairy cheese, make sure to use a vegan version or skip the cheese altogether. The majority of pre-made lasagna noodles are vegan these days, but it’s always best to double-check the packaging before you make the purchase.
Skillet Lasagna
Ingredients
- ½ lb lean ground beef
- ½ lb sweet italian sausage small chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic minced
- 9 full size lasagna noodles broken into small pieces about 1 to 1 ½ inches
- 23.75 ounce 1 jarred pasta sauce
- 1½ cups water
- ½ teaspoon italian seasoning
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 8 ounce 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ⅓ cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1¼ cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
Instructions
- In a 10 to 12 inch skillet over medium high heat, add the ground beef and sausage.
- Use a wooden spoon to break the ground meat apart as stir often.
- Once the ground meat is no longer pink, drain any excess grease and return to the skillet.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the minced garlic. Cook for another minute or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the broken lasagna noodles, pasta sauce, water, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes to the skillet. Stir to combine.
- Cover the skillet with a lid and let the sauce come to a low boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and allow the lasagna to simmer for about 30 to 35 minutes while stirring often to keep the noodles from sticking. (You can add up to ½ cup of water if the lasagna becomes too thick or begins to dry out)
- In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, shredded parmesan, kosher salt and black pepper.
- Once the noodles have softened and the sauce has reduced, drop spoonfuls of the cheese mixture on top of the lasagna.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the top of the cheese mixture.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet until the cheese is melted and bubbly. (This can take about 5 to 8 minutes)
- Garnish with the minced fresh basil. Serve while hot.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Once the Skillet Lasagna has cooled, place it in an airtight container and store in your fridge for up to 2 days.
- To Freeze: If you want to freeze the entire meal for later, allow the lasagna to cool and put it in a sealed, airtight container in the freezer. It can stay frozen for up to 2 months.
- To Reheat: If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge. When you are ready to eat, place it in a skillet and bring it to a boil. Cover and let it simmer for 10 minutes or until heated through!
- This Skillet Lasagna is best served warm. As this dish sits, the noodles will continue to absorb the liquid of the sauce, so it is best served immediately.
- For this lasagna, I think that the pre-shredded bagged cheese is fine because this recipe is meant to be quick and easy.
- A great trick to cutting down on dishes is to fill your empty petite diced tomato can with water for the recipe. A 14.5-ounce can is just about 1¾ cups liquid. This way, you do not have to wash an extra measuring cup.
- Medium-high heat is between the middle and the highest setting on the knob of your stove. Try to stick to this temperature when browning the beef.
