Bow Tie Skillet Lasagna Recipe

Easy Skillet Lasagna – all the amazing flavors of the classic, but without all the prep work. A perfect weeknight dinner any time of year!

I was looking for something fast for dinner last night, and found this skillet lasagna recipe on Allrecipes. It doesn’t heat up the oven, and that is a bonus in August, so I decided to try it.

I made a few slight changes, and it turned out delicious! My boys told me they liked it better than regular lasagna. Wow! It is soooo much easier and faster. It will definitely be making a regular appearance at our dinner table!

Even though it’s not the prettiest dish, it is hearty and packed with flavor. And since it doesn’t heat up the oven, it’s a perfect comfort food any time of year. 

I wish I was eating it for lunch, but our microwave died last night, so my hubbie got to take the leftovers. He was actually in the middle of fixing it when someone called with a computer emergency. He dropped what he was doing and went to help them. So I guess he deserves the leftovers anyway. 🙂

HOW TO MAKE SKILLET LASAGNA 

(To skip my tips and just see the full recipe card, scroll to the bottom of the post.)

Ingredients needed:

• lean ground beef
• ground pork sausage (You can just use all ground beef, but the sausage adds great flavor.)
•  onion (I use regular yellow onions, but you can use a sweet white onion if you prefer.)
• garlic (I use fresh minced garlic, but you can use dry minced garlic if you prefer.)
• canned diced tomatoes (My family prefers petite diced tomatoes, so I stock up when I can find them.)
• tomato sauce
• water
• dried parsley 
• dried basil
• dried oregano
• salt
• bowtie pasta (Or another pasta of your choosing; I have also made it with broken up lasagna noodles with great results.)
• cottage cheese (I used low fat cottage cheese, but any variety will work.)
• parmesan cheese (I used fresh grated parmesan cheese, but the kind in the can will work in a pinch.)
• mozzarella cheese

1. MEAT MIXTURE: In a large skillet, brown the ground beef, sausage, and onion over medium heat. Drain off any fat. Ad garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, seasonings, and pasta. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until noodles are tender.
2. CHEESE TOPPING: Stir together cottage cheese and parmesan in a small bowl. Drop by spoonfuls over tomato mixture. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top and let cook for a couple of minutes till melted.

If you have any leftovers, they are great the next day! Cover them with a lid or plastic wrap, and they will last for about 3 days in the refrigerator.

VARIATIONS:

• You can just use a pound of ground beef in place of the sausage if you like.
• If you don’t have bow tie pasta, you could use another kind. It may take more or less time to cook, so just check it for doneness.
• Ricotta cheese can be used in place of the cottage cheese.
• If you like things spicy, sprinkle in some red pepper flakes with the other seasonings. 
• In place of the pork sausage, you can use spicy Italian sausage.

MORE TASTY ITALIAN RECIPES:

• Italian Chicken Pasta
• No-Boil Lasagna
• Italian Christmas Cookies
• Rosemary Artisan Bread
• Italian Ricotta Pie
• Italian Christmas Cookies

MAIN DISH BEEF RECIPES:

• Ground Beef Enchiladas
• BBQ Meatball Recipe
• Goulash with Rice
• Ground Beef Stroganoff
• Unstuffed Peppers

EASY SKILLET LASAGNA RECIPE

(originally published 9/1/2009, updated April 2020)

If you love the flavors of lasagna, but don’t have the time, whip up this easy skillet lasagna. After one bite, you’ll want to make it again and again!