Why You’ll Love Skillet Lasagna

Traditional lasagna is wonderful, but sometimes you don’t have the time or energy to assemble multiple layers and wait for everything to bake.

Skillet lasagna simplifies the process without giving up the flavors that make lasagna so satisfying.

It’s hearty enough to feed a hungry family, simple enough for a weeknight, and flexible enough to customize with ingredients you already have.

Best of all, most of the cooking happens in one skillet.

That means fewer pots, fewer pans, and a much easier cleanup when dinner is finished.

Ingredients

For approximately 6 servings, you’ll need:

1 pound ground beef
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups water or beef broth
10 lasagna noodles, broken into roughly 2-inch pieces
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil, optional

Step 1: Brown the Ground Beef

Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the ground beef and diced onion.

Cook for approximately 6 to 8 minutes, breaking the beef apart with a wooden spoon or spatula as it cooks.

Continue cooking until the beef is browned and the onion has softened.

If there is a large amount of excess grease in the skillet, carefully drain it before continuing.

Step 2: Add the Garlic and Seasonings

Reduce the heat slightly and add the minced garlic.

Stir in the Italian seasoning, basil, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.

Cook for about 30 to 60 seconds.

Cooking the garlic and dried seasonings briefly before adding the sauce helps bring out their flavor.

Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Step 3: Build the Tomato Sauce

Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste.

Stir everything together until the tomato paste has completely blended into the sauce.

Pour in the water or beef broth.

Using broth instead of water can add another layer of savory flavor, but either works well.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

Step 4: Add the Lasagna Noodles

Break the uncooked lasagna noodles into smaller pieces and carefully stir them into the sauce.

Try to make sure most of the pasta is submerged.

Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low.

Cook for approximately 18 to 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes so the noodles don’t stick together or burn on the bottom.

Cooking time will vary depending on the type and thickness of the noodles.

If the sauce becomes too thick before the pasta is tender, add a small amount of water or broth.

You want the finished skillet lasagna to be thick and saucy rather than dry.

Step 5: Add the Ricotta

Once the noodles are tender, spoon small dollops of ricotta cheese over the top of the skillet.

You don’t need to completely mix the ricotta into the sauce.

Leaving little pockets of ricotta throughout the skillet gives you those creamy bites that remind you of traditional layered lasagna.

Step 6: Add Plenty of Cheese

Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella evenly over everything.

Follow with freshly grated Parmesan.

Cover the skillet again and cook over low heat for another 3 to 5 minutes, or until the mozzarella is completely melted.

If your skillet is oven-safe, you can also place it under the broiler briefly to brown the cheese.

Keep a close eye on it because mozzarella can go from beautifully browned to burned very quickly.

Step 7: Let It Rest

This might be the hardest step.

Turn off the heat and allow the skillet lasagna to rest for approximately 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

The sauce will thicken slightly as it rests, making the lasagna easier to scoop onto plates.

Finish with fresh parsley or basil and an extra sprinkle of Parmesan if desired.

What to Serve With Skillet Lasagna

Skillet lasagna is already a filling meal, so the side dishes can remain simple.

Garlic bread is an obvious favorite. A warm piece of buttery garlic bread is perfect for soaking up any tomato sauce left on the plate.

You could also serve the lasagna with a Caesar salad, garden salad, roasted broccoli, sautéed zucchini, green beans, or roasted asparagus.

For an especially comforting dinner, serve it with warm breadsticks and a simple Italian salad.

Make It Spicy

If you enjoy a little heat, skillet lasagna is easy to spice up.

Increase the crushed red pepper flakes or use hot Italian sausage instead of ground beef.

You can also combine half ground beef and half hot Italian sausage.

The sausage adds additional herbs, spices, and richness to the tomato sauce.

Try Italian Sausage

Ground Italian sausage is one of the easiest substitutions you can make.

Use mild Italian sausage if you’re cooking for people who don’t enjoy spicy foods, or hot Italian sausage if you want a stronger kick.

You can even use approximately 1/2 pound ground beef and 1/2 pound Italian sausage.

That combination creates a hearty meat sauce with tremendous flavor.

Add Some Vegetables

Skillet lasagna can also be a convenient way to work more vegetables into dinner.

Try adding:

Mushrooms
Spinach
Bell peppers
Zucchini
Diced carrots
Chopped kale

Vegetables with a lot of moisture, such as mushrooms and zucchini, are best sautéed before the tomato sauce is added. This allows some of their excess moisture to cook away.

Fresh spinach can simply be stirred into the skillet near the end.

Make It Extra Cheesy

Sometimes more cheese is the correct answer.

For an extra-cheesy skillet lasagna, increase the mozzarella to 2 cups and add additional ricotta.

You can also mix a little Parmesan into the ricotta before spooning it over the pasta.

Provolone is another delicious addition. Layer a few slices over the finished skillet before covering it and allowing the cheese to melt.

Can You Make Skillet Lasagna Without Ricotta?

Absolutely.

Ricotta is traditional in many American-style lasagna recipes, but it isn’t mandatory.

If you don’t like ricotta or don’t have any available, cottage cheese is an easy substitute.

You could also leave it out entirely and simply increase the mozzarella and Parmesan.

Another option is to add a few tablespoons of softened cream cheese to the sauce for additional creaminess.

It won’t taste exactly like traditional lasagna, but it will still be delicious.

Can You Use Different Pasta?

Yes.

Once you move away from traditional layered lasagna, there is no reason to be overly strict about the pasta.

If you don’t have lasagna noodles, try:

Mafaldine
Rigatoni
Penne
Ziti
Rotini
Bow-tie pasta

The cooking time and amount of liquid may need to be adjusted depending on the pasta shape.

The important thing is to cook the pasta until tender while maintaining enough liquid in the skillet to create a rich sauce.

Storage

Leftover skillet lasagna stores very well.

Allow the leftovers to cool and place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

For best quality, enjoy within about 3 to 4 days.

The pasta will continue absorbing some of the sauce while refrigerated, so the leftovers may be thicker than the freshly prepared dish.

Reheating

Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave.

If the pasta seems dry, add a spoonful of tomato sauce or a splash of water before reheating.

You can also reheat larger portions in a covered skillet over low heat.

Add a small amount of water or sauce and stir occasionally until everything is heated through.

Then sprinkle a little fresh mozzarella over the top and let it melt.

Suddenly, yesterday’s leftovers feel like a brand-new dinner.

Tips for the Best Skillet Lasagna

The biggest secret is keeping an eye on the liquid.

Pasta absorbs a surprising amount of sauce as it cooks. If your skillet begins looking dry while the noodles are still firm, don’t be afraid to add more water or broth.

Add it about 1/4 cup at a time.

You can always cook away excess liquid, but burned pasta stuck to the bottom of the skillet is much harder to fix.

Also, stir the pasta periodically while it cooks. Broken lasagna noodles have a tendency to overlap and stick together.

Finally, don’t rush the resting period.

A few minutes off the heat allows the sauce and cheese to settle into the pasta.

A Comforting Dinner Without All the Work

There is a reason lasagna has remained such a beloved comfort food.

It’s warm, cheesy, hearty, and satisfying.

Traditional lasagna certainly has its place, especially for holidays, Sunday dinners, and special occasions. But when it’s a busy Tuesday night and you’re craving those same flavors, spending an hour assembling layers isn’t always realistic.

Skillet Lasagna gives you another option.

Brown the meat. Build the sauce. Add the noodles. Finish everything with creamy ricotta and melted cheese.

One skillet and dinner is ready.

Serve it hot with garlic bread and a salad, gather everyone around the table, and enjoy a simple homemade meal that tastes like you spent much longer making it.

Sometimes the best recipes aren’t the complicated ones.

They’re the recipes that make it easier to put something warm, comforting, and delicious on the table.

What’s your favorite way to make lasagna—classic layered lasagna, skillet lasagna, or your own special version?

Recipe of the Day: Skillet Lasagna