This Easy Skillet Lasagna delivers all the rich, comforting flavors of classic lasagna made entirely in one pan in under 40 minutes. Packed with seasoned ground beef, mini farfalle noodles, a quick red sauce, and dollops of creamy ricotta cheese, it's the ultimate lazy weeknight comfort food.
It is essentially my favorite homemade lasagna recipe, just converted into an easy skillet meal that you can throw together on even the busiest weeknights. While most skillet recipes tell you to break up standard lasagna noodles, which usually just results in noodle shards flying all over the counter, I use mini farfalle instead. They cook perfectly right in the sauce, soak up all that rich flavor, and skip the step of breaking the noodles. It is a cozy, comforting dinner that tastes exactly like the real deal, just made quickly on the stovetop.
Table of contents
If you want a few more quick and easy one-pan dinners for busy weeknights, check out my Marry Me Chicken Pasta or this One-Pot Chicken and Rice. Both come together super fast and make great weeknight meals.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Ground Beef: I use 1 pound of lean ground beef for that classic, hearty lasagna flavor. If you want a lighter option, ground turkey or sweet Italian sausage work beautifully here too.
- Mini Farfalle: These little bow tie noodles are the secret to keeping this a true skillet meal. They cook quickly and evenly right in the sauce. If you can't find the mini version, standard farfalle or any small, short pasta shape (like rotini) will work.
- Cheese: We are using a mix of Ricotta, Romano, Parmesan, and Mozzarella to get that signature creamy-yet-stretchy lasagna texture. If you don't have Romano on hand, just double up on the Parmesan.
- Chicken Stock: Cooking the noodles directly in chicken stock instead of just water adds a massive layer of rich flavor to the pasta as it simmers. Water can be substituted if needed.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and measurements.
How To Make Easy Skillet Lasagna
I love a quick stovetop meal like this one! It comes together quickly and tastes amazing! Here is a quick run-through of how I pull it all together:
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and diced onions together until the meat is fully cooked and the onions are soft. Season with salt and pepper, then drain off the excess fat.
- Stir in the minced garlic, then pour in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and all of your dried seasonings.
- Pour in the chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Stir in the mini farfalle noodles, cover, and let it simmer until the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.
- While the pasta cooks, stir together the ricotta, Parmesan, Romano, a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Remove the lid and drop generous dollops of the ricotta mixture all over the skillet, then top evenly with the shredded mozzarella.
- Cover the pan and let it rest off the heat for a few minutes until the cheese is completely melted and bubbly.
See the recipe card below for the full recipe.
👉 Sky's Tips
- Use a Deep Skillet: This recipe makes a lot of food! I highly recommend using a large 5-quart skillet, or a pan that is at least 2 to 3 inches deep. Having those higher sides gives you plenty of room to stir the pasta and sauce together without it splashing all over your stove.
- Stir Frequently: Because the mini farfalle cooks directly in the thick sauce, it can sink to the bottom and stick. Make sure to lift the lid and give everything a good stir every few minutes while it simmers.
- Jarred Sauce: If you are running short on time or ingredients, you can easily swap out the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and dried herbs for your favorite store-bought pasta sauce. One standard 24-ounce jar of marinara works beautifully here.
- Finish in the Broiler: While letting the cheese melt under the lid off the heat works perfectly fine, popping the skillet under the oven broiler for 3 to 5 minutes at the very end takes this dish to the next level. It gets the mozzarella beautifully browned and bubbly, just make sure your skillet is oven-safe!
I hope you give this skillet lasagna a try soon!
-Sky🩷
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📖 Recipe
Easy Skillet Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup onion small diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 14.5 ounces petite diced tomatoes
- 2 cans 15 ounces each tomato sauce
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups mini farfalle pasta mini bow tie pasta
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese shredded
- ¼ cup romano cheese shredded
- 2 teaspoons salt divided
- 1 ¼ teaspoons pepper divided
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
Instructions
- For the sauce: In a large 5-quart skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and diced onions together until the meat is fully cooked and onions are softened. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper. Drain off any excess fat and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the minced garlic to the same pan and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the tomato sauce, petite diced tomatoes, and the remaining seasonings (oregano, basil, garlic powder, parsley, and the rest of the salt and pepper). Stir well to combine.
- Stir the browned beef back into the sauce, then pour in the chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the mini farfalle noodles, cover with a lid, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 18-20 minutes, or until the pasta is tender, stirring frequently to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- For the cheese filling: While the pasta cooks, mix together the ricotta cheese, Parmesan, Romano, a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl until smooth.
- Once the pasta is cooked, remove the lid from the skillet. Drop generous dollops of the ricotta mixture evenly over the top of the pasta, then sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over everything.
- Cover the pan with the lid and remove it from the heat. Let it rest for 5 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted. (Optional: Place the oven-safe skillet under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly). Garnish with additional fresh parsley, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use a Deep Skillet: This recipe makes a lot of food! I highly recommend using a large 5-quart skillet, or a pan that is at least 2 to 3 inches deep. Having those higher sides gives you plenty of room to stir the pasta and sauce together without it splashing all over your stove.
- Stir Frequently: Because the mini farfalle cooks directly in the thick sauce, it can sink to the bottom and stick. Make sure to lift the lid and give everything a good stir every few minutes while it simmers.
- Finish in the Broiler: While letting the cheese melt under the lid off the heat works perfectly fine, popping the skillet under the oven broiler for 3 to 5 minutes at the very end takes this dish to the next level. It gets the mozzarella beautifully browned and bubbly, just make sure your skillet is oven-safe!
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