This easy skillet lasagna with cottage cheese is a game changer if you're a fan of lasagna but dread the tedious process of putting it together. You'll skip all the difficult steps of a traditional lasagna and still end up with a delicious one pan meal. The clean up and prep for this recipe is easy, making it the perfect weeknight dinner. You're going to love our version of lasagna!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This skillet lasagna is a recipe the entire family will love and the easiest way to make lasagna. It has the delicious flavor and texture of a traditional lasagna without all of the extra work. Lasagna is a staple comfort food and this recipe makes it easy to put together for a busy weeknight. It's also packed with lean protein from the ground turkey and cottage cheese and has lots of yummy veggies. This recipe is versatile and you can easily swap the ground turkey or add different vegetables according to your preferences. You can also easily make this lasagna gluten, dairy-free, or vegetarian if needed!
Ingredient Notes
- Olive oil or avocado oil
- Lean ground turkey - we typically use lean ground turkey with a 93/7 ratio. Feel free to use whatever ground turkey you prefer! You could also swap the ground turkey for a lean ground beef or Italian sausage. For a vegetarian option, simply leave the ground turkey out.
- Fresh veggies - we like to add onion and zucchini to our lasagna. The onion helps round out the flavors and the zucchini is a great way to add a veggie to your meal.
- Seasoning - you'll add salt, Italian seasoning, and minced garlic to give the dish great flavor. You can replace the minced garlic for garlic powder but note that the amount will differ.
- Marinara sauce - you'll need one jar of your favorite marinara sauce! We love Rao's marinara sauce.
- Lasagna noodles - the standard lasagna noodles will do the trick for this recipe. If you need gluten-free lasagna noodles, Jovial is a great brand.
- Cottage cheese - cottage cheese has been all the rage lately! You'll love the creaminess and extra protein it adds to this recipe. You could also substitute for creamy ricotta cheese. Simply omit for a dairy-free option.
- Mozzarella cheese - choose your favorite shredded mozzarella cheese for this lasagna. You could also use parmesan cheese or other kinds of cheese. For a dairy-free version, either omit the cheese or use a dairy-free version.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Large skillet or cast iron pan (oven safe if you plan to broil the cheese at the end)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Cutting board
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Knife and cutting board
Step by Step Directions
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Place a pan on the stove over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the oil, ground turkey, onion, zucchini, minced garlic, salt, and Italian seasoning to a large saucepan. Break up the turkey and stir continually as you cook it. Cook for 5-7 minutes on medium heat until the turkey is cooked through.
Next, break the uncooked lasagna noodles into large pieces. Add the marinara sauce, water, and broken lasagna noodles and stir until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Turn the temperature to low, cover the pan with a lid, and let the lasagna simmer for 25-35 minutes, or until the noodles are soft. Stir the mixture every 5 minutes.
Once the lasagna noodles are cooked al dente, remove the pan from the heat and remove the lid. Add the cottage cheese and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Stir the lasagna until the mozzarella cheese is melted.
Add the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese on top and either broil it in the oven for 3-4 minutes or cover the pan with the lid for 5 minutes until the cheese melts. Let the lasagna cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Tips & Variations
- Be sure to stir the mixture consistently after adding the noodles. You want to ensure that each noodle spends the majority of time submerged in liquid in order to cook. The key to making sure the noodles are fully cooked is to stir the mixture frequently as it simmers. This allows the pasta noodles to cook evenly.
- Feel free to add in other veggies you might have on hand. Bell peppers, fresh spinach, and mushrooms would all be great additions.
- You can top the lasagna with red pepper flakes, fresh basil, or parmesan if you desire.
- Use a cast iron pan for a delicious cast iron skillet lasagna.
- The lasagna serves well with a fresh green salad or garlic bread.
FAQ
We recommend storing the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Yes, simply transfer the lasagna to a freezer safe airtight container after cooking. Freeze for up to 3 months. Place the lasagna in the fridge to thaw the night before you plan to eat it. Heat it up in the oven or microwave when you’re ready to serve.
Gluten-free version: simply use gluten-free lasagna noodles.
Dairy-free version: use dairy-free cheese or omit the cheese all together.
Vegetarian version: leave the turkey out and add additional veggies.
Vegan version: leave the cheese and turkey out, add additional veggies, and ensure that the lasagna noodles are vegan.
As always, ensure that each individual ingredient meets your dietary needs.
If you like this recipe, check out a few of our other easy weeknight dinners:
If you make this easy skillet lasagna recipe, please let us know how it turns out in the comments below and/or rate the recipe! Don’t forget to tag us on Instagram to show us your finished product—it makes our day every time we see you trying the recipes we love!
Easy Skillet Lasagna with Cottage Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive or avocado oil
- 1 lb lean ground turkey (or lean ground beef)
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 24 oz jar marinara sauce
- 8 oz uncooked lasagna noodles (GF if necessary)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup cottage cheese (omit for DF)
- 1 cup low fat shredded mozzarella, divided (omit for DF)
Instructions
- Place a pan on the stove over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the oil, ground turkey, onion, zucchini, minced garlic, salt, and Italian seasoning to a large saucepan. Break up the turkey and stir continually as you cook it. Cook for 5-7 minutes on medium heat until the turkey is cooked through.
- Next, break the uncooked noodles into large pieces. Add the marinara sauce, water, and broken lasagna noodles and stir until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Turn the temperature to low, cover the pan with a lid, and let the lasagna simmer for 25-35 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked. Stir the mixture every 5 minutes. Ensure that the noodles spend the majority of the time submerged in the mixture so they can cook evenly.
- Once the lasagna noodles are soft, remove the pan from the heat and remove the lid. Add the cottage cheese and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Stir the lasagna until the mozzarella cheese is melted.
- Add the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese on top and either broil it in the oven for 3-4 minutes or cover the pan with the lid for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted. Let the lasagna cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Be sure to stir the mixture consistently after adding the noodles. You want to ensure that each noodle spends the majority of time submerged in liquid in order to cook.
- The key to making sure the noodles are fully cooked is to stir the mixture frequently as it simmers. This allows the pasta noodles to cook evenly.
- Feel free to add in other veggies you might have on hand. Bell peppers, fresh spinach, and mushrooms would all be a great addition.
- You can top the lasagna with red pepper flakes, fresh basil, or parmesan if you desire.
- The lasagna serves well with a fresh green salad or garlic bread.
- For a gluten-free version, simply use gluten-free lasagna noodles. For a dairy-free version, use dairy-free cheese or omit the cheese all together. For a vegetarian version, leave the turkey out and add additional veggies. For a vegan version, leave the cheese and turkey out and ensure that the lasagna noodles are vegan. As always, ensure that each individual ingredient meets your dietary needs.
The recipe can be found on My Fitness Pal by searching "BWB Lasagna Skillet."
The nutrition content provided for each recipe is an estimate created through the My Fitness Pal database. Please be aware that the nutritional content of each recipe may vary based on the products you use, the precision of your measurements, and the source you use to obtain nutrition data. While we try to provide accurate information, we give no guarantee regarding the accuracy of the nutritional information provided.
Erin
We enjoyed this but I was curious if anyone had tried it with a smaller noodle? I didn’t feel like there were enough noodles breaking up the lasagna noodles but if I use a thicker noodle like penne or rotini will they cook through?
Begin With Balance
Hi Erin! Thanks for trying this recipe and taking the time to leave us a review! That's a great question, we have not tried it with a different noodle but I would imagine it would work totally fine with a different noodle as long as you use the same amount of pasta. The cooking time may vary slightly, but I wonder if bow tie pasta would be a good option since it is slightly more flat like a lasagna noodle. I will try making it with a different noodle and update the recipe notes if it works out! Thanks again for letting us know!
Amy McCabe
Hi!
Do you use Regular Lasagna Noodles or No Boil Lasagna Noodles? Thanks!
Begin With Balance
Hi Amy! We use regular lasagna noodles in this recipe! Let us know if you have any other questions:)