This easy Skillet Lasagna is loaded with Italian flavor to satisfy your craving for traditional lasagna with FAR less work. It’s a delicious one pot pasta that’s ready in about 40 minutes!
Shortcut lasagna recipes like this one and my Lazy Lasagna Casserole allow you to indulge in classic Italian comfort food on even the busiest days.
In addition to being meaty, saucy, and plenty cheesy, this Skillet Lasagna recipe is just one of many delicious ways I’ve found to sneak some extra veggies into our diet. The addition of diced zucchini and summer squash sets this recipe apart from other one pot lasagna recipes.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This One Pot Lasagna
- It has a short list of easy to stock ingredients
- It’s budget-friendly and appeals to all ages.
- One pot means easy-breezy cleanup!
- Hidden veggies add fiber, nutrition and flavor.
- You’ll have a hearty, wholesome, delicious meal on the table in about 40 minutes.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground beef – I’ve made this Skillet Lasagna with ground beef and Italian sausage. It’s also very good with turkey sausage, like Jennie-O Hot Turkey Italian Sausage.
- Salt and pepper
- Zucchini and yellow summer squash – I like to use a little of both types of squash for variety.
- Diced onion
- Minced garlic
- Marinara sauce – A jar of your favorite brand of marinara.
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Water
- Lasagna noodles – You want to use curly-edge lasagna noodles, not the no boil sheets. You’ll break the noodles into about 4 pieces each before adding them to the skillet.
- Part-skim ricotta cheese
- Shredded Italian cheese blend – Instead of plain shredded mozzarella cheese, I like to use a mozzarella/provolone or Italian cheese blend for even more flavor.
- Parmesan cheese – Either shaved or finely shredded.
- Chopped fresh basil – An optional garnish of fresh basil is a very nice touch.
How to Make Skillet Lasagna
This is a quick rundown of the steps of this recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card for the amounts and more detailed instructions.
- In a 12-inch skillet that has a lid (a cast iron skillet works well), cook the ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon until no pink remains.
- Drain off the excess grease and season the meat with salt and pepper and add the chopped zucchini, summer squash, onion, and garlic.
- Continue to cook until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Meanwhile, combine the marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, and water in a medium mixing bowl.
- Break each uncooked lasagna noodle into 4 pieces and place them over the meat in the skillet.
- Pour the marinara mixture evenly over the pasta, making sure that the edges are covered.
- Bring to a good simmer then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Remove the cover, place dollops of ricotta over the surface of the lasagna, and sprinkle with the cheese. Cover and cook until the cheese melts. Garnish with basil and serve.
Skillet Lasagna Variations
- Lighten it up with ground turkey or turkey Italian sausage in place of the ground beef.
- Add chopped mushrooms or other veggies you love in place of or in addition to the squash.
- Try it with fire roasted diced tomatoes.
- For spicy Skillet Lasagna, add about ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the sauce mixture.
Serving Suggestions
- Toss a Caesar salad with Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing.
- Top a simple green salad with Hot Dog Bun Croutons and your dressing of choice.
- Cheater Garlic Bread is perfect with this easy lasagna!
And, of course, a nice glass of red. Cheers!
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Skillet Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage, can substitute turkey Italian sausage
- ½ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup diced zucchini
- 1 cup diced summer squash
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 25 ounces marinara sauce
- 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 10 curly edged lasagna noodles, each broken into 4 pieces
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese, like mozzarella/provolone or 4-cheese Italian
- ⅓ cup shaved or grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Coat a deep 12-inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray and place over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Cook the ground beef, breaking up with a spoon, until no pink remains. Drain off as much of the grease as you can and return the pan to the heat. Season the meat with salt and pepper and add the chopped zucchini, summer squash, onion, and garlic. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are fork tender.
- Meanwhile, combine the marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, and water in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Add the broken, uncooked lasagna noodles to the skillet, covering the meat. Pour the marinara mixture evenly over the pasta, making sure that the edges are covered. Bring to a good simmer then reduce the heat to MEDIUM, cover the skillet, and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Remove the cover and drop small spoonful's of the ricotta over the surface of the lasagna. Sprinkle with shredded Italian blend cheese and Parmesan. Cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
This post was originally published on March 24, 2013. It has been updated with new text and images.
Oh my…this looks divine!! I love lasagna, but I’ve never made it before. I would love to try this version first.
I am so all over this dish Valerie. I know my kids (& hubby) will love it and I will love making it 🙂 I’ve never made a skillet lasagna and I honestly can’t believe it – great recipe!
Valerie: I am eating leftovers of your Skillet Lasagna as I browse your website again! My husband LOVED it! I’m surprised he shared the leftovers with me.
So glad to hear it! I’m also glad your husband is sharing. The cook should always get some of the leftovers 🙂
I have never made skillet lasagna…have I been living under a rock all these years??? Incredible recipe, Val.
Thanks Val 🙂
I love skillet lasagna! I’ve made it a few times! You just reminded me to make it again! I love your ‘step by step’ pics! I don’t like breaking the lasagna noodles as much as you do because mine never break how I want them to break! I know, I’m too anal about it! lol!
I come to your site when I need to feed a lot of people. This is another winner. I love how homey it looks and sounds when lasagna is being served in a skillet. Looks so good. You always make dishes that I wish it’s my dinner. 🙂
This is such a great idea, and looks so mouthwatering! Thanks for sharing, Valerie! Saving to try this very, very soon…
I love it! Perfect in every respect!
Oh this is SO much easier than making a lasagne casserole! So glad that you don’t have to pre-cook the noodles. Great recipe!
Oh how I love all the promises of this dish. Your lasagana looks mouthwatering, how I wish I had a piece right now. I love lasagna but it takes too long so I don’t make it often. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe!!
Holy moses.
This looks amazing. So simple yet perfect.
Oh boy.. I need a BIG plate of that right now! Looks scrumptious!