(Vegetarian) One-Pan Gluten-Free Skillet Lasagna
Simply the best gluten free skillet lasagna that also happens to be vegetarian! Layers of tangy tomato sauce, gluten-free noodles, creamy ricotta, and melty mozzarella cheese make this one-pan dinner perfect for busy weeknights when everyone arrives home starving, and there's not much time to get dinner on the table.
More of a one-dish easy casserole, this vegetarian and gluten free skillet lasagna brings all the familiar flavors of a classic lasagna made in a skillet with gluten-free noodles! My super simple tomato sauce recipe is a great choice for the sauce here, and it magically cooks the noodles while baking in the oven, with no pre-cooking of the pasta needed.
Prep time is short, and the results satisfy everyone in my family. I love that you only need one pan to make this, with everything easily layered into a big skillet. Cheesey, comforting, and satisfying all in one go - that's my kind of weeknight dinner! Serve with no knead gluten free bread and butter, and a fresh salad alongside is a must.
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What You'll Love About Gluten Free Skillet Lasagna
- Not fussy. Not that lasagna is especially complex, but it does take a few steps that are happily streamlined in this recipe to cut prep time down to just minutes.
- Filling and homey. Who doesn't love melted cheese?! The combo of mozzarella and ricotta is both yummy and filling, so you won't need to eat anything else (except, maybe a little dish of gluten free chocolate pudding or a slice of gluten free yogurt lemon cake for dessert).
- Quick. As noted, you don't need to boil the noodles separately or mix the filling in another bowl. Everything is cooked, then baked, in just one skillet. Easy peasy!
Ingredients Needed
Here's a look at what you'll need for this lasagna. Make sure to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions!
- Olive oil - I use extra-virgin olive oil.
- Garlic
- Spinach - This is an optional addition, but I always love throwing in more veggies when I can. Use regular or baby spinach.
- Tomato sauce - Homemade or store-bought - up to you!
- Salt and pepper
- Oregano - I use dried oregano in most of my pasta dishes, and dried basil works nicely, too.
- Gluten free lasagna - Jovial brand is my go-to for all gluten-free pasta shapes, and it holds up beautifully in this recipe. Feel free to use your favorite gluten-free lasagna noodle.
- Ricotta cheese
- Mozzarella - Use shredded mozzarella here rather than fresh (although fresh would also be nice!).
- Parmesan - I love to finish this lasagna with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. You could also use more mozzarella if that's all you have.
Skillet Lasagna Variation Ideas
- Add more veggies - You can throw in other delicious vegetables to the base when cooking the garlic and spinach. I love a chopped onion (start this first, before adding the garlic), zucchini, red pepper, mushrooms, etc.
- Leave out the spinach - Keep this a very classic marinara lasagna and omit the spinach.
- Add protein - Want to make it heartier? Sauté your favorite vegetarian ground "meat" protein along with the garlic.
How to Make Gluten Free Skillet Lasagna
Here's an overview in photos of how to make a gluten free skillet lasagna:
1. Cook veggies: Heat the olive oil in a skillet, then cook the garlic and spinach.
2. Simmer sauce: Add tomato sauce and season, then simmer for 5 minutes. Remove ⅔ of the sauce from the pan.
3. Add pasta: Spread half the pasta noodles over the sauce.
4. Layer cheese: Top the noodles with ½ the ricotta and mozzarella, more sauce, then repeat with more noodles, cheese, and sauce.
5. Finish: Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top of the lasagna.
6. Bake: Place in a 400F oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the noodles are tender.
Skillet Lasagna Tips & Recipe Notes
- Do I need to cook the noodles first? No! The beauty of this recipe is that the tomato sauce cooks the noodles while the lasagna bakes in the oven. No need to use no-boil noodles either.
- Can I use other pasta shapes? Since this is more of a casserole, you could use other pasta shapes in place of the pasta, using the same method. I would use about 1 cup of noodles like penne, spirals, or ziti, and the cooking time may change a bit.
- Use cottage cheese. For a lighter yet still high-protein version of this dish, substitute cottage cheese for the ricotta.
- Uncover at the end. When the noodles are tender, you can uncover the pan and let it cook a few extra minutes uncovered. I like to do this so that the Parmesan on top gets nicely melted and even a bit browned (yum).
- Let it sit. Like all lasagnas, skillet lasagna also benefits from resting when it comes out of the oven. At least 5 minutes is good, and 10 minutes is even better.
How to Store & Reheat Gluten Free Skillet Lasagna
- Fridge - Transfer cooled leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat - Place lasagna in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 2 minutes; check, then keep heating in 30-second increments until heated through, and the cheese is melted.
More Simple Pasta Recipes
If you make this gluten free skillet lasagna recipe, I'd love to know. Please leave a comment below, reach out with any questions, and tag me on Instagram @Cucina Nicolina ❤️
Gluten Free Skillet Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic , thinly sliced
- 3 cups spinach , I like baby spinach (optional)
- 3 cups tomato sauce
- salt and pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano , or basil
- 8 pieces gluten free lasagna noodles (I like Jovial brand)
- 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ and have a large oven-safe skillet ready (I use my 10-inch cast iron skillet for this recipe).
- Warm the 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skiillet over low heat, then add the 4 cloves garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in the 3 cups spinach until wilted, then add the 3 cups tomato sauce, season with salt and pepper and ½ teaspoon dried oregano, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and take out about ⅔ of the sauce and set aside. Break the 8 pieces gluten free lasagna noodles into pieces, and layer one-half of the noodles over the sauce. Top with half of the 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese and ½ cup of the 1 cup shredded mozzarella. Pour half of the remaining sauce over, then repeat the process (noodle pieces, ricotta, and mozzarella). Finish with the remaining sauce, and sprinkle with ½ cup shredded Parmesan.
- Cover the pan tightly with foil and place it in the oven. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the noodles are tender and the cheese is melted. Let the lasagna stand for at least 5 minutes out of the oven before serving.
Notes
- Do I need to cook the noodles first? No! The beauty of this recipe is that the tomato sauce cooks the noodles while the lasagna bakes in the oven. No need to use no-boil noodles either.
- Can I use other pasta shapes? Since this is more of a casserole, you could use other pasta shapes in place of the pasta, using the same method. I would use about 1 cup of noodles like penne, spirals, or ziti, and the cooking time may change a bit.
- Use cottage cheese. For a lighter yet still high-protein version of this dish, substitute cottage cheese for the ricotta.
- Uncover at the end. When the noodles are tender, you can uncover the pan and let it cook a few extra minutes uncovered. I like to do this so that the Parmesan on top gets nicely melted and even a bit browned (yum).
- Let it sit. Like all lasagnas, skillet lasagna also benefits from resting when it comes out of the oven. At least 5 minutes is good, and 10 minutes is even better.
