Easy Skillet Lasagna

This Skillet Lasagna is a fun and easy take on an Italian favorite. It’s rich, creamy, and packed with juicy turkey meat, and takes less than 40 minutes to make. Includes gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and vegan options.

Updated December 2022

Skillet Lasagna is an Easy Way to Make Lasagna

Everybody loves lasagna. But most people don’t love making lasagna, and for understandable reasons. Making lasagna is a tedious and time-consuming process. That’s why we love this skillet lasagna recipe. It has everything we love about lasagna, but it’s both quick and easy to make. 

Skillet lasagna is also a healthy dinner. We make it with lean turkey meat, so it has a healthy protein, and it’s easy to pack with greens and veggies. None of that takes away from the rich, creamy flavor of tomato sauce, Italian spices, herbs, and a few types of cheese, which make this a recipe we return to time and time again.  

What You’ll Need

Here are all the ingredients you need to make skillet lasagna. Be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of the article for the exact quantities. 

• Extra-lean ground turkey – You can use any other type of protein, but ground turkey is a lighter option that still brings a lot of flavor to the pasta. If you’re looking for a meat-free alternative, you can sub with your preferred vegan ground.
• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Dried pasta: Farfalle (bowtie pasta) or any gluten-free or grain free pasta brand you like. We love these grain-free pastas from Jovial and Cappello’s. If you are looking for a chickpea or lentil based pasta, you can use Banza pasta shells that are made with chickpeas. For a high-protein, low carb keto option, there’s this brand or use your favorite low carb pasta you like.
• Canned diced tomatoes
• Tomato sauce
• Water – You can also use low-sodium chicken broth for additional flavor.
• Dried oregano
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt
• Ground black pepper – Make sure that you use freshly-ground black pepper.
• Fresh basil 
• Fresh parsley
• Mozzarella cheese – We like this dairy-free mozzarella cheese but you can any brand you prefer.
• Cottage cheese – Fat-free cottage cheese is our preferred choice but for a dairy-free option, you can omit or sub with vegan sour cream, yogurt or softened cream cheese of choice. 
• Ricotta cheese – This is an optional garnish. We like to use this vegan ricotta.
• Parmesan cheese – Parmesan is an optional garnish.
• Spinach – This is an optional ingredient that makes the skillet lasagna a lot healthier.
• Zucchini – Zucchini is also an optional ingredient. 

What Kind of Canned Tomatoes Should You Use? 

The best canned tomatoes for skillet lasagna are San Marzano tomatoes. San Marzanos are a type of plum tomato that is grown in a specific region of Italy. They’re generally considered the best tomatoes in the world for pasta and pizza sauces. If you don’t have San Marzano tomatoes, I recommend using fire-roasted canned tomatoes. 

How to Make Skillet Lasagna

Here’s how to make this fun, quick, and easy pasta dish.

• Cook the garlic. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute.
• Add the meat. Put the ground turkey in the skillet, and cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Use a spoon or spatula to break the meat into small pieces as it cooks, then drain off the excess fat from the skillet.
• Season. Season the turkey meat with salt and pepper. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, red pepper flakes, and some of the basil. If you’re using zucchini, add it as well. 
• Add the pasta. Put the pasta in the skillet, along with the water or chicken broth. Bring the liquid to a boil, put the lid on the skillet, and lower the heat. 
• Cook the pasta. Cook until the pasta is tender, which should take 14-15 minutes, or more if you’re using whole wheat pasta. To keep it from sticking, stir the pasta every 3-4 minutes. If you’re using spinach, add it 10 minutes into the cooking. 
• Add the cheese. Remove the pasta from the heat, and stir in the cottage cheese and the shredded mozzarella. Adjust the seasonings, then add the ricotta cheese and put the lid on the skillet. Cook until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes.
• Serve. Add parsley, basil, and parmesan cheese, and serve the pasta hot. 

Tips for Success

Here are some tricks and tips for making the best possible skillet lasagna. 

• Really brown the meat. Whether you use turkey or a different protein, make sure you get some really nice browning on the meat. Don’t stir the meat too much, because you want it to get some color. And be sure to cook it long enough that it browns before you add the other ingredients. This will really amplify the meat flavor in the dish.
• Keep an eye on the liquid. As the pasta cooks, keep an eye on how much liquid is in the pan. If the liquid is cooking off too quickly, the pasta won’t be able to properly cook. Add more water or chicken broth if you think the pasta needs it.
• Go light on the seasoning. When initially seasoning the skillet lasagna, go light on the salt. Different cheeses have different sodium levels, and so do different chicken broths. You don’t want to risk oversalting the dish, so go light on the salt, and adjust the seasonings at the end. 

What to Serve With Skillet Lasagna

This one-pot skillet lasagna is great all by itself, but I like to serve it with a few Italian side dishes. Here are some of my favorite things to serve next to this recipe.

• Vegan caesar salad
• Kale salad with avocado caesar dressing
• Sautéed zucchini
• Air fryer carrots

How to Store and Reheat 

Store the skillet lasagna in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350F oven for 5-10 minutes, until heated all the way through. You can also reheat in the microwave.

Can You Freeze Skillet Lasagna?

You sure can! Freeze the skillet lasagna in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 350F oven for 10-15 minutes, or thaw and then reheat in the microwave.

More Tasty Pasta Recipes

If you liked this skillet lasagna, then check out some of my other favorite pasta dishes.

• Cherry tomato pasta
• One pot chicken enchilada pasta skillet
• Chicken asparagus pasta
• Baked feta pasta
• Instant pot pasta e fagioli soup
• Creamy lemon chicken one pan pasta skillet

4.12 from 95 votes

Print

Skillet Lasagna

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

23 mins

Total Time

38 mins

 

This Skillet Lasagna is a fun and easy take on an Italian favorite. It’s rich, creamy, and packed with juicy turkey meat, and takes less than 40 minutes to make. Includes gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and vegan options.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: easy lasagna recipe, ground turkey pasta, one pot lasagna, one pot pasta

Servings: 5 servings

Calories: 430 kcal

Author: Kelly

Ingredients

• 1 pound extra-lean ground turkey or protein of your choice. If you're looking for a meat-free alternative, you can sub with your preferred vegan ground.
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 oz dry gluten-free farfalle pasta (bow-tie) pasta (white, gluten-free or whole wheat). We love these grain-free pastas from Jovial and Cappello’s. If you are looking for a chickpea or lentil based pasta, you can use Banza pasta shells that are made with chickpeas. For a high-protein, low carb keto option, there’s this brand or use your favorite low carb pasta you like.
• 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes (I recommend San Marzano or fire-roasted tomatoes)
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 2 cups water or low sodium chicken broth
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2-1/2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese , we like this dairy-free mozzarella cheese but you can any brand you prefer.
• 2/3 cup fat-free cottage cheese , for a dairy-free option, you can omit or sub with vegan sour cream, yogurt or softened cream cheese of choice. 
• 1/3 cup low-fat ricotta cheese for garnish , this is an optional garnish. We like to use this vegan ricotta.
• sprinkle of dairy-free or regular parmesan cheese for garnish optional

Optional Add-Ins:

• 2 cups spinach chopped
• 2 medium zucchini peeled and chopped

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds to a minute or until fragrant.
2. Add in the ground meat and cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes, making sure to crumble and break down into small pieces as it cooks; drain excess fat.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add zucchini if using. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, red pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon of basil.
4. Stir in pasta and water or chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cover pan with lid and reduce heat.
5. Remove cover and stir pasta every 3-4 minutes so pasta does not stick to the pan. Add more water or broth as needed if liquid is evaporating too much.
6. Cook until pasta is tender (around 14-15 minutes). If adding spinach, stir in after 10 minutes and cover.
7. Remove from heat and stir in mozzarella and cottage cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
8. Top with dollops of ricotta cheese and cover pan for an additional 2 minutes until cheese is melted.
9. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, basil and parmesan cheese if desired.

Recipe Notes

If using gluten free or whole wheat pasta, the cooking times may vary depending on the brand you use.

Adapted from:[Food Network]

Nutrition Facts

Skillet Lasagna

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 430 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 4g20%

Cholesterol 71mg24%

Sodium 688mg29%

Potassium 1049mg30%

Carbohydrates 47g16%

Fiber 4g16%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 40g80%

Vitamin A 2025IU41%

Vitamin C 31.1mg38%

Calcium 332mg33%

Iron 3.7mg21%

* Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy using the WPRM recipe calculator. It is best to make your own calculations to ensure accuracy. We expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.