My Skillet Lasagna Is Easy Enough for a Busy Weeknight

It's just five ingredients.

By
Amanda Luchtel
Amanda Luchtel
Amanda Luchtel
Amanda Luchtel is a private chef, food writer, editor, recipe developer, and content creator from the Midwest, based in New England. As a former fine-dining and private chef, she understands the impact food has on our daily lives. Over the years, she has developed a passion for seasonal and regional cooking.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Updated October 03, 2025
Amanda Luchtel
A skillet lasagna being served with a wooden spoon visible layers of pasta sauce and melted cheese

Ciara Kehoe / Simply Recipes

My husband and I love a cozy lasagna, but assembling the layers and baking the casserole is too much of a project for weeknights and too much food for just two people. But why should we only get to enjoy lasagna on special occasions or weekends?

When we crave lasagna without the commitment, we make this skillet version with Italian sausage, broken lasagna noodles, our favorite jarred sauce, ricotta, and shredded mozzarella—all cooked in one skillet! This weeknight dinner can be made in a broiler-safe skillet or cooked entirely in a nonstick skillet on the stovetop.

A skillet containing a freshly cooked lasagna topped with dollops of ricotta cheese and garnished with basil leaves

Ciara Kehoe / Simply Recipes

Key Ingredients

  • Sausage: If you can’t find bulk Italian sausage, use fresh Italian sausage links with the casings removed. 
  • Noodles: Eight ounces of lasagna noodles is about nine noodles. Do NOT use no-bake lasagna noodles. It's ok if some of the pieces are smaller than two inches. 
  • Ricotta: You can substitute full-fat or low-fat cottage cheese for the whole milk ricotta if desired. 
  • Cheese: Pre-shredded whole milk cheeses can be used: mozzarella, Italian cheese blend, or pizza blend. I prefer the thick or traditional shredded cheese over finely shredded, but either will work.
Skillet lasagna with a basil garnish served on a white plate

Ciara Kehoe / Simply Recipes

Tips for Making Skillet Lasagna

  • Use your favorite jarred pasta sauce: Purchase your favorite tomato-based pasta sauce, like marinara or arrabbiata. My favorite is Mezzetta Spicy Marinara, or any pasta sauce with minimal ingredients and no added sugar. One (24-ounce) jar is about 2 1/3 cups of sauce. This recipe works with one 24 or 25-ounce jar of sauce. 
  • Build flavor with Italian sausage: Italian sausage has all the herbs and spices built right in, so you don’t have to add them one by one. Whether you choose spicy or sweet, it generally has salt, pepper, fennel seeds, garlic powder, onion powder, and herbs—all the flavor you need for the foundation of a hearty, flavorful meat sauce.
  • Choose your skillet accordingly: This pasta can be made in a nonstick skillet or a traditional stainless steel skillet with a metal handle and no nonstick coating. If using a nonstick skillet, you can’t broil the cheese in the oven; simply cover the skillet with a lid, off the heat, for 5 minutes to melt the cheese and warm the ricotta.
Layered lasagna with melted cheese and red sauce topped with herbs

Ciara Kehoe / Simply Recipes

Skillet Lasagna

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 5 to 6
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 pound bulk Italian sausage

  • 8 ounces curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into roughly 2-inch pieces

  • 1 (24 or 25-ounce) jar marinara or arrabbiata sauce

  • 1 2/3 cups water

  • 1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk ricotta cheese

  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese

  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces, optional

Method

  1. Cook the sausage:

    Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick or stainless steel skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the sausage and cook, breaking apart the meat, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

  2. Cook the pasta:

    Scatter the pasta over the meat; do not stir. Pour the marinara and water over the pasta. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring and scraping the bottom occasionally, until the pasta is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

    Remove the skillet from the heat, and dollop ricotta evenly over the top. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the ricotta.

  3. Melt the cheese:

    If using a nonstick skillet: Cover and let sit until the cheese is melted and the ricotta is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with basil, if using, and serve.

    If using a stainless steel skillet or other broiler-proof skillet: Adjust the oven rack to 6 inches from the broiler element and turn on the broiler. Broil until the cheese is evenly browned, 1 to 3 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with basil, if using, and serve.

    The lasagna will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat individual servings covered in the microwave with a splash of water until the cheese is melty and the lasagna is mostly heated through. Let it sit for about 3 minutes at room temperature to finish warming the very center (and prevent you from burning your mouth).

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
623 Calories
43g Fat
27g Carbs
31g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 5 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 623
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 43g 55%
Saturated Fat 17g 85%
Cholesterol 95mg 32%
Sodium 1408mg 61%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 31g
Vitamin C 3mg 14%
Calcium 322mg 25%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 737mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.