Love lasagna but need a less time-consuming dinner idea? Make skillet lasagna! Bowtie pasta and ground beef are cooked in a flavorful marinara sauce and topped with melty cheeses.
Skillet meals are a great time saver for busy weeknights. Ground beef stroganoff and unstuffed peppers are a few of my favorites. If you're a lasagna fan, you're going to love this recipe for skillet lasagna!
Bow tie pasta takes the place of your standard lasagna noodles, along with your favorite marinara sauce, crumbled ground beef, and plenty of melty cheese on top. This recipe is especially nice for those who want a lasagna made without eggs or ricotta cheese.
Serve skillet lasagna for a quick weeknight dinner at home. It's hearty enough to serve on its own, but some cheesy garlic bread makes a great addition on the side!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Pasta - Bow tie pasta makes a great alternative to the traditional lasagna noodle. If you've got a box of lasagna noodles on hand, you're welcome to break them into smaller pieces for a more traditional lasagna texture.
- Beef - 85/15 ground beef works great in skillet meals. It adds flavor to the skillet without being overly greasy. If you're using a higher fat percentage beef, I recommend draining excess grease after cooking the beef.
- Marinara sauce - Choose your favorite marinara sauce for this recipe. You'll need one 24-ounce jar. Sauce can be homemade (try my marinara sauce recipe) or store bought.
- Water - Some water will be added to the skillet to account for the moisture soaked up by the pasta while it cooks. As long as your pasta and liquid is measured accurately, this will not water down your skillet meal.
- Oil - I used olive oil in my recipe, but your favorite cooking oil works.
- Cheeses - Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses are melted on top just before serving. I highly recommend grating your cheeses fresh from a block for best flavor and texture. Pre-shredded cheeses are often coated in anti-clumping powders that add a grainy texture when melted.
- Onion and garlic - Add flavor to the skillet meal. I don't recommend omitting either of these ingredients.
- Seasoning - Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper add a mild, savory flavor to the dish. Feel free to use homemade Italian seasoning or your favorite store bought brand.
Tips and tricks
Pan size - You'll need a 12 inch sauté pan for this recipe. A sauté pan has tall, vertical sides, while a skillet has curved, shorter sides. While recipes like this are called 'skillet meals', you'll actually need a sauté pan to fit your ingredients.
Cook until al dente - Consult your pasta's package directions and cook your pasta to al dente. Cooking times can vary from brand to brand, so I recommend checking the box for accurate cooking times.
Stir pasta halfway through - To ensure every part of your pasta gets cooked through evenly, give your pasta a stir halfway through cooking. Press the pasta pieces into the sauce to submerge them and help them cook evenly.
Pan look dry? - Turn the heat down slightly, add a splash of water, and secure the lid on top. Too much steam may be escaping, causing the pan to dry out.
Sauce look thin? - Allow your skillet to sit, uncovered, for 5 minutes after cooking. The pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it stands.
Storage
Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Reheat leftovers on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave.
Frequently asked questions
I decided not to add ricotta to this recipe because you'd only need a partial container for a skillet meal. However, it does make a great addition! If you have a partial container of ricotta cheese in the fridge, feel free to add a few dollops to the top just before the shredded cheeses.
Bow tie pasta can be substituted with broken lasagna pieces, mafaldine, or reginetti for a similar texture.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Skillet Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 16 ounces 85/15 ground beef
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 8 ounces water
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 8 ounces bow tie pasta
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, add olive oil. When hot, add onions and cook until lightly browned around the edges, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Crumble ground beef into the pan and cook until browned.
- Add marinara sauce, water, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and bowtie pasta to the pan. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until pasta is al dente according to package directions (for most brands this is 11-12 minutes). Stir once halfway through to ensure pasta cooks evenly. Add more water and turn heat down slightly if pan begins to look dry.
- Remove from heat and top with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Garnish with parsley just before serving.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Use freshly grated cheese: For best results, use cheese freshly grated from a block instead of pre-shredded, bagged cheeses. Pre-shredded cheese are coated in anti-clumping powders that add a grainy texture when melted.
- Pan look dry?: Add a splash of water to the sauce and turn the heat down slightly.
- Sauce look thin?: Allow your pan to sit for 5 minutes, off the heat, before serving. The pasta will continue to absorb liquid as it sits.
- Adding ricotta: Have a partial container of ricotta cheese in the fridge? Add a few dollops before your shredded cheese.
- Pasta variations: Bow tie pasta can be substituted with broken lasagna pieces, mafaldine, or reginetti for a similar texture.
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!