This one-pot skillet lasagna recipe is a fun take on traditional lasagna. Using no-boil pasta makes this a delicious and satisfying one-pot meal that everyone in your family will enjoy.
I should preface this post by saying that this recipe was a complete accident. I saw skillet lasagna recipes on Google, saw that many of them would take about 30 minutes to make, and did absolutely no further investigative work. If I had actually read some of the recipes, I would have realized that skillet lasagna is its own class of recipes. Typically, it’s prepared by adding torn or diced lasagna pasta to the sauce and finished with cheese. It’s almost a casserole version of lasagna soup. However, with me not doing an ounce of research and winging it completely, I ended up with lasagna in a skillet. If I’m being truthful, I’m not sure I’ll ever make lasagna in a tray again.
While you won’t be saving much time on this recipe, the round, pie shape of the lasagna is just so much fun. Plus, you can maximize the crunchy curly bits if you have curly-edged lasagna.
How to make this one-pot skillet lasagna recipe:
What I love about this recipe is that if you use no-boil lasagna, you just one skillet to make the whole dish. If you have regular lasagna sheets, simply boil them prior to assembling the dish.
I do recommend pre-soaking the no-boil lasagna sheets just to reduce the amount of baking time needed for the lasagna.
To make it, you’ll need three main components:
- Lasagna sheets: Start by boiling or soaking the lasagna sheets. If they finish boiling before you’re ready to assemble them, be sure to rinse them with water. Otherwise, transfer the cooked or soaked sheets to paper towels. You’ll cut the lasagna sheets in half crosswise to make assembly easier in the skillet.
- Sauce: Use a jarred tomato sauce in combination with seasoned, cooked beef. Want to make it vegetarian? Skip the beef and save yourself 15 minutes!
- Spinach-ricotta filling: This uses fresh spinach, which needs to be quickly sautéed. I pop it in the freezer for a few minutes to squeeze out all the excess liquid easily. You can use frozen, thawed spinach. Just be sure to squeeze out all the liquid first!
To assemble it, start with sauce first, then a layer of lasagna sheets. I assemble a circle of overlapping pasta squares with two squares in the middle. After the first layer of pasta, throw on half the ricotta cheese and top with a bit more of the sauce and some grated mozzarella for good measure. Do another layer of pasta in the same pattern as the first and finish with the rest of the ricotta cheese and some more sauce. From there, finish up with the rest of the pasta, the rest of the sauce, and grated mozzarella cheese.
Pop it in the oven and let it go until the cheese is bubbly and the pasta is al dente! I like to broil it after it finishes baking to get a gorgeous, browned, bubbly cheese topping.
Skillet Lasagna Recipe
Equipment
- 11-inch skillet
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Crushed red pepper to taste
- 24 ounces jar of your favorite tomato sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Spinach-ricotta filling:
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- ¼ cup water
- 16 ounces ricotta
- 1 egg
- ½ cup grated mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-reggiano
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
For assembly:
- 12 ounces lasagna sheets*
- 1½ cups grated mozzarella
- Extra virgin olive oil
For serving:
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
Prepare the noodles:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil if you aren’t using no-boil lasagna. Cook the lasagna sheets for exactly 5 minutes. If you aren’t ready to assemble the lasagna immediately, rinse the lasagna sheets with cold water to prevent them from sticking. Transfer them in a stack to a cutting board and cut them in half crosswise.
- If using no-boil lasagna sheets, soften them in water for 15 minutes. Then, cut in half crosswise and set aside.
Prepare the spinach:
- In an 11-inch skillet, heat ¼ cup water over medium heat until warm. Add the spinach and cook for 5 minutes, occasionally stirring, until it wilts. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and place the plate in the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove the spinach from the freezer and squeeze out all excess water. Roughly chop the spinach and set aside.
- Wipe out the skillet and return it to the stovetop.
Prepare the sauce:
- In the same skillet, heat 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil. Add the beef and onion and cook, often stirring, for 10–15 minutes until the beef is browned and the onion softens. Drain off excess fat if needed. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, and a generous sprinkle of crushed red pepper. Cook for 1–2 minutes.
- Pour in the prepared sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20–30 minutes until thickened. Taste and season to your preferences.
Prepare the spinach-ricotta filling:
- In a bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, mozzarella cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano, lemon juice, fresh basil, and fresh parsley, and stir until the egg is completely incorporated into the cheese and the mixture is well-combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the reserved, chopped spinach and toss to combine. Set aside.
Assemble the lasagna:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Spoon out ¾ of the tomato sauce into a bowl. You should have enough left in the skillet to coat the bottom with a thin layer of sauce.
- Divide the lasagna into thirds. Arrange one-third of the lasagna squares in a circle, with the squares slightly overlapping each other. Place two squares in the center and ensure that the bottom of the skillet is covered with pasta.
- Cover the pasta with half of the ricotta filling and smooth it into an even layer. Add a third of the reserved sauce and smooth it into an even layer over the cheese. Sprinkle with half the mozzarella cheese.
- Add the second pile of lasagna sheets in the same pattern as the first, ensuring the squares overlap and placing two squares in the center. Add half of the remaining pasta sauce and the remaining ricotta filling and smooth into an even layer. Arrange all of the remaining pasta sheets on top and smooth the remaining pasta sauce on top. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Drizzle the top of the lasagna with 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil.
Bake the lasagna:
- Transfer to the oven for 40 minutes. Broil for 3–5 minutes to brown the top of the cheese.
- Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.
To serve:
- Garnish the lasagna with fresh basil leaves. Cut into eight slices and enjoy!
Nutrition
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