With summer in full swing, I am always looking for easy meals that don’t require a lot of cleanup. I would say it’s because I want to spend as much time as I can outside, but to be honest, with the heat and humidity by where I live, that would just be a lie. You can instead find me hibernating inside our air-conditioned house and trying to find ways to turn on the oven as little as possible because of the pesky heat.
Lucky for me, this skillet summer vegetable lasagna meets both of the above criteria. The entire dish—pasta cooking and all—is done in one skillet and on the stove. No need to turn on that oven. As an added bonus, this dish is packed full of some of my favorite summer produce. Fresh corn, zucchini and even green beans, all coated in a sauce that doesn’t feel overly heavy. Comforting, but in a summer sort of way.
First, the veggies are cooked in a large skillet just until they start to soften. Broken lasagna noodles are then added in, creating a sort of layer over the vegetables, before being topped with a large can of diced tomatoes and some broth. Another plus for this dish is that you can just add the lasagna noodles to the skillet—no lining them up in nice even layers, as it will all be stirred around as it cooks.
The dish simmers, covered, until the pasta is tender and the sauce thickens up a bit. Once done, be sure to let the lasagna rest before enjoying, just like you would a regular classic baked lasagna. This allows it to firm up and makes it much easier to serve.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium zucchini chopped
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels from about 1 to 2 ears of corn
- 3 ½ ounces fresh green beans trimmed and cut in half (about 1 cup)
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 8 ounces uncooked regular lasagna noodles broken into thirds
- 1 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Chopped or chiffonade fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add in the zucchini, corn, green beans, dried basil, dried parsley, salt and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the vegetables all start to soften.
- Add the broken lasagna noodles on top of the vegetables in the skillet, then pour the tomatoes and broth over the top of the noodles. Increase the heat and bring the liquid almost to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer fairly vigorously for 20-22 minutes, stirring occasionally (and more frequently toward the end of the cooking time), until the pasta is tender. Turn the heat down to low.
- Drop the ricotta in small spoonfuls over the top of the pasta, then sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Re-cover and let cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Turn off the heat. Let rest uncovered for at least 10 minutes, then garnish with the fresh basil before serving.
A says
Hi!
This recipe sounds amazing since I love lasagna but hate baking it or spending much time in the kitchen. I will certainly try this when I get home. Would you recommend doing this with other lasagna? For example my two favorite include spinach lasagna or a lasagna where all the pasta is replaced by zucchini. Thanks!
-A
Ashley Jennings says
Hi A! I think you could definitely change up the veggies here (so in place of the zucchini, corn and green beans) - but I wouldn't change the rest (i.e. the lasagna noodles, can of tomatoes and broth).
We haven't tested it where the pasta is replaced by zucchini so it's hard to say if that would work!
Aron says
Me and my wife just became vegetarians about a month ago and I am so thankful that I stumbled upon your blog! I am so excited to try some of these recipes! Who knew that being a vegetarian could be so delicious 🙂
Your photos are beautiful by the way!
Dana Raidt says
Thanks Aron 🙂
annie says
It's still so ingrained in my mind that lasagna = oven, but clearly stove-top can be done! 😉 This looks tasty and I can't wait to try it. I'll probably make a vegan friendly variation for my sister too.
Ashley Jennings says
haha I know what you mean! It's nice to use the skillet version in the summer so you don't heat up the house so much! And thanks Annie!
Patty says
Thanks for this recipe! I really love lasagna but the whole oven process gets on my nerves, so I can't wait to try this one tonight. I had already bought an aubergjne to make the oven lasagna today, so I'll add it to the skillet (i'll grill it first) and hope it turns out ok!
Ashley Jennings says
Hi Patty! Hope you enjoyed it! I think this should work fine with a number of different veggies!
Emma {Emma's Little Kitchen} says
Made this last night, and I'm in love! I enjoyed it as much as I would a conventional lasagna, and LOVED that I only had one skillet to wash!
Ashley Jennings says
So happy to hear it Emma! haha agreed - the one pot to wash is the best!
Sarah | Well and Full says
This is such a creative method of making lasagna! Can't wait to make a vegan version 😉
Ashley Jennings says
Thanks Sarah! The only one pan to clean up is my favorite part! 🙂
Sarah says
I just stopped eatting meat very recently, and your blog has been so helpful! After trying this recipe I knew I didn't need meat to make a great meal. This was so simple and so tasty (probably one of the best things I've ever cooked! I'm lactose sensitive so I made it without the cheese and threw a poached egg on top. Simply amazing!
Ashley Jennings says
Oh I'm so glad to hear this Sarah! And the poached egg on top sounds awesome!
Michel says
Amazing Recipe!!! its so delicious & looks so nice. I loved it. keep posting such kind of recipes.
Ashley Jennings says
So glad you enjoyed!
Fomac - Mesin Pengolah Makanan says
it's amazing recipe !!!
Lrevs says
I modified the recipe a bit-added more veggies, also most of a jar of tomato sauce and skipped the broth. It wasn't as good as another skillet veggie lasagna. Too much pasta and not enough spices, though I skipped the red pepper. Nice effort and love the concept.