This Skillet Lasagna is all done in one pot and in 30 minutes! Your family favorite dinner is now so much easier without all the hassle and ready in a fraction of the time.
Easy Skillet Lasagna
This easy skillet lasagna is perfect for busy weeknights, all done in one pot and just 30 minutes. This is always a family favorite, and the epitome of Italian comfort food. I used to make lasagna only once or twice a year because of all the work and effort it took. However, since I’ve been making it in a skillet like this, we make it often because it’s super quick, yet all the same tastes and flavors we all love of a traditional lasagna.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This lasagna really is delicious and I find that it’s all about the herbs I use here that really flavor the lasagna nicely and give it that sauce that taste like it’s been cooking for hours. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Ground Beef
- Dried Rosemary
- Salt & Pepper
- Dried Oregano
- Dried and Fresh Basil
- Crushed Tomatoes
- Garlic
- Pasta of your choice – I used shells, but you can use elbow macaroni, penne, rigatoni, whatever you have.
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Ricotta Cheese
How To Make Skillet Lasagna
This dish is as simple as it gets. It all gets cooked in one pot including the pasta! To get started cook the beef in a large skillet. Cook it for about 5 minutes or until it’s no longer pink. I used extra lean ground beef so there was no fat to drain, but drain the meat if you need to. Add the herbs, garlic salt and pepper, then stir everything together. Cook for another 30 seconds until the garlic becomes aromatic.
Add the crushed tomatoes, water and pasta to the skillet. Stir everything together and make sure the pasta is fully submerged in the water. Cook for about 10 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Al dente means the pasta is cooked but still firm when bitten.
Top with ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella cheese, transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes in a 450 F degree preheated oven, just until the cheese melts. Garnish with some fresh basil and serve!
Other Pasta You Can Use For Skillet Lasagna
You can really use any pasta you choose. Since it’s a skillet lasagna, you could use regular lasagna sheets and just break them into pieces. I love to use these pasta shells because they are great for holding all that yummy sauce. Here are some other types of pasta you can use:
- Penne
- Elbow Macaroni
- Rigatoni
- Mafalda
- Gemelli
- Farfalle
You can also use whole wheat pasta or other gluten free pastas. The only thing to watch out for is the amount of liquid they require to cook as some may absorb more liquid than others.
How Long Does Pasta Take To Cook In A One Pot Dish?
This also depends on the type of pasta you used. The smaller pasta will take less time, but in general, penne, shells or any of the pastas mentioned above should still take anywhere from 10 to 12 minutes to cook to al dente. As your pasta cooks, make sure to stir occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the skillet.
The easiest way to tell if your pasta is cooked is to taste one and if the pasta is cooked but still a bit firm when bitten, you’re done. Don’t worry if you feel there’s too much liquid left in the pot. The pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it cools, and you’ll see once it’s cooled, there will hardly be any liquid left in the pot.
What To Serve With Lasagna
How To Store Leftover Lasagna
Cool the lasagna first, then cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil or if it’s cooled completely you can use plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Can You Freeze Lasagna
Lasagna is freezer friendly. For this skillet lasagna, let it cool completely at room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
How To Reheat Frozen Lasagna
If you have time, I recommend thawing the frozen lasagna before reheating. To thaw, simply place the lasagna in the refrigerator overnight. My favorite way to reheat it is in the oven, but you can also do it in the microwave.
Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Transfer the lasagna to an oven safe dish or skillet. Cover the skillet with foil, this is to keep the lasagna from drying out. If you’re afraid the lasagna will dry out too much, add a couple tablespoons of water to the skillet. Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes until it’s 165°F in the center. The time will depend whether or not the lasagna is frozen.
More Delicious Lasagna Recipes To Try
- Taco Lasagna
- Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)
- Zucchini Lasagna
- The Best Lasagna
- Lasagna Dip
- Skillet White Chicken Lasagna
- Easy Beef Lasagna
- Lasagna Soup
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Skillet Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef extra lean
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 2 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1 teaspoon basil dried
- 1 teaspoon rosemary dried
- 28 ounce crushed tomatoes 1 can
- 4 cups water
- 1 pound pasta I used shells
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 4 ounce Parmesan cheese shredded
- 1 cup Mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 tablespoon basil fresh, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven: Preheat oven to 450 F degrees.
- Cook ground beef: In a large oven safe skillet add the ground meat and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the meat if you need to. Add the garlic, salt, pepper and dry herbs. Stir to combine and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes and water: Add crushed tomatoes, water and pasta to the skillet. Make sure there’s enough water so that the pasta is fully submerged. Cook until pasta is al dente about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir the pasta occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the skillet.
- Top with cheese and bake: Remove the skillet from heat. Dollop the ricotta cheese over the top then top with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 5 to 10 minutes until cheese has melted and it’s slightly golden.
- Garnish and serve: Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil.
Recipe Notes
- Leftovers: Cool the lasagna first, then cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil or if it’s cooled completely you can use plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Hey, Jo. Would you consider including recommendations for taking this from freezer to table? Many thanks.
Absolutely! Instructions added under the “Leftovers” section.
Very easy and delicious! I have substituted half of the meat with Italian sausage and it is a prefect variation!
Just finished supper and all I wanted to say was, “YUM !”
What a simple and delicious recipe for a weeknight. Thanks soo much for the new addition to the recipe box 👍
(And enough leftovers to freeze for those nights when I just don’t feel like cooking ✌️)
My pleasure, so glad you like it! 🙂
Finely I get to use up up all my frozen meat. I have a bit of lamb, veal, pork, beef and chicken. I mince it all up and use this recipe. the combination of these cheeses that made it rich in flavor. But, I will trying with just beef next time. Thank you, Suree
The skillet lasagna sounds delicious. My husband will not eat crushed tomatoes. Is there something I can use in its place and how much? Thanks. Also, your fur baby is precious.
How about some marinara sauce? I’d use about 2 cups.
Hi! Would it be possible to make this without the ground beef? Some of my family is vegetarian but this recipe sounds fantastic!
You could use vegetarian ground beef, used that before and it was quite good, however, you could just replace the meat with finely chopped mushrooms and feel free to add some other veggies you guys like.
This looks fantastic! I will be trying it this week. I love all things lasagna, so I know I’ll love it. It’s even easier than the baked spaghetti that I came up with.
I found your site through a comment you made on another cooking blog. You had seen some of her photography on another site that didn’t credit her or lead back to her and you were letting her know. I was wondering, have you found a way to keep your photos from being stolen? I also have a blog and would like to protect my work. I’ve used other people’s pics, but always with a link back the article I found their picture in, and I let them know in a comment that I’ve done so.
Hi Victoria,
Unfortunately there is no way to protect your pictures. You can try putting watermarks on them, but then you’d have to put the watermark across the picture because if you put it at the bottom somewhere it can be cropped out. That’s the price we pay, once something is on the internet anyone can steal it and claim it as their own. I was just trying to let the blog owner know because I’ve been in her place before and other have told me so I know how it feels and how upset it makes you.
Anyway let me know how you enjoy the lasagna. 🙂 Have a great weekend.
Hi, Miss Jo! I’m so excited, I’m making this for dinner tonight with my friends. I’ll keep you posted for their comments. Thanks for another delicious recipe. God bless!
You’re welcome, looking forward to hear their comments. 🙂
Hi, Miss Jo! Surprise of all surprises, even my male friend who doesn’t like pasta ate it yesterday and finished it! I was even told to make it again. Thanks for this delicious recipe, you really are an angel to me.
Lol, what is it with these not liking pasta, my husband doesn’t like it either. You’re so welcome, I’m really glad you like all these recipes. 🙂
Wow, so you’re basically cooking the pasta in the water together with the sauce and stuff? No assembly required, amazing!
That’s right, that’s why this is so easy. 🙂
This looks so delicious and I love how easy it sounds! Your dog is gorgeous too!
Thank you 🙂
Looks great but what kind and how much pasts did you use? Thanks. Love your blog
Lol, well I had some technical issues and had to retype my ingredients and recipe and forgot to include the pasta. Anyway recipe is updated, I used a pound of pasta, whatever you have, I used shells. 🙂
Making this for sure Jo…yummy!
Great, let me know how you like it. 🙂