This easy skillet lasagna has all the pleasures of classic vegetable lasagna—tender noodles, delicious sauce, gooey cheese, and juicy vegetables—but can be whipped up in just 30 minutes!
Lasagna is traditionally made in a baking dish and usually involves time and a sinkful of pots and pans, but this easy skillet version streamlines the process and cut down on time and effort.
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Essential Ingredients
Lasagna noodles: Use the traditional dried lasagna noodles for this dish, not fresh as it will get too mushy, and the oven ready won't soften up enough. There's o need to cook them ahead, which is a real bonus!
Crushed tomatoes: I like to use crushed tomatoes as they cook down into a juicy sauce. You could also use homemade or jarred marinara sauce instead.
Ricotta cheese: Buy a good-quality ricotta cheese as it will make a world of difference to the taste, and choose whole or part-skim.
Shredded mozzarella: Shredded mozzarella cheese adds the gooey cheesy goodness that lasagna is known for, so do not skimp!
Vegetables: You can modify this recipe in many ways, and switching up the vegetables is one of them. Zucchini and bell pepper are a great choice, but you can also use eggplant, and greens like spinach, broccoli rabe, or Swiss chard.
How to make the recipe
In a large 14 or 15 inch skillet, preferable cast iron, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, pepper, and zucchini and cook for 6 minutes, until softened. (images 1 & 2)
Gently stir in the tomatoes. Break the lasagna noodles into big pieces and add them to the pan, pushing them under the sauce with a spoon if necessary. (image 3) Cover and simmer until the noodles are al dente, about 25 minutes.
Remove the lid and stir in the ricotta cheese, then top with Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. (image 4)
Remove the cover and, while simmering over medium-low heat, cook until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. If you'd like to brown the top of the dish, put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes.
To serve, spoon the lasagna into shallow bowls or offer with additional Parmesan cheese.
Storing the recipe
You may prepare the lasagna ahead of time. Simply layer everything in your skillet and cover with foil before cooking. Then, when you're ready to cook it, bring it to a simmer on the stove. Cover and cook for 25 minutes after it has simmered.
If you want to prepare it in advance and freeze it, bake it in a greased oven-safe baking dish. Then, for 35-45 minutes, bake at 375°F until the sides are bubbling and the ingredients are thoroughly cooked.
You may freeze skillet lasagna, but if you're preparing it ahead of time for a freezer supper, I recommend using al dente pasta (slightly undercooked). The pasta will cook all the way when you reheat it. This prevents the noodles from becoming mushy.
Recipe tips
- You can substitute a range of vegetables into the recipe depending on what you like, just remember that some veg needs a little more room. Options can include broccoli, asparagus, or even mushrooms.
- You can also use diced tomatoes in place of the crushed ones if that’s all you find at the store. You may find them have a little more liquid in them so consider draining some away before adding to the recipe.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! If you want to prepare this with other pasta, such as penne or bowties, here’s how to do it: Cook the pasta until it's very al dente (about half the cooking time) and add them to the veggies and marinara sauce. Add the ricotta mixture and mozzarella cheese on top (instead of creating layers) and cover for 3 to 5 minutes until the ricotta cheese sauce melts and bubbles.
You can definitely add some meat if that's what you prefer. A great option is some ground beef or turkey while some crumbled sausage would also work well. Just brown the meat in the skillet at the start, then transfer to a plate. Saute the vegetables, then return the meat to the skillet and proceed with the recipe.
More recipes to try
Try these recipes below, including this delicious Spinach Artichoke Chicken Casserole from Kicking-Carbs!
Comments and ratings
If you’ve tried this Skillet Vegetable Lasagna or any other recipes on our site, please leave a comment and rating below. We love hearing from you!
Easy Vegetable Skillet Lasagna
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper cored, seeded and chopped
- 1 small zucchini diced
- 2 handfuls fresh baby spinach coarsely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 to 8 lasagna noodles uncooked
- 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes preferably Mutti
- 1 ½ cups part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella 4 ounces
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, pepper, and zucchini, and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Stir in the spinach, garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes.
- Break the lasagna noodles into large pieces and add them into the pan, nestling them under the sauce. Use a spoon to push down the noodles, if necessary, so they are covered by the sauce. Cover and simmer until the noodles are al dente, about 25 minutes.
- Remove the lid and gently stir in the ricotta cheese. Sprinkle the lasagna with the mozzarella and some parmesan cheese. Cover and cook until the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. You can run the pan under the broiler for a few minutes to brown top if desired.
- To serve, scoop the lasagna into shallow bowls or serve with additional parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
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Nicole says
Thanks, adding this to my dinner recipe rotation!
Lacie says
I made this with mushrooms, onions, and fresh spinach and it was delicious! I will definitely make this again.