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Ditch the casserole dish! This skillet lasagna is so much easier. Tender lasagna noodles are smothered in a rich, meaty red sauce scattered with creamy, gooey dollops of gloriously melty cheese. It’s everything you could ask for in a lasagna but with none of the pesky layering!

A serving of skillet lasagna on a plate.
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Okay, you guys, this ultimate skillet lasagna is going to change the way you make lasagna forever. It requires none of that time-consuming, messy layering business of a traditional lasagna but delivers ALL of the flavor. Lasagna noodles are cooked in a perfectly balanced tomato sauce loaded with spicy Italian sausage and finished with dollops of ricotta and parmesan, fresh basil, and melty shredded mozzarella cheese. So much flavor. So easy. And it’s all made in one skillet! So cleanup is a breeze!

Why You’ll Love This Skillet Lasagna Recipe

Tired of laboring over traditional lasagna? Here’s why you need to switch up your method and try this recipe today.

  • So easy. Lasagna can be a pain. All the careful layering and long baking time. This stovetop rendition comes together in just 40 minutes and doesn’t require you to bend of a casserole dish, painstakingly layering sauce, noodles, and cheese.
  • Rich and creamy. Between the creamy ricotta, the ooey-gooey melted mozzarella and parmesan, and the rich tomato sauce, this is one satisfying skillet of noodles. Each bite will roll over your taste buds in a warm, satisfying array of flavors and textures.
  • All in one skillet. I love a good one-pot wonder and this is just that. All you’ll need is one skillet (ok, fine, you’ll need a mixing bowl too) and that’s it. The minimal number of dishes required makes cleanup so easy.
Ingredients for skillet lasagna.

What You’ll Need

Gather your ingredients around you and get to cooking! Here’s what you’ll need. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for precise measurements.

  • Fresh hot Italian sausage – Be sure to remove the casings. If you don’t like spicy, try sweet Italian sausage. You could also use ground beef, ground pork, ground turkey, ground chicken, or even a combination of a couple.
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Lasagna noodles
  • Marinara sauce – Don’t be stingy here, folks. You want a high-quality marinara. I like using Rao’s.
  • Cheeses – I used part-skim ricotta cheese, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and shredded whole milk mozzarella. Feel free to swap the ricotta out for cottage cheese.
  • Fresh basil

How to Make Skillet Lasagna

Here’s a quick overview of how to make this quick and easy skillet lasagna. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

  • Brown the sausage. Brown sausage over medium-high heat, breaking it up as you go.
  • Saute the aromatics. Add the onions and garlic to the skillet and saute until softened and fragrant.
  • Put it all together. Add the lasagna noodles to the skillet and pour marinara sauce over the top. Push the noodles around so the sauce can get to the bottom and in between the noodles.
  • Cook the pasta. Bring everything to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until the noodles have cooked through.
  • Add the cheese. Stir together ricotta and parmesan. Dollop the cheese mixture all over the top of the lasagna and mix it in a little bit.
  • Broil. Sprinkle mozzarella all over the top of the lasagne and broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  • Garnish. Remove the skillet from the oven and garnish with basil.
  • Rest. Allow the lasagna to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Tips & Variations

Want to learn how to get this skillet lasagna recipe perfect every time AND tailor it to your taste buds? In this section, I’ll go over some vital tips and tricks as well as a few fun variations on the original recipe. Happy cooking!

  • Use the right pan. Be sure to use an oven-safe pan so you can bake the skillet lasagna in the same pan you made the sauce in. I used a 12-inch nonstick skillet. If your skillet is larger, scale the recipe up. if you use a smaller skillet, scale the recipe down. Non-stick is helpful here to keep the noodles from adhering to the skillet.
  • Use a quality marinara. Quality matters here, ladies and gents. The flavor of your marinara will shine through every bite. So be sure to pick a good one. I really like Rao’s.
  • Move things around. When you add the sauce to the pan, give everything a good stir so that the sauce distributes evenly throughout the noodles and gets to the bottom of the pan. You’ll also want to stir and toss the noodles occasionally as they cook so that they cook evenly.
  • Keep an eye. When broiling the skillet lasagna, keep a close eye. Broilers work quickly and you don’t want to ruin all of your hard work with burnt cheese.
  • Let it rest. Before slicing into the lasagna, let it hang out for a bit. It will set during this time, allowing you to avoid a soupy disaster.
  • Try a different protein. Not a spicy Italian sausage fan? Don’t worry about it! You could use sweet Italian sausage, ground beef, ground pork, ground turkey, ground chicken, or some combination instead. Note that plain ground meat doesn’t have as much flavor as sausage, so you might want to consider going a little heavier on the seasoning if you use it.
  • Switch up the pasta. You don’t have to limit yourself to lasagna noodles. Try bowtie pasta or another short noodle of your choosing.
  • Add some veggies. You can easily stir some sauteed cremini mushrooms and/or a handful or two of spinach leaves into the sauce for a little extra vegetable matter.
Scooping a serving of skillet lasagna out of the pan.

Serving Suggestions

I think my favorite thing to serve skillet lasagna with is a nice light, green salad. I have been enjoying my Vegan Caesar Salad but this Broccoli Salad is fun if you are looking for something a little different. Want cooked veggies instead? Try my Cheesy Creamed Spinach or this Roasted Parmesan Broccoli. And then, of course, you can’t have a saucy serving of lasagna without a hunk of warm bread to soak up the sauces. Whip up some Garlic Bread or try your hand at my Rosemary Olive Oil Bread.

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

  • To store. Allow the lasagne to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. You can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • To reheat. Transfer the leftovers to the fridge to thaw (if frozen) before spreading them in a baking dish. Cover the lasagna and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until heated through. Otherwise, microwave individual portions in 30-second intervals until warm.
Overhead image of a serving of skillet lasagna on a plate.

More Easy Dinner Ideas

On the lookout for more quick and easy dinner recipes to add to your weeknight repertoire? Here are a few more fun ones for you.

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4.91 from 20 votes

Ultimate Skillet Lasagna

Ditch that casserole dish and grab your skillet! This ultimate skillet lasagna is going to change the way you make lasagna forever!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound (454 g) fresh hot Italian sausage*, casings removed
  • 1 cup (160 g) diced onions
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 lasagna noodles, broken into three big segments
  • 32 ounces (907 g) marinara sauce
  • ½ cup (123 g) part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup (112 g) shredded whole milk mozzarella
  • Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Instructions 

  • In an oven-safe skillet, brown sausage over medium-high heat, breaking up the sausage into small pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula.
    Browning Italian sausage in a skillet.
  • Once the sausage has been broken up and mostly cooked through, add the onions and minced garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, or until softened and fragrant.
    Adding onions and garlic to a skillet full of browned Italian sausage.
  • Add the lasagna noodles to the skillet and carefully pour marinara sauce all over the top. Using your spatula or wooden spoon, move around the noodles so the sauce can get to the bottom and in between the noodles. Bring everything to a boil then reduce to a simmer and let cook until noodles have softened, about 15 minutes. You'll want to stir and toss the noodles every now and then so the heat is evenly distributed throughout to cook the noodles.
    Stirring lasagna noodles and marinara sauce into a skillet with browned sausage, onions, and garlic.
  • Once the noodles have softened and cooked through, in a small bowl, stir together ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese. Pre-heat oven to broil.
    Whisking together ricotta and grated parmesan cheese.
  • In large dollops, put ricotta cheese mixture all over the pasta dish and give it a stir but not entirely mixing it all in and having it disappear in the mixture.
    Adding dollops of ricotta and parmesan to skillet lasagna.
  • Sprinkle mozzarella all over the top of the pasta dish and put it in the oven under the broiler until cheese is melted and bubbly.
    Adding shredded cheese to skillet lasagna.
  • Carefully remove from oven and garnish with basil (if using).
    Overhead image of skillet lasagna.
  • Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

You don’t have to use hot Italian sausage if you don’t like spicy. Feel free to use your favorite type of fresh sausage.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (310 grams), Calories: 535kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 81mg, Sodium: 1460mg, Potassium: 808mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 7g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

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Photographs by Meg McKeehan Photography

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30 Comments

  1. I’m in college with a very small kitchen and making this lasagna in a skillet has been the best for me! It’s my new favorite for a weeknight.

  2. My daughter’s favorite meal is lasagna, but she said this was just as good. I will be able to make her favorite more often now!

  3. We made this for dinner last night and it was super simple to make. We didn’t have Italian sausage, so we substituted lean ground beef. It’s a keeper, we will pick up some sausage to try next time.

  4. I’ve never made lasagna in a skillet, but it turned out amazing! It had a bit of spice with the Italian sausage, which the kids loved. I like that it was made with marinara sauce instead of spaghetti sauce. Thanks for the recipe!