I love when I find an easier way to make some of my family’s favorite recipes. Lasagna is a classic recipe that feeds a lot, but this one pan skillet lasagna is a lot easier to make. It has all of the delicious flavors of traditional lasagna, but can conveniently be made in one skillet on the stovetop instead of the oven. If you’re a big fan of one pan meals, then you’ll definitely want to add this one to your list!
Speaking of one pan dinners, I highly suggest you try out this creamy one pan chicken and orzo pasta dish that I absolutely love and my quick sausage & peppers skillet that can be made in under 30 minutes!
Ingredients for Stovetop Lasagna
- Italian Sausage: I only use Italian sausage for this dish, but you can certainly mix sausage and beef to bulk up the filling a little bit more. I also try to get turkey Italian sausage when I can find it.
- Aromatics: Just a little bit of onion and garlic gets sautéed with the meat to build the foundation for this flavorful meat sauce.
- Marinara Sauce, Diced Tomatoes & Broth: Some people only use marinara for their sauce, but I like to add in a can of diced tomatoes for extra flavor and texture. And a little bit of broth helps cook the noodles. Chicken or beef broth both work out great.
- Seasoning: A simple mix of Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper is all you need to season the meat and the sauce. Again, the sautéed onion and garlic also adds lots of flavor!
- Lasagna Noodles: You’ll need regular lasagna pasta broken into medium size pieces. But the best part is that it cooks right in the skillet. No extra pot needed!
- Cheesy Topping: Once the lasagna noodles have finished cooking, I like to top off the skillet with a mix of ricotta cheese, parmesan, and mozzarella. If you only have 1 or 2 cheeses that’s perfectly fine, but I like the classic flavor that you get from using a combination of all three!
How To Cook Lasagna In A Skillet
Cook the sausage: Start by browning the sausage, then add in the diced onion and garlic.
Seasoning: Add all of the spices to the skillet.
Tomatoes and broth: Stir in the marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, and broth. Give everything a stir.
Add lasagna Add the broken lasagna noodles to the skillet. Gently mix them in and make sure they are covered by the sauce. Cover with a lid and simmer.
Top with cheese: Once the noodles are fully cooked, it’s time to add your cheese topping.
Melt the cheese: Cover the skillet with a lid and continue to simmer so the cheese can melt or place the skillet in the oven (without the lid) and broil for a few minutes to melt the cheese on top.
Cooking Tip!
Make sure your lasagna noodles are mostly submerged in the liquid in the pan and the skillet continues to simmer while it cooks. Stir the sauce occasionally and make sure to press the noodles back down in the sauce after each stir. This way the noodles will cook fully with the sauce.
Easy Variations
- If you want to make your sauce a little more meaty, add in ½ pound of ground beef or ground turkey with your Italian sausage.
- You can also increase the veggies and flavor of this dish by adding in some diced green bell pepper or sliced mushrooms. Just be careful not to add too much extra filling. I would stick to no more than 1 cup of additional veggies.
- Not a fan of ricotta cheese? No problem! Just leave it out and top your lasagna skillet with extra mozzarella and parmesan cheese instead. It will still be really good!
Serving Suggestions
I love serving this skillet lasagna with fresh homemade garlic bread and a simple side salad. But you can also add any of your favorite green vegetables like sautéed broccoli, green beans, or sautéed asparagus. And if you want something light but full of flavor, try adding your favorite pasta salad on the side.
Skillet Lasagna
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 lb. Italian sausage
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 24 oz. jar marinara sauce
- 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 7-8 uncooked lasagna noodles
Cheese Topping
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cooking oil and the Italian sausage. Crumble the sausage in the skillet and cook until fully brown.
- Add in the diced onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper. Continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes until the onion is translucent.
- Now add in the jar of marinara sauce, diced tomatoes with the juices, and the broth. Carefully stir everything together.
- Bring the skillet up to a gentle boil. While the sauce is simmering, break the lasagna into large, roughly 2-inch pieces. Now add the broken pasta to the skillet. Press the pasta into the sauce until it is mostly submerged.
- Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet with a lid, and continue to simmer the sauce for 25 minutes. Move the pasta around every 5-10 minutes to make sure it’s not sticking in the pan. Remember to push the lasagna back in the sauce after each stir.
- While the pasta is cooking, go ahead and make the cheese topping. In a small bowl mix together the ricotta cheese, grated parmesan, salt, and black pepper.
- After 25 minutes the pasta should be ready. Remove the lid and add spoonfuls of the cheese topping on top. Now sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top. Place the lid back on the skillet so the cheese can melt or if you are using an oven-safe skillet, place the skillet in the oven, without the lid, on a low broil for about 3-4 minutes.
- Once the cheese has melted, garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with garlic bread or your favorite sides. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you’re not a fan of ricotta cheese, you can leave it out and just top the lasagna with shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
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