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Angle shot of No-Bake Lasagna in skillet with spatula scooping a piece out. It cooks in a skillet or frying pan on the stovetop to save time!

No Bake Lasagna {cooked on the Stovetop}

This is a fast and easy stove top Lasagna with all of the creamy and hearty goodness of a traditional oven version! It’s filled with a meaty ground chicken tomato sauce, Ricotta, Parmesan, and Mozzarella! This will become a new go-to dinner!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Beef, ground beef, lasagna, pasta
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 27 minutes
Total Time 37 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 562 kcal
Author Carrie Tyler

Ingredients

CHICKEN:

  • 1 pound Ground White Meat Chicken (or ground turkey or ground beef)
  • 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Black Pepper

OTHER:

  • 3 cloves Garlic (or 3 teaspoon minced or dried)
  • 1 small yellow onion
  • 1 small bunch Basil, 15-20 leaves
  • 28 ounce canned Whole Peeled Tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
  • 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
  • 8 ounces Ricotta Cheese
  • ½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 6 ounces Sliced Fresh Mozzarella Cheese (or deli mozzarella)
  • 8 ounces Lasagna Noodles 8-10 noodle sheets (SEE NOTES FOR NO-BOIL NOODLES)
  • 1 tablespoon Salt

Instructions

Prep Steps

  1. PREP CHEESE. Mix the Parmesan cheese into the Ricotta.
  2. PREP FRESH VEGGIES. Peel and cut the onion in quarters. Peel the garlic and add to the food processor with the onion. Blend until rice-size pieces. Add 10 leaves of basil and pulse to chop. Set aside.

Cooking Steps

  1. Break the lasagna noodles into 2-3 pieces each. Bring a pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt and add the lasagna noodles. Stir and cook to al dente, about 10 min. Save 1 cup of pasta water.
  2. COOK CHICKEN. While the pasta cooks, preheat a large pan/skillet (or Dutch oven) on High Heat. Add the olive oil and the ground chicken. Break up the chicken into a single layer, season with salt and black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, then stir in the onion/basil mixture and cook for another 5 minutes.

  3. ADD SAUCE. To the chicken, add the whole tomatoes, tomato paste, dried oregano, ½ cup of the pasta water, and stir to combine. Using a spatula, break apart the whole tomatoes into small pieces. Bring up to a simmer and then let cook for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add a pinch of salt if needed.

  4. ADD NOODLES. Drain the lasagna noodles and rinse with cold water so you can handle and separate any stuck together. Add half of the noodles, submerging them in the sauce. Scoop the ricotta cheese on top. Then cover with the remaining lasagna noodles.
  5. ADD CHEESE & BROIL. Last, layer on the mozzarella then place the entire skillet under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese and slightly brown on top.
  6. Let the lasagna rest for at least 5 minutes, so it all comes back together. Slice, scoop, and serve! Garnish with basil and parmesan and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

  1. Can this No Bake Lasagna be made ahead?
    You can make this lasagna and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. To reheat it, you can do so in a microwave a single piece at a time for 1-2 minutes on high (add another minute per additional serving. Or reheat in the oven at 350 F degrees for 15-30 minutes depending on how much you have to reheat.

  2. Can I freeze this Layered Lasagna Recipe?
    You can freeze your fully cooked lasagna in a freezer safe airtight container for up to 6 months. When freezing it fully cooked, you should still thaw it in the fridge 24 hours ahead, but you could bake it in the oven at 350 F degrees for an hour from frozen state. Just test the center to see if it is warmed through in the center. If not, bake for another 10-15 and check again.

  3. What other meat can I use instead of chicken?
    I used ground white meat chicken in this recipe, but you could certainly used regular ground chicken, ground turkey, or even ground beef or ground pork. The cooking instructions will be the same for all of these options.

  4. Can I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta?
    You could use cottage cheese in this recipe in place of ricotta. If you do this, you want to use either small curd or blend the large curd in a food processor until smoother. You also may want to drain off any excess water in a paper towel lined strainer.

  5. Can I use No-Boil Noodles in this recipe?  Unfortunately, no-boil lasagna noodles were designed for the long cooking time in the oven and will not soften enough in this quicker cooking skillet method.  If you do want to use no-boil noodles, I suggest either (1) boil them for a couple minutes to soften or (2) transfer your skillet to the oven to back for 15-20 minutes and then test the noodles. NOTE: use an oven-safe skillet!