Skillet Lasagna

You’ll Need the Following Ingredients

The ingredients used in this recipe are almost identical to those used in a traditional lasagna recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for the printable list, amounts, and step-by-step instructions.

• Italian sausage – Italian sausage is my favorite meat to use in lasagna, as it has incredible richness and flavor. However, any ground meat will work here, such as beef or chicken.
• Onion – I’m using a sweet Vidalia onion in this recipe. A standard yellow onion would work too.
• Garlic – Use freshly minced garlic or 1 tablespoon of jarred garlic in place of each clove.
• Tomato paste – Tomato paste adds concentrated tomato flavor to the sauce.
• Crushed tomatoes – Crushed tomatoes help create our marinara sauce. I like to have small bits of tomatoes in the sauce, but if you prefer a smooth sauce, just swap the crushed tomatoes for an additional can of tomato sauce.
• Tomato sauce – Choose your favorite jar of tomato sauce from the store, or use homemade.
• Dried Italian seasoning – You could also use a blend of individual Italian herbs, like oregano, thyme, basil, and rosemary. If you’d like to swap dried herbs with fresh, you’ll need about 3 times the amount.
• Red pepper flakes – Red pepper flakes add a bit of spice. Feel free to add as little or as much as you like.
• Lasagna noodles – In this recipe, I use traditional uncooked lasagna noodles broken into small pieces. I find this gives the most authentic texture. But you could also use no-bake lasagna noodles to get your meal on the table even quicker!
• Ricotta cheese – I like to dollop the ricotta mixture on the skillet (rather than mix it in) so you get big puddles of cheesiness throughout the lasagna. If you don’t have ricotta, cottage cheese is a good substitute.
• Grated Parmesan – Grate the Parmesan cheese fresh from the block for the best flavor and texture.
• Shredded mozzarella – I use whole milk mozzarella in this recipe because it melts smoothly and has a creamier texture than part-skim mozzarella. Like the Parmesan, make sure to grate it fresh. If you can’t find whole milk mozzarella, no worries. Your skillet lasagna will still turn out great.
• Fresh basil – If you don’t have basil on hand, sub in some Italian parsley.

How to Make Lasagna In a Skillet

This one-skillet lasagna is super simple to make. Here’s how to do it in just a few easy steps.

• Cook the sausage. Cook the sausage until it’s about halfway browned, breaking it into small pieces. Then, drain any excess grease away. Add the onion and cook until the sausage is browned and the onion is softened. Next, stir in the garlic and tomato paste.
• Make the sauce. Add a can of crushed tomatoes, a can of tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and a cup of water to the skillet. Bring that to a simmer.

• Cook the noodles. Break the lasagna sheets into 1″ to 2″ pieces. Stir the pieces into the sauce and cook until the noodles are tender, adding more water as needed, about 20 to 25 minutes total.
• Make the cheese mixture. Meanwhile, combine the ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan, and part of the mozzarella in a small bowl. Season with salt.

• Melt the cheese. Remove the skillet from the heat. Dollop the ricotta mixture on top of the sauce and noodles. Then, sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Add a lid and let the skillet sit for 5 minutes to melt the cheese. If desired, place the skillet under the broiler to brown the cheese.
• Serve. Garnish with fresh basil (and extra red pepper flakes if you’d like) and ENJOY!

Tips for the Best Lasagna

• Drain excess grease. Since everything is being cooked in one pan, it’s important to drain away any excess grease from the sausage.
• Add water as needed. The sauce will thin as the noodles soak up the water – add ½ cup of water at a time, as needed, until the noodles are al dente.
• Use whole milk cheese. For both the ricotta and the mozzarella, I prefer using whole milk versus skim or part-skim, as it melts more easily and has a much creamier, richer texture and flavor.
• Customize to your preference. The great thing about a classic recipe like lasagna is how many ways you can make it your own. Play around with the spices and ingredients until you end up with the perfect lasagna for your family.
• What’s the best skillet to use? I’m using my Staub 11” Traditional Deep Skillet for this, and it’s the perfect size!
• Can I use no-boil noodles? I use traditional lasagna noodles in this recipe for the best chewy texture. You can definitely use no-boil noodles. In this case, you won’t need to add as much water, and they will take less time to cook. No-boil noodles have a texture that’s softer and less chewy than traditional lasagna noodles.

Try These Variations

Here are a few ways to switch up this easy skillet dinner, including ways to make it vegetarian.

• Switch up the meat. I opt for mild Italian sausage and then add red pepper flakes to taste, but you could use hot sausage if you prefer. If you can’t find bulk sausage, just cut the casings off of sausage links. Feel free to swap out the sausage for ground beef, turkey, or chicken, if you prefer. A 50/50 blend of sausage and beef would give great flavor, too. Just know that the other ground meats do not have additional Italian flavors added, so you might want to add more dried Italian seasoning.
• Can I use other noodles? While lasagna noodles are ideal, since this is a lasagna, you can also use bow-tie or other similar noodles.
• Speed up the cooking time. You can partially cook some broken lasagna noodles in a separate pot of boiling water while the sausage cooks, and then add the noodles to the skillet after the tomato products are added. This cuts down the overall cooking time.
• Add some veggies. This is an easy recipe to hide veggies. Try cooking some chopped sweet peppers, spinach, zucchini, or other veggies with the sausage and onions.
• Make it vegetarian. Want to turn this into a vegetarian dinner? Just omit the ground sausage and add in some extra veggies.
• Make it spicy. If you prefer a little heat to your dinners, use some spicy Italian sausage or increase the amount of red pepper flakes used.

Serving Suggestions

Like the traditional dish, this skillet lasagna is absolute perfection when served with homemade garlic bread and an Italian side salad. If you don’t have any garlic bread, any crusty bread will work. It’s always fun to have something to scoop up every last bit of that tasty sauce!

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

• Refrigerate. Leftover skillet lasagna can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Reheat. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or return to the stovetop and simmer until hot.
• Freeze. You can freeze this skillet lasagna for up to 2 months, either wrapped tightly in foil or transferred to an airtight, freezer-safe container. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat at a simmer on the stovetop.

More One-Pan Dinner Recipes

• Pasta Fazool
• Skillet Pizza
• Skillet Fried Potato Hash
• Skillet Chicken Chilaquiles
• Cheesy Potato and Bacon Skillet