Skillet Lasagna for Two

Lasagna is one of my favorite comfort foods, but a full 9×13 pan for two people means eating it until the weekend.

This skillet lasagna for two has all the good parts, with saucy noodles, pockets of creamy ricotta, and a melty layer of mozzarella on top.

It’s made in one skillet on the stove, with no layering and no waiting on the oven.

It takes about 40 minutes and makes just enough for two hungry people.

Why You’ll Love It

• Five ingredients plus oil, salt, pepper, and water.
• One 10-inch skillet with a lid, made on the stovetop.
• About 40 minutes, most of it simmering.
• Written for two servings.
• Uses regular lasagna noodles, not no-boil.

Ingredients

1/2 lb 85/15 ground beef

5 regular lasagna noodles, about 4 oz, broken into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups jarred marinara

1 1/4 cups water, plus up to 1/4 cup more if needed

1/2 cup whole-milk ricotta

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella, divided

1 teaspoon olive oil, only if your beef is leaner than 85/15

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch for the ricotta

Black pepper

Steps

1. Heat a 10-inch skillet with a lid over medium-high heat, with the oil if your beef is lean. Add the beef, season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and some pepper, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains. Spoon off any fat beyond about 1 tablespoon.

2. Stir in the marinara and 1 1/4 cups of water and bring it to a boil, about 2 minutes.

3. Scatter the broken noodles over the sauce and press every piece under the liquid with a spoon. When it comes back to a boil, cover the pan and turn the heat to medium-low so it keeps a steady, gentle bubble.

4. Simmer covered for 18 to 22 minutes. Every 4 to 5 minutes, lift the lid, stir, scrape the bottom of the pan, and push any noodles that have floated up back under the sauce. Pieces left sticking out of the liquid stay hard. If the sauce gets thick and starts sticking before the noodles are tender, add water 2 tablespoons at a time.

5. Bite into a piece of noodle. It’s done when there’s no chalky white core in the middle. If the noodles are done but the sauce looks soupy, take the lid off and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes more.

6. Take the skillet off the heat. Stir in 1/4 cup of the mozzarella. Season the ricotta with a pinch of salt and pepper and spoon it over the top in 5 or 6 heaping dollops. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella over everything.

7. Cover and let it sit for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese melts. If your skillet is oven-safe and you want browned cheese, put it under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes instead, and watch it closely.

8. Let it rest for 3 to 5 minutes before serving so the sauce thickens.

Helpful Tips and Substitutions

The ratio of liquid to noodles matters more than any single amount. You want about 2 3/4 cups of total liquid, marinara plus water, for 4 oz of noodles. Much less and the noodles stay firm. Much more and it ends up soupy.

Use regular lasagna noodles. No-boil noodles are thinner and already partly cooked, and in a skillet they go soft and fall apart before the sauce has thickened.

A nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid is the easiest pan for this. The sauce thickens as the noodles release starch, and in the last 5 minutes it sticks to the bottom of a stainless pan if you stop stirring.

Noodle brands and jarred sauces all behave a little differently. A thin sauce may need less water, and a thick one may need the extra 1/4 cup.

Italian sausage with the casings removed works in place of the beef. It brings its own seasoning, so the dish tastes more seasoned without adding an ingredient.

Cottage cheese works in place of ricotta, but it’s wetter. Drain it in a fine strainer for 10 minutes first.

Don’t skip the rest at the end. It’s what turns the sauce from loose to clinging.

Serving Ideas

A green salad with a sharp vinaigrette to cut through the cheese.

Garlic bread, if you want a second carb on the table.

Serve it straight from the skillet.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

The noodles soak up sauce overnight, so add a splash of water when you reheat. Warm a portion in a covered skillet over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, or in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.

It firms up in the fridge overnight and cuts into neater squares than it does fresh.

It can be frozen in individual portions for up to 2 months, but the noodles get softer after thawing. Thaw it overnight in the fridge before reheating.