Skillet Lasagna, No Oven Needed

This skillet lasagna cooks entirely on the stovetop, in a wide covered skillet, in about 35 minutes. Dry lasagna sheets are broken into pieces and simmered right in the tomato sauce, then spinach, ricotta and mozzarella go in, and the lid melts the cheese on top. It makes four vegetarian servings with the same sauce, cheese and pasta as a baked lasagna.

How much liquid the pasta needs

Dry lasagna sheets absorb about one and a half times their weight in liquid. Tomato sauce on its own is too thick and scorches on the bottom before the pasta softens. So the sauce gets 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) of water, for about a quart (1 liter) of liquid per 9 oz (250 g) of pasta. By the end the sauce should be thick and glossy, not watery. If it dries out before the pasta is tender, add a quarter cup of water.

Break the sheets into palm-sized pieces and spread them so every piece is submerged. Pieces that stick out above the liquid stay hard. Stir two or three times while it simmers so the pieces don't glue together.

Why the lid is what melts the cheese

In the oven, cheese melts and browns from heat above. On the stove all the heat comes from below, and the lid traps the steam rising from the sauce. That steam is hot enough to melt the mozzarella in three to five minutes. It won't brown like it does in the oven, but it stretches the way it should. The ricotta goes in by the spoonful and stays in soft white pockets in the sauce.

If you like lasagna without building layers, try the ravioli lasagna without layers, and for another fast pasta night there's pumpkin pasta sauce in 20 minutes.

The recipe

Skillet Lasagna, No Oven Needed

Vegetarian lasagna with spinach, ricotta and mozzarella, cooked entirely in a covered skillet on the stove. No oven, about 35 minutes.

• Servings 4 servings
• Prep 10 min
• Cook 25 min
• Total 35 min

Print recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp / 30 ml olive oil
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 2 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 3 cups / 700 ml tomato passata
• 1 1/2 cups / 360 ml water
• 1 tsp / 6 g salt
• 1 tsp / 1 g dried oregano
• 9 oz / 250 g dry lasagna sheets (broken into pieces)
• 7 oz / 200 g fresh spinach
• 9 oz / 250 g ricotta
• 7 oz / 200 g shredded mozzarella

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, deep skillet with a lid. Cook the onion for 5 minutes until translucent, add the garlic and stir for a minute.

2. Add the passata, water, salt and oregano and bring to a boil.

3. Add the lasagna pieces and press them down so they're all under the sauce. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring two or three times, until the pasta is tender. If the sauce dries out, add a quarter cup of water.

4. Stir in the spinach until it wilts, about a minute.

5. Drop spoonfuls of ricotta over the top and scatter the mozzarella over everything. Cover and cook over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. Serve from the skillet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What skillet works for skillet lasagna?
A wide, deep skillet at least 11 inches (28 cm) across, with a lid. In a smaller pan the pasta piles up and doesn't stay under the sauce.

Can I use fresh lasagna sheets?
Yes, but they cook faster and absorb less liquid. Use half the water and cut the simmering time to about 8 minutes.

What can I use instead of ricotta?
Cottage cheese or a soft fresh cheese. Cottage cheese leaves small curds in the sauce.

Can I add ground beef?
Yes, in a version without cheese: brown 10 oz (300 g) of ground beef with the onion before adding the sauce, and leave out the ricotta and mozzarella.