Easy Skillet Lasagna with Fresh Mozzarella
A cozy, one-pan skillet lasagna with a rich, garlicky meat sauce, tender pasta and plenty of creamy, melted fresh mozzarella. The lasagna noodles cook directly in the sauce, soaking up all that flavour as everything simmers together.
Prep time
15 min
Cook time
45–50 min
Serves
Equipment
12-inch deep oven-safe skillet
Ingredients
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Meat Sauce
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 2 clovesgarlic, minced
- 1 lbground beef or ground turkey
- 2 jarsyour favourite marinara sauce (650–700 mL / 22–24 oz each)
- 1 cupwater, plus more as needed
- 1 tspdried oregano
- 1 tspdried basil
- ½ tspfine sea salt, or to taste
- ¼ tspfreshly ground black pepper
Lasagna
- 8–10regular lasagna noodles, broken into large pieces
- 8 oz (225 g)fresh mozzarella, drained well and torn into pieces
- ½ cupfreshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- For servingfresh basil
- For servingfreshly ground black pepper
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 2 tbspolive oil
- 2 clovesgarlic, minced
- 1 lbground beef or ground turkey
- 2 jarsyour favourite marinara sauce (650–700 mL / 22–24 oz each)
- 1 cupwater, plus more as needed
- 1 tspdried oregano
- 1 tspdried basil
- ½ tspfine sea salt, or to taste
- ¼ tspfreshly ground black pepper
Lasagna
- 8–10regular lasagna noodles, broken into large pieces
- 8 oz (225 g)fresh mozzarella, drained well and torn into pieces
- ½ cupfreshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- For servingfresh basil
- For servingfreshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Build the Sauce
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and ground beef, breaking the beef into small pieces. Cook for 7–9 minutes, stirring often, until the beef is nicely browned. Drain any excess fat, if necessary.
- 2
Add both jars of marinara sauce, 1 cup water, oregano, basil, salt and black pepper. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle boil.
- 3
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for approximately 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should develop a rich flavour but remain fairly loose — you'll need that extra moisture to cook the pasta.
Cook the Pasta
- 1
Break the uncooked lasagna noodles into roughly 2–3-inch pieces and add them directly to the skillet. Gently press the noodles into the sauce so they are mostly submerged.
- 2
Cover and simmer over low heat for approximately 15–20 minutes, gently stirring and repositioning the noodles every few minutes so they cook evenly and don't stick together. The noodles will absorb some of the liquid as the sauce thickens.
- 3
If the sauce becomes too thick before the noodles are tender, add hot water, ¼ cup at a time, and continue cooking.
Add the Cheese & Bake
- 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- 2
Once the noodles are just tender and the sauce is rich and thick, gently tuck approximately one-third of the fresh mozzarella between some of the noodles. Sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan.
- 3
Scatter the remaining fresh mozzarella over the top and finish with the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan.
- 4
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake uncovered for 10–15 minutes, until the mozzarella is beautifully melted and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
- 5
If you'd like a little more colour on top, broil for 1–2 minutes, watching carefully.
- 6
Remove from the oven and let the skillet lasagna rest for 10 minutes. Finish with fresh basil, freshly ground black pepper and additional Parmesan, if desired.
Melissa's Notes
Drain the fresh mozzarella well before using it. Fresh mozzarella contains considerably more moisture than low-moisture mozzarella, and removing the excess liquid will keep the finished skillet lasagna rich rather than watery.
Because marinara sauces vary in thickness, keep an eye on the skillet while the noodles cook. If the pasta absorbs most of the liquid before it becomes tender, add a splash of hot water and continue cooking.
Taste the sauce before adding the full amount of salt. Some prepared marinara sauces are more heavily seasoned than others.
The finished sauce should be thick and glossy but still saucy enough to settle around the pasta. It will continue to thicken as the lasagna rests.
Nutrition Information
Per serving
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary depending on the ingredients and brands used.
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