30-Minute Low-Sodium Skillet Lasagna
All the comfort of lasagna—without the layering, boiling, or waiting.
There are nights when I want lasagna, but I absolutely do not want to make lasagna.
You know the kind of night. You want something warm, cheesy and comforting, but you don’t want to boil noodles, make multiple layers, dirty half the kitchen and then wait another hour for dinner.
That’s exactly how this 30-Minute Skillet Lasagna came together.
It has everything I love about traditional lasagna—pasta, a rich tomato sauce, seasoned ground meat and creamy ricotta—but it all cooks together in one skillet. And because I use lower-sodium tomatoes and tomato sauce, I can control the sodium without sacrificing all that Italian flavor.
This is the kind of recipe I love sharing on La Vine Living: simple ingredients, easy substitutions and a meal your whole family can enjoy.
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Ingredients
Serves approximately 6
- 1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½–1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how much heat you like
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 oz flat pasta, broken into pieces — lasagna noodles, mafaldine, pappardelle or another wide pasta work well
- 1 can (14.5 oz) lower-sodium tomatoes
- 1 can (8 oz) no-salt-added tomato sauce
- 1–1½ cups water, as needed
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan, optional
- Fresh or dried basil for serving, optional
A note about the pasta
Don’t get hung up on having traditional lasagna noodles. That’s part of what makes this recipe so easy.
Use whatever flat pasta you have and break it into roughly bite-sized pieces. It doesn’t need to look perfect. Once everything cooks together with the tomato sauce and ricotta, nobody is going to be measuring your noodles. Promise.
How to Make It
Start by heating a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef or turkey and diced onion. Cook until the meat is browned and the onion begins to soften, breaking the meat apart as it cooks.
Drain excess fat if necessary.
Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper and black pepper. Cook for another minute or so, just until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Now for my favorite shortcut…
Break your uncooked pasta directly into the skillet.
Add the lower-sodium tomatoes, tomato sauce and about 1 cup of water. Stir everything together, making sure most of the pasta is nestled down into the liquid.
Bring it to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for approximately 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick together.
If the sauce becomes too thick before the pasta is tender, add a little more water—about ¼ cup at a time.
Once the pasta is al dente, dollop the ricotta throughout the skillet.
You can leave some of those creamy pockets intact or gently fold everything together. I like doing a little of both so you get ricotta throughout the pasta but still find those delicious creamy bites.
If you’re using Parmesan, sprinkle it over the top, cover the skillet for another 2–3 minutes and let the cheese melt.
That’s it.
Lasagna flavor. One skillet. About 30 minutes.
Why Lower-Sodium Tomato Products Make Such a Difference
One of the easiest ways I’ve found to reduce sodium isn’t to eliminate the foods we love—it’s to pay attention to where the sodium is actually coming from. Reading nutrition labels and choosing lower-sodium or no-salt-added products whenever possiblehttps://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-education-resources-materials/sodium-your-diet is one of the simplest places to start.
Canned tomatoes and tomato sauces can add quite a bit of sodium before you’ve added anything else to the recipe. According to the American Heart Association, much of the sodium in our diets comes from packaged and prepared foods, which is why those small swaps at the grocery store can really add up.
Using lower-sodium tomatoes and no-salt-added tomato sauce gives you more control. Then you can build flavor with garlic, onion, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper and black pepper instead.
And this dish certainly doesn’t taste like it’s missing anything.
Make It Your Own
This is one of those recipes that’s very forgiving, which is exactly why I love it.
You can use lean ground beef or ground turkey, change the pasta based on what’s already in your pantry, add spinach or mushrooms, increase the red pepper if your family likes a little heat, or leave the parmesan off altogether.
For an even lower-sodium version, pay attention to the sodium in your ricotta and Parmesan. Cheese can vary considerably by brand, so checking labels makes a difference.
And if you have leftover vegetables hanging around in the refrigerator? This is an excellent place to use them.
What to Serve With Skillet Lasagna
Because this is already a hearty meal, I keep the sides simple. A green salad with homemade oil-and-vinegar dressing is perfect, or serve it with roasted broccoli, green beans or another favorite vegetable.
And if you’re feeding someone who insists Italian food requires bread—and we all know one of those people—a small piece of garlic bread works beautifully too.
The La Vine Living Takeaway
Eating lower sodium doesn’t mean dinner has to feel like “diet food.”
That’s really the point of recipes like this one.
By choosing lower-sodium tomato products and building flavor with garlic, onion, herbs and a little heat, you can make a comforting family dinner while keeping much more control over the sodium.
And on a busy weeknight, one skillet and 30 minutes is pretty hard to argue with.
It’s All About Balance,
30-Minute Low-Sodium Skillet Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes depending on how much heat you like
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 8 oz flat pasta broken into pieces — lasagna noodles, mafaldine, pappardelle or another wide pasta work well
- 14 oz lower-sodium tomatoes
- 8 oz no-salt-added tomato sauce
- 1.5 water as needed
- 8 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
- ½ cup shredded parmesan optional
- Fresh or dried basil for serving optional
Instructions
- Brown the meat. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef or turkey and diced onion. Cook until the meat is browned and the onion is softened, breaking the meat apart as it cooks. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Add the seasonings. Stir in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes and black pepper. Cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the pasta. Break the uncooked flat pasta into roughly 2-inch pieces and add directly to the skillet.
- Add the tomatoes. Pour in the lower-sodium tomatoes, tomato sauce and 1 cup of water. Stir, making sure the pasta is mostly covered with liquid.
- Simmer. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente. Add additional water, about ¼ cup at a time, if the mixture becomes too dry before the pasta is cooked.
- Add the ricotta. Drop spoonfuls of part-skim ricotta throughout the skillet. Gently fold some into the pasta while leaving a few creamy pockets.
- Finish the dish. If using parmesan, sprinkle it over the top. Cover and cook for another 2–3 minutes, until the cheese is melted and everything is heated through.
- Serve. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with basil or additional Italian seasoning if desired, and serve immediately.
Nutrition
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