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# Skillet Lasagna
- URL: https://chefnfood.com/recipes/skillet-lasagna/
- Published: 2026-10-22T17:21:57.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T22:21:08.000Z
- Description: All the layers of a lasagna without turning on the oven. Ricotta, spinach, and mozzarella between real lasagna noodles, done on the stovetop in one covered skillet.
- Author: Chris Smith
- Tags: Family Meals, pasta, vegetarian, make-ahead, #time-45, #serves-8, #difficulty-easy, #source-usda, #featured

Prep15 min

Cook30 min

Total45 min

Servings8

DifficultyEasy

All the layers of a lasagna without turning on the oven. Ricotta, spinach, and mozzarella between real lasagna noodles, done on the stovetop in one covered skillet.

## Ingredients

- 8 oz lasagna noodles
- 15 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan, divided
- 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 24 oz jar marinara or spaghetti sauce
- 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed very dry
- 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella

## Instructions

1. Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and lay them flat so they don't stick to each other.
2. Stir together the ricotta, ¼ cup of the Parmesan, and the Italian seasoning in a bowl.
3. Take a large cold skillet — **don't preheat it** — and film it lightly with oil or cooking spray. This dish assembles cold and heats as one piece, like a real lasagna does.
4. Spread half the sauce across the bottom. Layer on half the noodles, half the ricotta mixture, half the spinach, and half the mozzarella.
5. Repeat: remaining noodles, ricotta, spinach, sauce, and mozzarella. Finish with the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan.
6. Cover and set over medium-low heat. Cook about 20 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce bubbles at the edges.
7. Rest 5 minutes off the heat before cutting — the layers set as it stands, same as an oven lasagna.

## Chef’s Take

Squeezing the spinach dry is the step that decides whether this works. Frozen spinach holds an astonishing amount of water, and every drop you leave in ends up as a puddle between your layers. Squeeze it in a clean kitchen towel until nothing more comes out, then squeeze once more.

**Pro tip:** the cold-start skillet in step 3 is not optional. Starting cold lets the layers heat through evenly from the bottom; a hot pan scorches the sauce underneath before the cheese on top ever melts.

## Substitutions

- **Cottage cheese** instead of ricotta: drain it first; the flavor is a little tangier and the texture looser.
- **Chopped broccoli** instead of spinach: thaw and dry it the same way.
- **Any short pasta:** 4 cups uncooked rotini or penne work if lasagna noodles feel fussy — layer the same way.
- **Meat version:** brown ½ lb Italian sausage and scatter it over the sauce layers.

## Storage and reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat covered portions in a skillet over low with a spoonful of water, or microwave. It also freezes surprisingly well for a stovetop dish — wrap portions tightly, up to 2 months.

## Serving suggestions

A sharply dressed green salad and garlic bread. This is a rich, mild dish, so something acidic on the side earns its place.

Adapted from the USDA MyPlate Kitchen collection.