This Skillet Lasagna is the perfect meal when you’re craving traditional lasagna, but you just don’t have the time to make it. Full of cheesy classic lasagna flavors, it’s a complete meal made in one pan and done in under 30 minutes. Say hello to your new favorite lasagna recipe!
The Easiest Way to Make Homemade Lasagna
I love all things lasagna! But, it is quite a labor intensive dish to make. All the boiling, sauteing, mixing, and layering. Most days, I don’t have time for all the mess – especially not on a busy week night.
But, sometimes, I’m just craving lasagna! What’s a gal to do when she’s got no time to make what she wants but she just can’t kick that craving?
Well, you create your very own, modified version for the skillet! Say hello to my new bff – Skillet Lasagna!
What is Skillet Lasagna?
I’m sure you’re familiar with traditional lasagna. It’s an incredibly popular Italian-American layered pasta dish. But, it’s pretty involved to make.
First, you need to make four separate components: boil the noodles, combine the cheese mixture, saute the meat and onions, and make the sauce. You then layer each part in a baking dish – repeat the layers, top with more cheese, cover, and bake for at least 50 minutes. Then, you allow it to set for another 15 minutes.
I’m not sure if you’re doing the math here, but we’re already over an hour and a half on this traditional lasagna and we’ve dirtied a pan, a pot, a mixing bowl, and a baking dish.
My skillet lasagna, however, uses – wait for it – ONE skillet and is done in under 30 minutes! Now, you do have to sacrifice the precise layering for a more deconstructed look, but what’s it matter if the flavor is all there?
Lasagna Ingredients
Check out the ingredients below! All the classic lasagna flavors but none of the hard work. All I can say is, you’re welcome.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- olive oil
- butter
- onion
- lean ground beef
- Fresh ground pepper
- mushrooms
- garlic
- dried Italian Seasoning
- pasta sauce
- water
- egg noodles
- Ricotta cheese
- part-skim mozzarella cheese
To Garnish
- Parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil
- Fresh parsley
How to Make Skillet Lasagna
Saute: Heat your olive oil and melt your butter in an extra large nonstick skillet or dutch oven. Add in your diced onions, and cook them for 30 seconds.
Cook: Add in your beef. As the meat cooks, stir it to break it up. Season the skillet with salt and pepper, then cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the meat is browned.
Stir in the mushroom slices and cook for another 2 minutes, or until the mushrooms just start to brown. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning. Stir up the skillet and cook for 20 seconds.
Add: Add the pasta sauce and water. Increase the heat to HIGH and bring the mixture to a boil.
Stir in your uncooked noodles and return the skillet to a boil.
Simmer: Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir everything 2 to 3 times while it’s cooking.
Melt: Remove the lid and add about 6 to 8 mounds of ricotta cheese on top of the pasta mixture. Each mound should be about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons big. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the pasta.
Cover the skillet and continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the mozzarella cheese is melted and the ricotta is heated through.
Serve: Remove the skillet from the heat. Garnish it with parmesan, chopped basil, and chopped parsley.
Tips for the Best Skillet Lasagna
I know what you’re thinking – you can’t possibly make this skillet lasagna any better. But I can! Here we go:
- If you have frozen or jarred homemade tomato sauce, use that in place of your favorite store bought pasta sauce.
- For even more flavor, you can substitute your ground beef for sweet or spicy Italian sausage. For less fat, you can use ground turkey. Really you can use any meat you choose in this!
- Make sure you taste test the skillet lasagna before adding any additional salt. The cheese and jarred tomato sauce can be quite salty and it’s likely you won’t actually need to add any additional salt to the meal.
- For golden brown and bubbly cheese on top, pop your skillet under the broiler for the last few minutes!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- You can store your leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about 3 days.
- You can also freeze this Skillet Lasagna. Simply let it cool and then pop it into a freezer-safe airtight container. It will stay nicely in your freezer for just about 4 months.
- To reheat skillet lasagna, first bring it back to room temperature. Pour the contents of your container into a skillet, and bring it to a simmer on low until heated through. I’d top it again with fresh herbs like basil and parsley plus more parm, to give it new life!
Skillet Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 10 to 12 ounces lean ground beef
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1 jar (20 to 24 ounces) tomato-based pasta sauce, use your favorite
- 1 cup water
- 6 ounces wide egg noodles
- ½ cup light Ricotta cheese
- ½ cup part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
- grated Parmesan, for garnish
- chopped fresh basil, for garnish
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil and melt butter in an extra large nonstick skillet or dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add diced onion and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add beef, stirring to break it up as the meat cooks. Season with salt and pepper; cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until meat is browned.
- Stir in mushroom slices and cook for 2 minutes, or until they just start to brown.
- Add garlic and Italian seasoning; stir and cook for 20 seconds.
- Add pasta sauce and water; increase heat to HIGH and bring mixture to a boil.
- Stir in uncooked noodles and return to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring 2 to 3 times while it’s cooking to prevent sticking.
- Remove lid and add about 6 to 8 mounds of ricotta cheese on top of the pasta mixture. Each mound should be about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons big.
- Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the pasta.
- Cover skillet and continue to cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until mozzarella cheese is melted and ricotta is heated through.
- Remove from heat.
- Garnish with Parmesan, chopped basil, and chopped parsley. Serve.
14 Comments
Suzy
Mar 16, 2020 at 10:14 pmI am loving all of the simple ingredient in there that I already have! Just perfect!
Katerina Petrovska
Mar 17, 2020 at 3:46 pmThank YOU!! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Sara Welch
Mar 16, 2020 at 11:24 pmThis is everything a gourmet meal should be, and then some! Looks too good to pass up, indeed!
Katerina Petrovska
Mar 17, 2020 at 3:45 pmThank you SO much, Sara! 🙂
Carrie Robinson
Mar 17, 2020 at 1:06 pmThis is such a genius way to make lasagna! 🙂 Looks delicious.
Katerina Petrovska
Mar 17, 2020 at 3:45 pmThank YOU!! 🙂
Catalina
Mar 17, 2020 at 10:46 pmWho doesn’t love lasagna? This one look fabulous!
Katerina Petrovska
Mar 18, 2020 at 4:16 pmThank you, Catalina! 🙂
Sheldon T
Jun 3, 2020 at 11:40 pmWas too lazy to go back to the grocery store…used Manchego Cheese instead of parm—-was amazing ! Also threw in some finely sliced pepperoni for a little extra kick and rs pepper flakes.
Really easy to execute and fun to make! DELICIOUS!!!
Katerina Petrovska
Jun 4, 2020 at 8:55 pmI’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Carol Gawron
Aug 30, 2020 at 5:20 pmOne thing I don’t like about your recipes is that you cannot just email the recipe you have to copy and paste. NOt that it is that big of a deal but just a quicik email would be so much better and you can then also quickly email the recipe to a friend.
This sounds really good so I will copy and paste.
Nonnofyobiz
Jul 12, 2021 at 3:00 pmPrint it to a pdf. Easy to email.
Maria
Nov 9, 2020 at 4:01 pmThis is the best thing to come out of March 2020 lol Great recipe! Thank you!
Katerina Petrovska
Nov 10, 2020 at 8:27 pmThank you so much! I am very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂