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A metal skillet filled with easy skillet lasagna and garnished with basil leaves.
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5 / 4 votes

Easy Skillet Lasagna

This easy skillet lasagna is made with a homemade basil tomato sauce, store-bought ravioli, and mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. A satisfying weeknight dinner that the entire family will want repeatedly.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Calories: 893

Ingredients

For the tomato sauce

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • One (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 large basil sprigs, plus additional leaves for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt (preferably Diamond Crystal)
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the lasagna

  • 1 1/2 pounds frozen cheese (or your fave variety) ravioli
  • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, preferably fresh (227 g), shredded
  • About 1/2 cup Parmesan, or to taste
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the tomato sauce

  • Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C).
  • In a large 12-inch (30-cm) ovenproof skillet over medium-low heat, warm the oil until shimmering, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until it darkens slightly, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Stir in the red pepper flakes, crushed tomatoes, basil sprigs, sugar, and water. Season with salt and pepper and increase the heat slightly to bring to a boil.

Make the lasagna

  • Gently separate any frozen ravioli stuck together without tearing them.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: Don’t worry if the frozen ravioli refuse to separate from one another. They’ll fall apart during cooking.

  • Slip the ravioli into the sauce and cook over medium heat, stirring gently to prevent the ravioli from sticking to the skillet, until the sauce is very thick and the ravioli are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Spoon half of the ravioli and sauce into a bowl.
  • Spread the ravioli remaining in the skillet in an even layer and sprinkle with half of the mozzarella. Arrange the ravioli and sauce from the bowl on top and cover with the remaining mozzarella. Sprinkle with the Parmesan.
  • Bake the lasagna until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Remove the lasagna from the oven, tear a few basil leaves and scatter them on top, and let rest 10 minutes before making it disappear.

Notes

  1. Cheese--You can swap in part-skim mozzarella, Provolone, or Monterey Jack cheese for the mozzarella called for in the recipe, but avoid pre-shredded cheese as it doesn't melt well.
  2. Skillet size--Don't use a skillet smaller than 12-inches. Our testers found that there wasn't enough room to hold all the ingredients.
  3. Time-saver--Use a 25-oz jar of your favorite store-bought marinara sauce instead of the tomato sauce in this recipe. 
  4. Dietary--As written, this recipe is suitable for a vegetarian diet.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 893kcal | Carbohydrates: 82g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 2389mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g