You’re one pan away from a delicious fully stacked weeknight lasagna. All of the comforting layers of sausage, ricotta, and hearty pasta piled on and ready to be devoured! A hit every single time.

Freshly made Lasagna in Skillet with herbs and cherry tomatoes

No lie, I love lasagna. Actually, I love all intense Italian rooted dishes. From pastitsio to ragu, I am a sucker for the layers of flavor you get with the slow simmer of hearty meat sauces ladled over pasta.

But, some nights, quick and easy is where it’s at. If I don’t short cut completely and just make quick meat sauce, this easy recipe for skillet lasagna is pretty dang perfect.

It’s one of those meals that comes together quick and unlike traditional lasagna, that tastes amazing when made ahead and left to allow the depth of flavors to mingle for hours, this one-pan dinner can be made on a busy weeknight and is a very good alternative when you’re rushed for time!

Ingredients to Cook Lasagna in a Skillet

What You Need:

This skillet lasagna takes one ‘special’ ingredient, oven-ready lasagna noodles! These are easy to find in the market, in the regular pasta aisle but these are made to NOT be boiled ahead of time.

So you need noodles, a chopped onion, minced garlic, diced carrot, sliced mushrooms, ground sausage, ricotta, egg, herbs, the Girl Carnivore Over Easy spices (purely a bonus flavor but YUM) spinach, and mozzarella. Oh! And marinara sauce.

And let’s be honest, probably a little extra marinara for serving!

Cheesy Skillet Lasagna in a Table with Garlic, Cherry Tomato, Basil and Spinach

Shortcut lasagna

So, in order to speed up the classic lasagna, we short cut with ‘oven-ready’ noodles that are layered right in the skillet with all the other ingredients in one pan. Which, when you skip the boiling, everything is assembled in one pan.

The sausage can even be cooked in the skillet ahead of time! Now, bring on every cheesy, meaty layer!

Start with the marinara to coat the pan, then blanket on the pasta, ricotta, sausage, and of course the mozzarella!

Steps to Make Skillet Lasagna in Iron Skillet

Can you substitute ground beef or pork?

Yes, you can easily swap whatever ground meat you have in this recipe.

Does your family enjoy ground turkey? Go for it (add a little salt and more spices, if you’re diet allows).

Have ground beef to use, or ground pork, add in some extra Over Easy spice blend and a pinch of salt to the beef and you’re set!

Italian sausage will have some other savory spiced flavors, like fennel, paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, but on a weeknight, don’t overthink it. Use what you have thawed and add in a little extra dash of spices from the rack.

Half Sliced Lasagna in a Skillet with Spinach and Basil Leaves

Want more comforting dinner inspiration? Try some of my favorite recipes

If you’ve tried this shortcut skillet lasagna or any other recipe on GirlCarnivore.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below. I get inspired by your feedback and comments!
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Easy Skillet Lasagna

5 from 17 votes
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Resting Time: 5 mins
Servings: 10
flat lay of the full skillet of lasagna with fresh ingredients to of garlic, basil and tomatoes
This is the ultimate easy lasagna. One skillet, no boil pasta, and layers of hearty flavors from the sausage, marinara and cheese! Yes, please!

Recommended Equipment

Ingredients  

  • 1/2 Onion chopped
  • 1 Carrot minced
  • 1 lbs ground sausage
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 24 oz marinara sauce
  • 15 oz ricotta
  • 1 egg
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp GirlCarnivore Over Easy Spice Blend
  • No-Boil Lasagna Noodles
  • 1/2 cup mushrooms rinsed and sliced
  • 3 cups spinach rinsed
  • 8 oz mozzarella sliced
  • Fresh basil jullienned and chopped

Instructions 

Cook the Sausage

  • Add the sausage to the skillet, and cook over medium heat, 5 minutes. Breaking into small pieces.
  • Add the chopped onion and carrot, cooking until the sausage is cooked through and the onion is softened.
  • Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds longer.
  • Remove from heat and transfer the sausage to a paper towel lined plate to drain.

Preheat the Oven

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prep the Ricotta

  • Whisk the ricotta in a large bowl with the egg, a pinch of salt and pepper, and the GirlCarnivore Over Easy blend.

Layer the ingredients

  • In the now empty skillet, spoon a little marinara saue into the pan to coat.
    Skillet with marinara sauce spread over the bottom to start the lasagna layers
  • Add a layer of the no-boil lasagna noodles.
    Showing the no boil pasta arranged in the skillet for the lasagna
  • Top with a few mushrooms and handful of spinach.
  • Dollop the ricotta over top and spread with the back of a spoon or spatula.
    Showing the ricotta layer in the recipe steps for skillet lasagna
  • Add a heafty portion of the ground sausage mixture evenly over everything.
    Showing the ground sausage layer for skillet lasagna recipe
  • Spoon marinara over the meat layer.
  • Repeat the steps with the next layer of noodles until the pan is full.
  • Top with a layer of marinara and place the mozzarella evenly over top.
    Adding the cheese to the top of the skillet lasagna

Cook the Lasagna

  • Transfer the skillet into the oven and allow to cook for 30 minutes, until the pasta is softened and the cheese is melted.
    skillet lasagna fresh from oven in cast iron on a baking sheet
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve

  • Garnish with freshly chopped basil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese if desired before slicing to serve.

Notes

If the cheese starts to brown, cover the skillet with foil. 
Serve with a fresh salad or roasted green beans on the side. 
Cool completely and store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. 
Only reheat portions as needed to avoid drying out. 
Sprinkle a few drops of water over the lasagna as you reheat in the microwave to help pasta from drying out.
This recipe is shown being made in a cast-iron skillet. If you use cast iron, remove the lasagna when done serving and wipe the cast iron out immediately and reseason. Letting acidic foods sit too long in cast iron can wear down the natural seasoning. 
Pre-cooking mushrooms will help to draw liquid out from them, preventing the lasagna from becoming too watery as it cooks. 
This recipe calls for GirlCarnivore Over Easy Blend however, a generic Italian spice blend will work as a substitute if needed. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 841mg | Potassium: 519mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2583IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 254mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Author: Kita Roberts
Keyword: skillet lasagna

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made this last night without the mushrooms and it came out fantastic, this recipe is a keeper. Very easy to put together, and had a great dinner in about an hour.

    Reply

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