This easy Skillet Lasagna has all the rich, cheesy and saucy goodness of traditional lasagna but without all the hard work or long bake times.
Everything simmers together in one skillet for a comforting, easy weeknight dinner. This lasagna goes really well with a side of garlic bread and salad for the perfect meal at home!
This easy one pan skillet lasagna is a true weeknight favorite! It is very similar to how effortless this ravioli bake recipe comes together: no pre-boiling noodles and no stacks of dishes waiting at the sink! There’s also no layering as everything cooks right in the skillet sauce.
The best part is the basil ricotta spooned over the top, which adds that refreshing, creamy contrast to the melty cheese and hearty meat sauce! Seriously so good.
Since everything cooks in one pan, this skillet lasagna is the perfect dinner when time is short but the classic lasagna bolognese cravings hit. Ready in under an hour with simple ingredients, it’s filling, family-friendly, and also reheats and freezes really well.
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Why I Love This Recipe
- True comfort food. Everyone loves a good lasagna, and this one has all the classic flavors but it’s much easier.
- Perfect for busy nights. This skillet lasagna comes together in under 1 hour with minimal effort and one pan for easy clean-up.
- Customizable. It’s easy to adjust the protein, cheese or seasonings to your liking.
Ingredient Notes
I hope these ingredient notes from recipe testing are helpful when picking up your ingredients for your skillet lasagna!
- Ground beef and Italian sausage: I use a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage for best flavor. Ground turkey works well as a substitution.
- Yellow onion and minced garlic: The essential aromatics that build the flavor foundation for the meat sauce.
- Italian seasoning: Adds great flavor! You can also use fresh minced rosemary and thyme.
- Marinara sauce: Use your favorite, high-quality brand for best results!
- Chopped fresh basil: For the sauce and to garnish for that fresh, herby taste.
- Lasagna noodle sheets: Use regular lasagna sheets (the dried, wavy kind). This is great for any leftover lasagna sheets or the broken up pieces in the box. If using oven-ready lasagna sheets, you’ll need to reduce the cooking time.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese: Whole milk shredded mozzarella melts best.
- For the basil ricotta topping: Ricotta cheese, thinly sliced fresh basil.
- Salt and pepper to taste, olive oil
As always, all the quantities can be found in the recipe card down below.
How to Make Skillet Lasagna
Step 1: Brown the meat. Preheat oven to 375ºF first. In a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and Italian sausage, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Step 2: Sauté aromatics. Push the meat to the side and sauté diced onions until softened. Add minced garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for another 1 minute, then bring everything back together.
Step 3: Build the sauce. Pour in the marinara sauce plus about ½ cup of water, which ensures the pasta cooks properly. Stir in fresh basil, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Lasagna noodles. Break up the lasagna sheets into medium-sized pieces, and stir into the sauce. Mix a little more water with any remaining sauce from the jar, and add to fully cover the noodles.
Step 5: Simmer. Cook over medium heat with the lid partially covered for 16-18 minutes until al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. If the sauce seems too thick, stir in a little more water.
Step 6: Melt cheese. Add 1 cup of mozzarella into the skillet lasagna and stir until combined and melted. Then, top with the remaining shredding mozzarella, followed by dollops of basil ricotta (mix ricotta cheese, fresh basil, salt and pepper). Melt in the oven (375ºF) for 6-8 minutes, then broil for 2 minutes at the end.
Garnish with extra fresh basil or parsley, and serve warm. And there you have it, the BEST skillet lasagna ever!
Tips for Success
- Use a large deep skillet: A 12-inch deep skillet (oven-safe) is necessary to hold all the ingredients and prevent the sauce from bubbling over.
- Type of lasagna sheets: For this skillet lasagna recipe’s cook time, use regular wavy lasagna noodles, not the “oven ready” kind.
- If using oven-ready noodles, reduce the cooking time as needed, until al dente and tender.
- Stir lasagna noodles occasionally: They may clump together as they cook and release starch, so stir occasionally every 5 minutes (not too often though) to prevent sticking.
- Adding that splash of water helps with the sauce consistency, especially since the pasta will naturally release starch.
- Whole milk shredded mozzarella melts better! Rather than part-skim mozzarella.
Recipe FAQs
If using oven ready noodles, they will cook faster so just check after 8-10 minutes from simmering if they are done.
Yes! Cottage cheese is a great substitute. For the best texture, I recommend blending it briefly in a food processor to smooth out the curds before mixing.
Absolutely, ground turkey works well for a lighter version. You may want to add a pinch more salt and Italian seasoning to compensate for the milder flavor of turkey.
As it cooks, give it a stir occasionally, every 5 minutes or so, but not too frequently, otherwise it can release too much start and turn mushy.
Make Ahead, Freezing, Reheating
Make ahead: Cook as directed, let it cool completely, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Reheating: Place in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and warm in a 350°F oven until heated through. Alternatively, microwave individual portions.
Freezing and reheating: Cook the lasagna without the final cheese topping. Cool completely, transfer to smaller freezer-safe baking dishes, and top with cheese. Cover and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat covered, for about 45-minutes to 1 hour at 350°F until warm.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
This skillet lasagna is a hearty meal on its own, but we love serving it with:
Salads: A crisp Italian Chopped Salad, Lemon Arugula Salad, or our favorite house salad.
Bread: Cheesy Garlic Bread is perfect for soaking up the extra sauce!
Vegetables: Roasted Parmesan Broccoli or Roasted Parmesan Asparagus make excellent sides.
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Skillet Lasagna
Equipment
- 12-inch deep skillet oven-safe
Ingredients
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound Italian sausage - casings removed
- Olive oil
- ½ cup yellow onions, finely diced
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 32 ounces marinara sauce - your favorite brand
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil - plus more for garnish
- 8 ounces regular wavy lasagna sheets - not the “oven-ready” kind
- 2 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese - divided
Basil ricotta topping:
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- Salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Prep oven: Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Cook meat: In an oven-safe deep pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and Italian sausage, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through. Using paper towel, absorb any excess moisture or fat as needed.
- Add aromatics: Push the ground meat to the side of the pan, then drizzle a little bit of olive oil and sauté the diced onions for about 3 minutes until softened. Then, add minced garlic and Italian seasoning, and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Then, bring everything back together in the skillet.
- Build the sauce: Add the marinara sauce, about ⅓ or ½ cup of water (as needed), and fresh basil. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, uncovered.
- Add lasagna noodles: Break up the lasagna sheets into medium-sized pieces, and stir them into the sauce. Then mix a little more water with any remaining sauce from the jar, and add it to fully cover the noodles.
- Simmer: Simmer with the lid partially covered for 16-18 minutes until al dente, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Make basil ricotta topping mix: Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with freshly chopped basil, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Stir in cheese and add topping: Add 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and stir into the lasagna mixture until melted and incorporated. Then, for the topping, top evenly with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella and add dollops of the prepared basil ricotta.
- Melt cheese in oven: Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 6-8 minutes until melted. Finish in a broiler for 2 minutes until slightly golden. Garnish with fresh basil and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- Skillet size: Use deep 12-inch-deep skillet to prevent the sauce from spilling.
- Lasagna noodles: Use regular wavy lasagna noodles, not the “oven ready” kind for this recipe.
- If using oven-ready lasagna sheets, reduce the simmering time to about 10 minutes or until al dente to your liking.
- Cheese: Whole milk shredded mozzarella melts better than part-skim.
- Prevent noodles from sticking: Stir every 5 minutes while the noodles are simmering.
- Make ahead: Cook as directed, let cool completely, then refrigerate. Reheat in the microwave oven, or in the oven (covered) at 350F until warmed through.
- Freezing: Cook the lasagna on the stovetop without the final cheese topping. Cool completely, transfer to freezer-safe baking dishes, and add the basil ricotta and shredded cheese. Cover and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheating from frozen: Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat, covered, at 350°F for about 45-60 minutes until heated through.
- Meat: Ground turkey for a lightened-up version.
- Cheese: Cottage cheese can be swapped for the ricotta but blend it first so it’s smooth.
- Vegetarian: Omit the meat and use mushrooms instead.
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