Quick + Easy Skillet Lasagna.
In the mood to cook dinner tonight? I’ve got you covered.
In the mood to not cook dinner whatsoever tonight? I’ve got you covered there too.
This summer we’ve managed to do one thing: eat a lot of fresh dinners. I’m talking a ton. Lots of tacos, lots of fish, lots of freshly grilled burgers (yes it counts) and even fruit. Granted I may have been eating by myself most nights… buuuut whatever. The point I’m trying to make is that this kitchen usually houses a good amount of comfort food – in the form of baked, cheesy casseroles and mashed potatoes and roast beef and pulled pork with gravy. And well, I think because it reached 10 million degrees (no, I will never stop exaggerating) by May… I just could barely fathom making a chicken pot pie or what not.
Until this week. This week I started craving something warm and homey and HOT. With cheese. Problem was… I still didn’t want to stand over the stove all day when it came time for dinner because, well… I stand over the stove all day to begin with. I just want to play. It’s summer! Playtime. And it’s flying by.
So I timed myself. I had the ingredients (no, not Rachael Ray-style, like all piled upon my face before I reached the counter or anything), grabbed them from the fridge and started doing my thing, hoping I’d be able to sneak this recipe inside of my 45-minute window before picking my mom up from the airport. I came in right under 30 minutes and even had time to inhale a bowl covered in parmesan cheese. Which just might have been one of the highlights of this summer and my little life.
What qualifies me to call this dish lasagna? Well… nothing. I’m not Italian, nor did I marry into any Italian, and while I’ve made some lasagna before, I’ll be the first to tell you that I buy my tomato sauce in a jar and pasta and bread are last on my list of indulgences. So let’s just chalk this whole dish up to pure ignorance – oh and of course my use of the signature wavy noodle – and call it a day.
So you CAN have a fast and easy hot hot hot dinner on this summer night… go fig.
Oh and it’s pretty healthy too… more room for ice cream. Gotta eat it now – summer is almost toast.
Easy Skillet Lasagna
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole wheat lasagna noodles, broken into thirds
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 pound 95% lean ground beef
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 8 fresh basil leaves, torn
- parmesan cheese for grating
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare water for pasta and bring to a boil. Season ground beef with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Heat a large (mine was 12.5 inch) oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add in olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter, then toss in onions with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes, until soft. Add in garlic and cook for another minute, then add in ground beef, baking it apart with a spatula or wooden spoon. Cook until just browned, about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. If there is excess liquid in the pan, feel free to drain a bit.
- At this point your water should be boiling, so make sure to toss the broken noodles in and cook them for about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon or drain and set aside for a few minutes.
- Once beef is browned, add in tomatoes with remaining butter and the 3 tablespoons of fresh basil, tossing well to coat. Add in broken noodles, using the spatula or spoon to fold the beef and sauce over the noodles. One noodles are evenly distributed and mostly under the sauce, add sliced mozzarella on top and scoops on ricotta. Bake for 10 minutes, then immediately remove and add torn basil on top. Serve!
Notes
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Um and… someone is eating ricotta now. This is major. What is going on? Is the world ending?
136 Comments on “Quick + Easy Skillet Lasagna.”
Love this!! My husband’s favorite food is lasagna, but making them can be such a pain in the butt!! Thanks for sharing an easier version!
I love any dinner that takes 30 minutes! But this one looks especially amazing
Lovely and easy and I think I could even do it on my grill.Perfect.
Wow amazing and simple! Because of you, everyone thinks I’m now a great chef.
I love me some lasagna, but it just takes SO LONG to make most of the time. I’m definitely going to try this next time I’m feeling some lasagna in 30 minutes.
This looks so good!!
This looks soo good. So making it. Thank you.
Tab
I need to get on this skillet lasagna. I love the idea. This looks so good with the fresh mozzarella and basil.
This looks fun and way faster than the oven version.
Have to tell you, though, we had your Caramelized Pineapple Quesadillas with Spicy Strawberry Salsa for dinner last night… Best. Meal. Ever. Thanks! :)
I love that this is a 30 minute meal! Your pictures are absolutely amazing!
Making this for dinner on Friday for a yummy bite before Martina McBride concert!!! Thanks for sharing. Perfect for summer!! You don’t have to turn on the stinking oven!!!
Oh my goodness. That shot with the drippy melty cheese? Dying.
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I love this! Lasagna in 30 minutes is the right answer.
My boyfriend doesn’t understand why I own cast iron skillets. Showed him a picture of this — and he’s like, so that’s what they’re good for. Duh. :)
This looks even more delicious than regular lasagna. Can’t wait to try it!
you just won my ♥
I am ALL OVER this. Fabulous!
I love a quick lasagne (I’m always using the no cook noodles and a jarred sauce to try to cut down on cooking time). I am so trying this method instead.
What no bacon? There is always next time.
Love it! I’ve gotta get a new cast iron pan.
This looks great! I love quick and easy…
My problem is I don’t have a cast iron/ oven safe skillet, is there a way to make this just using the stove? (maybe cooking a little longer while covered?)
Hi Monique, I have the same problem any one ever answer you on this?
Thanks!
Aaahh thank you sooo much for this recipe – I was beginning to think superquick lasagne recipes never existed!
i was so excited to make this tonight, stopped and picked up the cheeses, picked the basil from the garden came in annnnnndddddd no lasagna noodles :( that’s ok i “made it work” with corkscrew macaroni, just as yummy :)
It’s all about the 30 minute GOOD meals that make a family happy and away from the drive through. This speaks to the soul.
Wow- so delicious! Have to cook this for dinner TONIGHT!
Totally made this last night, because I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it! It was perfect!
Love this idea! I’ll have to make a vegetarian version of this.
I made this for dinner last night and it was a huge hit! Absolutely delicious!!!
Yum! Love how easy this is. Would it work with no-boil lasagna noodles? I have some from Trader Joe’s that I’m trying to use up!
That looks really amazing I’ve been craving for some good lasagna for a while already!!!
I e-mailed this to my hubby and he made it for dinner last night. It was delicious, but he had a few comments. They’re mostly personal preferences:
– Do you season your meat before you add it to the pan? He was confused why that instruction was at the beginning, well before you add the meat to the pan.
– 8oz of noodles seemed like too much for the sauce. He ended up adding closer to 6oz.
– 1/2 cup of ricotta seemed a little stingy for the amount of sauce and noodles – he added closer to a cup.
– He said when we make it again, he wants to add mushrooms and spinach. :)
I made this for dinner tonight and my husband told me I should open a restaurant. :) I had to inform him that I sadly did not come up with this recipe!
I made this for my boyfriend the other night and he loved it! I used spicy turkey sausage instead of ground meat. It was amazing! Thanks for anther great recipe!
Ohhh boy, I’m obsessed with this concept. Lasagna is such a pain in the ass to make and requires such a wait… this is just right.
I love this recipe.
OMG – this looks delicious! I will have to give it a try!
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WOW! Made this for dinner tonight and I don’t think I will make regular lasagna ever again. There aren’t words to express how delish this was.
P.S. LOVE LOVE your blog!!! I am totally obsessed. :)
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THIS WAS QUICK AND AMAZING!!!!! Love the touch of the ricotta and mozzarella. This is my go to lasagna!
One item to note is that I used lean ground turkey (not extra lean) to make it more healthier.
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I made this tonight for dinner-very easy, but lacking some flavor. I might try adding extra garlic & some oregano to the sauce. I also thought mixing in the ricotta with the sauce might make it more flavorful. Italian sausage (turkey or regular) could be substituted for the beef…things I might try next time. Thanks for the recipe!
I love how you can see the steam coming out from the dish! :)
This one skillet meal is definitely a winner. A nice alternative to making lasagna the traditional way.
I made this for some friends last week, and it was delicious! Really easy too. Everyone has been raving about it ever since. Will definitely be making this again!
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Hi, I don’t have a over proof skillet so could I use a dutch oven or just transfer food to a baking dish?
Yes you can!
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