This delicious skillet lasagna will be the easiest lasagna you ever make. All the great taste of a classic lasagna with none of the intimidation!

Skillet Lasagna

This skillet lasagna is the most simple way you'll ever make a lasagna. No layering, no mixing: just add everything to a skillet and you're good to go!

It is super creamy, high in protein, and believe me when I say the leftovers are incredible. Add this ASAP to your list of recipes to try and put it on your meal prep list.

What is skillet lasagna?

Lasagna is a classic pasta recipe that is created by stacking wide lasagna noodles in a dish and filling alternating layers with meat, sauce, and cheese. It is delicious, savory, and full of flavor. Its origins are unclear, but most point to Medieval Italy—as far back as the 14th century. You know when something has been around that long it has some serious star power in the kitchen.

This skillet lasagna recipe is a healthier, higher-in-protein, and creamier version of that age-old classic. The most obvious difference is that this recipe is made in a skillet vs layering noodles, meat, and cheese in a pan. This recipe compromises none of the flavor or texture but introduces some new and different ingredients in a skillet that will make your taste buds sing for joy.

Skillet Lasagna ingredients

ground turkey
onion
pasta sauce
lasagna noodles
nonfat cottage cheese
Parmesan cheese
mozzarella cheese
garlic
Italian seasoning
salt
pepper
olive oil
red pepper flakes
fresh basil

Lasagna substitution ideas

Turkey: Use ground beef or Italian sausage as excellent substitutions for ground turkey.
Cottage Cheese: Classically, lasagna uses ricotta cheese. I used cottage cheese to make this recipe lighter and healthier.
Cheese: Use dairy free cheese if you're vegan or allergic to dairy!

How to make skillet lasagna

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.
Add turkey and brown, about 8 minutes.
Add seasonings to meat and mix. Add pasta sauce and stir. Let simmer for 3-4 mins.
In a separate pot, boil the broken-up lasagna noodles until al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Strain.
Mix pasta noodles into the pasta sauce and meat mixture.
In a blender or food processor, combine cottage cheese and parmesan.
Add dollops of the cottage cheese mixture on top of the skillet.
Top the whole thing with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Cover and let sit for 5 mins.
Top with basil and more parmesan cheese.

What kind of skillet can I use to make lasagna?

Use whichever type of skillet you have on hand! Cast iron or nonstick, ceramic, stainless steel, really whatever kind.

Make sure that it's a larger skillet so that all of the ingredients fit. A 10-12 inch skillet would be perfect.

How to store lasagna

The best way to store your cooked lasagna is to first wrap the dish in plastic wrap and then in foil. Then place it in the refrigerator. This is the best way to prevent your lasagna from drying out.

If you're planning to use this lasagna recipe for meal prep, you should individually portion out the lasagna and store in airtight containers in the fridge.

How to reheat lasagna

There are a couple of strategies for how to reheat your cooked lasagna based on how you've stored it. If you've kept it in the original skillet, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, cover with foil, and place in the oven for about 20 minutes.

If you have stored it in an individual serving in an airtight container, you can cover it with a wet paper towel (to trap the moisture) and heat in the microwave until it's warm enough for your taste. However, if you cannot cover with a wet paper towel, you can sprinkle some water on the pasta before reheating. This will prevent the lasagna from drying out.

What is the secret ingredient in lasagna?

In this recipe, cottage cheese is the secret ingredient! It makes this skillet lasagna extra creamy.

Can I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta in lasagna?

Yes you can! And this recipe does it. There are lots of similarities between cottage cheese and ricotta, so it's not a hard swap at all.

Ricotta and cottage cheese share a very similar taste and texture. Cottage cheese is typically higher in protein and lower in calories, which is partly what helps lighten up this skillet lasagna.

Do you have to boil lasagna noodles before you put them in the pan?

All lasagna recipes do not require you to boil the noodles before you cook your dish. However, for this skillet lasagna recipe I do boil the noodles before placing them in the skillet.

More easy dinner recipes

This is a picture of skillet lasagna. There is a large black skillet filled with red sauce, lasagna noodles, and topped with big puddles of creamy white cheese sauce. The skillet is topped with melted mozzarella cheese, green basil pieces, and red pepper flakes. There is a small white bowl filled with a serving of the skillet lasagna.

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5 from 14 votes