This one-pan skillet lasagna is loaded with ground beef, melty cheese, and protein for an easy, comforting dinner. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Skillet Lasagna
This easy skillet lasagna delivers all the hearty, comforting flavors you love—minus the fuss! Made with ground beef, creamy cheese, and high-protein ingredients, it’s a satisfying one-pan meal you can whip up in no time. Packed with flavor and 39 grams of protein per serving, this dish is excellent for families, couples, or anyone craving a quick Italian-inspired dinner. Bonus: it’s customizable, so you can tweak it to suit your taste or pantry staples. I also have this classic lasagna recipe and these lasagna roll ups with cottage cheese.
Why You’ll Love This Skillet Lasagna Recipe
I love one-pot recipes (hence my One and Done Cookbook!), so this easy dinner has become a regular in my kitchen. Since I eat high-protein, I wanted to create an easy meal that my whole family will love, and this one delivers! Here’s why it works:
- Fast One-Pan Meal: Everything–even the pasta–cooks in an oven-proof skillet, making it perfect when you’re short on time. Less dishes to wash!
- High-Protein: Cottage cheese, bone broth, and ground beef increase the protein to a whopping 39 grams per serving.
- Dietary Restrictions: Weight Watchers-friendly, gluten-free (if using GF pasta), high-protein
If you make this easy skillet lasagna recipe, I would love to see it. Tag me in your photos or videos on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. And be sure to join the Skinnytaste Community to see what everyone’s cooking!
Skillet Lasagna Ingredients
This skillet lasagna with cottage cheese has all the cheesy, saucy goodness of traditional lasagna but with more protein and fewer calories. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Part-skim Cottage Cheese is a healthy substitute for ricotta cheese in lasagna. Good Culture is my favorite brand.
- Cheese: Parmesan cheese for the filling and shredded mozzarella for topping
- Herbs: Fresh parsley and basil
- Ground Beef: Use 93% lean ground beef for added protein.
- Kosher Salt for seasoning
- Olive Oil to brown the meat
- Aromatics: Onion and garlic
- Sauce: Canned crushed tomatoes (I always use Tuttorosso) and chicken bone broth for a protein boost
- Pasta: Any short pasta shape will work. Reginetti, mafalda, campanelle, farfalle, and broken lasagna noodles are some good options.
How to Make Skillet Lasagna
Skip the layers and long baking time–this quick skillet lasagna cooks all in one skillet. Scroll to the bottom for printable instructions.
- Make the Lasagna Filling: Combine cottage cheese, parmesan, and parsley.
- Brown the Beef in an oven-safe nonstick skillet over high heat. Season with salt and break it up with a spoon as it cooks.
- Cook the Pasta: Saute the onion and garlic until tender. Add the tomatoes, broth, and basil, and bring to a simmer. Stir in the pasta, making sure it’s all submerged in liquid. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the pasta is just tender and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add the Cheese: Remove the skillet from the heat, dollop with the cottage cheese mixture, and top with the mozzarella. Transfer the skillet to the oven’s second rack from the top, and broil on high until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and garnish with parsley.
Variations
- Cheese: Swap cottage cheese with ricotta and parmesan with Pecorino Romano.
- Meat: Replace beef with 93% lean ground turkey.
- Vegetarian Skillet Lasagna: Omit the beef and saute mushrooms or eggplant.
- Broth: Use regular chicken or vegetable broth.
- Tomatoes: Sub marinara sauce for the canned tomatoes.
- Gluten-Free Lasagna: Substitute gluten-free pasta.
What to Serve with Skillet Lasagna
This high-protein lasagna skillet is filling by itself but would also be great with garlic knots or a veggie, like one of these:
Storage
- Refrigerate leftover lasagna for 4 days.
- Freeze it for 3 months.
- Reheat: Thaw it in the fridge and microwave until warm.
More Lasagna Recipes You’ll Love
Skillet Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup part-skim cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 pound 93% lean ground beef, raw
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 ½ cups crushed tomatoes, I like Tuttorosso
- 2 ½ cups chicken bone broth
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
- 8 ounces pasta, such as Mafalda pasta, Campanelle, bow-tie pasta broken lasagna noodles, Reginetti or or gluten-free pasta
- ¾ cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
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In a small bowl combine the cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of parsley.
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Heat a large 12 inch oven safe nonstick skillet with a fitted lid over high heat and add the beef and salt. Cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
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Add the onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.
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Add the tomatoes to the skillet along with the bone broth and basil, stir to combine, and bring to a simmer. Add the pasta to the pan, stir to combine and spread into an even layer, making sure the noodles are submerged in liquid. Reduce the heat to medium, simmer covered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just tender and the sauce has thickened slightly and all the liquid has been absorbed, about 18 to 20 minutes.
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Remove from heat and dollop the cottage cheese mixture over the lasagna noodles with a small spoon without stirring. Top with the mozzarella. Transfer to the broiler on the second rack from the top and broil on high until the cheese is melted, and slightly browned on top, about 3 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Last Step:
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