Skillet Vegetable Lasagna

This gluten free Skillet Vegetable Lasagna is made with mushrooms, spinach, marinara sauce, and ricotta cheese in a cast iron skillet!

My recipe for Cast Iron Skillet Lasagna was first published on Sunday Supper Movement where I am a contributor.

This Vegetarian Skillet Lasagna has everything that we love about regular lasagna, but is much easier to prepare. It's made in one pot on the stove top and makes for a super flavorful meal.

When it comes to weeknight dinners, it doesn't get any better than one pot meals. The great thing about them is that everything cooks together, which helps to cut down on dishes and the overall amount of time spent in the kitchen.

Lasagna is one of the best meals out there, but it can be labor intensive and time consuming to prepare. This version is made using only one skillet and is every bit as tasty as a traditional lasagna.

It's made with mushrooms, bell peppers, and spinach simmered in a cast iron skillet along with marinara sauce, vegetable broth, and lasagna noodles. Once the noodles are cooked, the whole thing is topped with ricotta and mozzarella cheese and finished in the oven.

This vegetable lasagna is perfect garnished with some grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese, fresh basil or herbs of choice, and crushed red pepper flakes for even more color and flavor.

Jump to:

• Which Vegetables Are Best For Vegetarian Lasagna?
• Which Noodles Are Best For Lasagna?
• Ingredients For Skillet Vegetable Lasagna
• How To Make Skillet Vegetable Lasagna
• How Long Does One Pan Lasagna Take To Cook?
• How To Keep The Noodles From Getting Mushy
• Finish The Lasagna In The Oven
• What To Serve With Skillet Veggie Lasagna
• How Long Does Vegetarian Lasagna Last In The Fridge?
• Can It Be Frozen?
• Skillet Vegetable Lasagna

Which Vegetables Are Best For Vegetarian Lasagna?

When it comes to choosing vegetables for skillet lasagna, there are a few things to keep in mind to achieve optimal flavor and texture.

• Use fresh vegetables instead of frozen or canned. Fresh veggies have the best taste and texture and using them helps to prevent the lasagna from become too watery or overly salty.
• Boost the flavor by adding aromatics, such as garlic and onions or shallots. Make sure to sauté the garlic and onions first to bring out their natural flavors.
• Choose veggies that go well together and pair nicely with marinara sauce.
• Make sure not to overload the lasagna with vegetables, or it might not all fit in the skillet and could make the dish watery.
• Choose vegetables with a relatively low water content. This will prevent the lasagna from becoming watery when cooked.

For this recipe, I went with garlic and onions (shallots are also a great choice), mushrooms, bell peppers, and spinach.

You can use any variety of mushrooms you like. Cremini, white button, portobello, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms if you prefer.

Any variety of bell pepper will work for this lasagna. Red, yellow, or orange bell peppers are slightly sweeter than green bell peppers, but you can use a green bell pepper if you prefer a more vegetal flavor.

Which Noodles Are Best For Lasagna?

This recipe is gluten free and calls for gluten free lasagna noodles. Feel free to use your favorite brand of regular lasagna noodles if gluten is not an issue for you.

When making gluten free lasagna (or any gluten free pasta), it's important to choose a high quality brand of pasta that will hold up to the cooking process without becoming mushy.

I recommend a brand of lasagna noodles that are made with brown rice, such as those from Jovial or Tinkyada. Brown rice noodles maintain their structure and do not become as mushy as those made with corn.

Ingredients For Skillet Vegetable Lasagna

Here's what you'll need to make it.

• 6 cloves Garlic
• 1 small Onion (any color) (or ½ a large onion, any color) (can sub 2 shallots)
• 1 Bell Pepper (any color)
• 1 8 oz. package Mushrooms (any variety)
• 2 packed cups Spinach
• ¼ tsp. each Kosher Salt and Pepper
• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 24 oz. jar Marinara Sauce
• 1 cup Vegetable Broth
• 1 package Gluten Free Lasagna Noodles (8-10 oz. package) (can sub regular lasagna noodles if not gluten free)
• ¾ cup Ricotta Cheese (full fat)
• ½ cup Mozzarella Cheese (grated)
• ¼ cup Parmesan or Asiago Cheese (grated)
• ¼ cup Fresh Basil or Parsley for garnish (optional)
• ¼ tsp. Red Pepper Flakes for garnish (optional)

How To Make Skillet Vegetable Lasagna

Skillet vegetarian lasagna is faster and easier to make than a traditional vegetable lasagna, which means that it's a great choice for a weeknight meatless meal.

The first step is to mince the veggies and then to sauté them in a cast iron skillet. Once sauteed, the veggies are simmered with a jar of marinara sauce, vegetable broth, and broken lasagna noodles until the noodles cooked.

At this point, the spinach is added and the whole thing is topped with ricotta and grated mozzarella cheese. The lasagna is finished for a few minutes in the oven, just until the cheese is melted.

I recommend a large cast iron skillet - A 12 inch cast iron skillet is great. If using a 10 inch cast iron skillet, keep in mind that the skillet will become quite full after adding all of the ingredients.

1. Start by mincing 6 cloves of garlic and 1 small onion (any color). You can also sub ½ a large onion (any color) or use 2 shallots. Shallots have a slightly sweeter, more mild flavor than onions.
2. Dice 1 large bell pepper (any color).
3. Remove the stems from 1 8 oz. package of mushrooms. Cut the onions first into slices and then into small chunks.
4. Roughly chop 2 cups of spinach.
5. Break 1 package of gluten free lasagna noodles (or regular lasagna noodles if not gluten free) into pieces.
6. Place a cast iron skillet (I recommend a large skillet such as a 10 or 12 inch skillet) on the stove top and heat to medium-high.
7. Once heated, add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil.
8. Add the minced garlic and onions (or shallots) and sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring often.
9. Add the diced bell peppers and mushrooms, along with ¼ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper. Sauté for 7-8 minutes, stirring often. The vegetables should soften a bit once cooked.
10. Pour 1 24 oz. jar of marinara sauce and 1 cup of vegetable broth into the skillet and stir until combined.
11. Add the broken lasagna noodles into the skillet and stir until they are all covered with the sauce.
12. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low boil and cook uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes to prevent the noodles from clumping together or sticking to the bottom.

How Long Does One Pan Lasagna Take To Cook?

After all of the vegetables are sauteed, it only takes about 30 minutes for the lasagna to cook on the stove top.

Keep in mind that cooking times may vary slightly, depending on the type of lasagna noodles used and the size of the skillet.

The lasagna then cooks in the oven for an additional couple of minutes after the cheese is melted.

How To Keep The Noodles From Getting Mushy

For optimal texture, there are a few tips to keep in mind when cooking skillet lasagna.

• Make sure that the noodles are completely covered in liquid while cooking so that they do not dry out.
• Stir the lasagna with a wooden spoon every couple of minutes to help prevent the noodles from clumping together or sticking to the bottom. This is even more important near the end of the cooking time.
• Cook the noodles just until al dente. Gluten free noodles overcook very quickly, so it's best to cook just until tender.
• This recipe calls for 1 8-10 oz. package of lasagna noodles. Do not use any more or less than this amount, or the lasagna will be too dry or too watery.

Finish The Lasagna In The Oven

Once the lasagna noodles are al dente, the spinach is added to the lasagna and the whole thing is topped with cheese.

This recipe calls for full fat ricotta cheese. Ricotta is a cheese that was created in Italy as a way to use up the whey that is produced during the cheese-making process.

It has a fresh taste and is smooth but a little grainy at the same time (it resembles cottage cheese). You can find ricotta cheese in the dairy section of your local grocery store.

The lasagna is then topped with grated mozzarella cheese, but you can sub any cheese that melts nicely. Provolone, white cheddar, Havarti, or Fontina cheese would work as well.

It's finished with grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano cheese. The addition of this cheese provides the dish with another layer of flavor.

Feel free to use more cheese if you prefer a cheesier lasagna.

1. Turn the oven broiler on.
2. Add the 2 packed cups of chopped spinach to the lasagna and fold until combined.
3. Dot the top of the vegetable lasagna with ¾ cup of full fat ricotta cheese (don't stir the ricotta into the lasagna).
4. Sprinkle ½ cup of grated mozzarella cheese on top of the lasagna.
5. Place the skillet in the oven for 2 minutes or so, or until the cheese has melted.
6. Remove the skillet from the oven and garnish the lasagna with ¼ cup or so of grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano cheese.

Keep in mind that the lasagna may seem saucy at first, but will thicken up a bit as it cools.

What To Serve With Skillet Veggie Lasagna

After the lasagna is finished, I love to top it with some fresh herbs such as basil or parsley for extra color and flavor and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. The pepper flakes add a little bit of spice to the dish.

A hearty Italian dish like this one is great paired with a bright salad like a green salad, Caesar salad, balsamic green bean salad, marinated tomato salad or fresh pea mint salad.

It's also perfect with a Mediterranean appetizer like this Kalamata olive tapenade, roasted mushroom tapenade, or spinach artichoke dip.

A side dish like this Parmesan roasted cauliflower, garlic roasted green beans, or Italian quinoa salad is a nice pairing.

Looking for more one pot meals? Don't miss these!

• Ground Turkey Spinach Pasta
• Skillet Cajun Orzo
• Dutch Oven Chicken and Potatoes
• Dutch Oven Chicken Noodle Soup
• Vegetable Pesto Pasta

How Long Does Vegetarian Lasagna Last In The Fridge?

Any leftover vegetable lasagna should last 3-4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Make sure to allow it to come to room temperature before transferring to the fridge for storage.

Can It Be Frozen?

For optimal taste and texture, I do not recommend freezing this dish as it is best enjoyed right away or within a few days.

Love vegetarian pasta? Check out these recipes!

• One Pot Veggie Pasta
• Garden Vegetable Lasagna
• Roasted Vegetable Pasta
• Vegetarian Mediterranean Pasta
• Mushroom Olive Pasta

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Spinach Garlic Pea Pasta

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