Stovetop Lasagna (One Skillet, No Oven, Under 30 Minutes)
The number-two video on the whole channel, because it solves a real weeknight problem: lasagna flavor, one skillet, under thirty minutes, no oven. Broken noodles simmer right in the sauce and the ricotta goes on at the end like a blanket. The leftovers genuinely got "better and better each day."
If you watch this one, you'll notice I keep it moving — I even tell you on camera not to worry if I'm going too fast, because every measurement is written out for you, all right here on this page. The video is really a follow-along: what goes in the skillet, and when.
The part I want you to catch is the ricotta. While the pasta simmers under the lid, I'm off beating two eggs, mixing the ricotta in, and setting it in the fridge until the noodles are ready — and I flat-out forget the parsley on camera, so hear it here: the parsley goes in the ricotta too. And if you love ricotta like I do, take my advice from the video and fill the whole pan up.
Watch me make it — video from my YouTube channel
The recipe
Stovetop Lasagna (One Skillet, No Oven, Under 30 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
- 1 pound ground turkey (or chorizo or ground beef — any protein you prefer)
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- garlic powder, to taste
- oregano, to taste
- paprika, to taste
- sugar, to taste (just a little)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (15 oz) can Hunt's tomato sauce
- fresh parsley, to taste, divided (for the sauce, the ricotta mix, and garnish)
- 8 lasagna noodles, broken in half (I eyeballed mine at about four to six pieces plus a few more on top — add as much as you like)
- 1/2 cup water (swirled in the empty tomato sauce can to capture remaining sauce, then poured over the top noodles so they soften too)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese (spread as much as you like)
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (fresh, for topping)
- fresh cheddar cheese, to taste (for topping)
How to Make It
- Melt the butter in a skillet.
- Add the garlic and onion and saute for about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the ground turkey (or your protein of choice) to the skillet.
- Season the meat with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, and a little sugar.
- Cook for about 2-3 minutes, until the meat starts to turn brown.
- Strain the meat to drain off as much grease as possible, then return it to the skillet.
- Stir in the tomato paste.
- Add the tomato sauce and bring it to a boil.
- Stir in some fresh parsley.
- Break the lasagna noodles in half and stir them into the sauce.
- Lay a few more broken noodles across the top.
- Swirl 1/2 cup water in the empty tomato sauce can and pour it over the top noodles so they soften too.
- Cover with a lid, turn the heat down as low as it will go, and simmer for approximately 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat the 2 eggs in a bowl.
- Mix the ricotta cheese (and a little parsley) into the eggs.
- Refrigerate the ricotta mixture until the pasta is ready.
- Partway through the simmer, stir the pasta to make sure it is not sticking to the bottom and burning.
- Spread the ricotta mixture over the top of the pasta — as much as you like.
- Top with fresh parmesan and cheddar cheese.
- Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.
- Cover with the lid and cook until the cheese melts, then serve.
Curtis's Tips
- Protein swap: use any protein you want — chorizo, ground beef, whichever you prefer. I chose ground turkey for a leaner, more tender meat.
- Strain the cooked meat well: "you just want to strain all that grease out... you don't want it to be super greasy."
- All seasoning measurements and the full ingredient list are in the video's description box — check there for specific amounts.
- On the sugar: "a little sugar — if you know, you know."
- Add as much pasta as you would like; I used roughly 4-6 noodles, broken in half, plus a few extra on top.
- Can trick: add water to the empty Hunt's can to rinse out the remaining tomato sauce, then pour it over the top noodles so they get soft as well.
- Stir during the simmer so nothing sticks or burns on the bottom — I had issues with it the first time.
- Don't forget to add parsley to the ricotta-egg mixture — I forgot it on camera.
- If you really like ricotta, "just fill the whole pan up."
- Leftovers: the dish "was good for like two, three days... it was getting better and better each day."
- Billed as an easy, under-30-minute recipe.
- Doneness cue: once the cheese on top starts to melt, "that's when you know it's ready."
- Sauce shortcut (the written recipe in the video description uses): swap the Hunt's tomato sauce + tomato paste + can-swirl water for 1 24-ounce jar of marinara sauce plus 1 1/2 cups water added directly to the pan before the noodles. This avoids tomato paste entirely and produces a looser sauce.
- Seasoning shortcut (the written recipe in the video description uses): replace the garlic powder, oregano, and paprika with 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. The description also ties 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to the ricotta mixture rather than the meat.
- Cheese swap (the written recipe in the video description uses): 1 cup shredded mozzarella (divided, some stirred into the ricotta mixture and some on top) plus 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil in place of the cheddar topping used on camera.
Why this works
Two moves in the video carry this recipe. The first is the strain: once the ground turkey browns, I strain out as much of the juice as possible, because you don't want this super greasy. It's also why I reached for turkey — a leaner, more tender style of meat (chorizo or ground beef are fair game, whichever you prefer). The second is the can trick: after the broken noodles get stirred into the sauce and a few extra pieces go across the top, I swirl water in the empty tomato sauce can and pour it over those top noodles, so the top layer gets soft along with everything underneath. From there it's lid on, heat as low as it goes, about 15 minutes; then the ricotta and cheeses go on, the lid goes back, and once that cheese melts, that's when you know it's ready.
FAQ
Do I have to boil the lasagna noodles first?
No. I break the noodles in half and stir the pieces straight into the boiling sauce, then lay a few extra across the top. The lid and a low 15-minute simmer do the cooking, and the can-swirl water keeps the top pieces softening with the rest. I used around four to six noodles — add as much as you'd like.
Does it have to be ground turkey?
Use whichever protein you prefer — I say it straight out in the video: chorizo, ground beef, whatever you like. I went with turkey for a leaner, more tender style of meat. Whatever you pick, don't skip the strain; get that juice out so the dish doesn't turn out greasy.
How do I keep the noodles from sticking to the bottom?
I'll be honest: the first time I made this, I had issues with exactly that. Do what you see me do in the video — heat down as low as it can go before the lid goes on, then partway through the simmer, open it up and give everything a stir to re-even the noodles so nothing burns on the bottom.
Can I skip the tomato paste and use jarred marinara?
You can. On camera I build the sauce from a couple tablespoons of tomato paste, a can of Hunt's tomato sauce, and the can-swirl water. My written recipe swaps all that for one 24-ounce jar of marinara plus 1 1/2 cups of water, added before the noodles — no paste at all. Both work; the marinara version runs a little looser.
How much sugar goes in the sauce?
A little — and I mean it when I say I don't measure it on camera. It goes in with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and paprika while the meat cooks down. If you know, you know.
Estimated nutrition, per serving (recipe makes about 4 servings): ~638 calories · 45 g protein · 25 g fat · 58 g carbs. Computed from the ingredient list using standard reference values — an estimate, not a lab analysis; your exact brands and portions will vary.
