My One Pot Lasagna recipe shows you how to make a lasagna WITH LAYERS in one pot. Well, in one fry pan!
“OMG, it actually has layers in it!”, my friend exclaimed when I served up this lasagna for lunch today. YES, this does!
Have you seen one-pot lasagnas floating around on the internet? I think Martha Stewart started the craze. Here’s the thing though. I am yet to see a “one pot” lasagna that actually looks like a lasagna. None of the ones I have seen actually have layers. They are more like a pasta bake with a delicious mess of broken up lasagna sheets mixed up with the filling and sauce.
So I guess you are wondering how I managed to get these layers in without scooping out the filling then creating layers like a traditional lasagna? It’s super easy! It’s much easier to show you as explaining it gets wordy, so here are step by step pictures (Baby Hands Alert!!).
Basically, you make the beef filling first. Then you slide a dry lasagna sheet in from the side so you can get it under the filling as best you can. Then you do the same with broken up bits to fill the edges in – I just needed four (one for each side around the main piece of lasagna). I use a spoon to push the pieces down and to spoon filling over the pieces. It’s not an exact science but as you can see from the photo, it works pretty well! Be generous with the broken bits, the overlapping is how you get more than 2 layers in some parts of the lasagna.
Once the bottom layer has been done, you just cover the surface with more lasagna sheets. Then pour over reserved tomato passata (pureed tomato) that I flavour with some seasonings, cover with cheese and bake.
You won’t get 3 or 4 layers like you do with traditional lasagna because this isn’t made the traditional way. BUT as you can see from the photo, you do get 2 layers, and 3 where the lasagna sheets overlap. And it looks far more like a real lasagna than just mixing broken up pieces of lasagna sheets into the pan.
See?
I’ve gone a bit lasagna crazy this week, trying out various versions. I’ve made it with this traditional tomato beef filling, a white chicken lasagna as well as a vegetarian version. I don’t know which I like best but I had to start off by sharing the classic beef one. 🙂
It really is that easy. Really! I am not convinced I’ll ever make lasagna the traditional way again…..
OK, I lie. I will. Because I do think the béchamel sauce is worth making the effort for, when you have the time. In a separate pot. 🙂
– Nagi
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One Pot Lasagna
Ingredients
Filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 small onion , diced
- 1 lb / 500g ground beef (mince)
- 24 oz / 700g (1 bottle) tomato passata (pureed tomato - Note 1), SEPARATED
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 beef bouillon stock cube (or substitute with chicken)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried Italian herb mix (Note 2)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Sauce Flavourings
- 1 tsp dried Italian herb mix (Note 2)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or 1 crushed garlic clove)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Black pepper
Lasagna
- 4 sheets dried lasagna
- 1 to 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 tbsp parsley , finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Heat olive oil in a medium size, deep fry pan over medium high heat. (Note 3)
- Add garlic and onion, sauté until onion is translucent - about 3 minutes.
- Turn up heat to high. Add beef and cook, breaking it up with the spatula, until nicely browned.
- Add HALF the bottle of tomato passata (reserve remainder for Sauce). Then add remaining Filling ingredients. Bring to rapid simmer, then turn down to medium high. Let it simmer for around 5 minutes to let the flavours come together and the liquid to reduce. Stir occasionally.
- Add Sauce Flavourings into the tomato passata bottle and shake to combine.
Assemble lasagna (see photo below)
- Remove fry pan from the stove. Slide one lasagna sheet, starting from the side, under the Filling - this will be the base of the lasagna. Use a spoon to push it down and cover it in Filling. Break up pieces of lasagne and slide them in under the filling around the sides of the pan (to form the remainder of the bottom layer), using a spoon to push them down and cover with Filling.
- Cover the Filling with the remaining lasagna sheets.
- Pour over the Sauce and spread over the top. Sprinkle with cheese.
- Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove cover and bake for a further 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly and golden. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes to set.
- Sprinkle with parsley (if using), then serve.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Really needed this. Thank You So Much.
I made this right now! It looks like it will turn out incredible. I made a few slight changes; using a glass tray, making my own tomato passata and also using different types of herbs. But I kept the main idea the same. Thanks for another great recipe, Nagi.
Love love love this one. I drizzle some cream over the cheese before putting in the oven …
OH! That sounds so good!! N x
O,M.G ……… that was delish!!! I used a mix of mozarella and gruyere and added a spoon of the most amazing umami paste to the meat mix! Another keeper, thanks Nagi x
Sounds divine Alimak, I’m so happy you loved it!
Oh, my , oh, my, Oh, my!!! I made this recipe w/ the addition of regotta mixed w/ mozzarella as an adl layer!!! My hubby & twins gobbled it up & asked for 2nd which sadly I didn’t have:( cooked in cast iron pan worked perfect! Plan to double the recipe next time & use my larger cast iron pan as well. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe Nagi! got to your site by accident – what a wonderful accident this been!!
Nagi, do u think I could use a cast iron pan for this recipe? thank you so much for responding. I plan on making it tomorrow. Will keep u posted on family remarks. Looks sooo yummy!
Gosh YES!!
My wife said it smells so good ,that she took a piece and ate it straight away .Comment from her YUMMY.ps was pasted on FB .
Fantastic! So glad to hear that Robert! N xx
I made this today for dinner,and its in the kitchen waiting for supper,smells good and looks deli.Could not wait to dig in.. update later for the taste,but surely far better than the recipe i was using before❤️
Oooh….. hope you love it! N xx
Question: can I use wavy lasagna sheets instead? Also instead of sliding the sheets under the meat , can I just remove the neat from the pan, lay down the sheets, then pour the meat back on top?
You sure can! 🙂
Thanks! It turned out pretty good. But the noodles were a little on the firm side, even though I used “oven-ready” sheets. Do you think I should pre-boil them next time?
Hi! Did you have enough liquid in the meat sauce?? That’s what softens and cooks the sheets 🙂 N x
Hi, just wondering what brand fry pan that is in the picture please? Thanks ?
Gosh, that’s a cheapie! Called Arcosteel. I’m pretty sure I just got it at the supermarket!! N x
Tonight, after my spouse said “this ‘one pot lasagna’ is freaking amazing”, I confessed that all the suppers we’ve eaten in the past two weeks have been from your site. You should have seen the look on our two teen daughters’ faces! You are wonderful!! I spend a day, every summer, preparing dozens of lasagnas for my freezer. The girls don’t enjoy them….but they enjoy yours. Thank you!!
Ohhhhh Josie!! I can’t tell you how honoured I am that you’ve made so many of my recipes!! Thank you thank you…. And that your daughters enjoyed this shortcut lasagna?? Oh gosh. Makes me SO HAPPY!! Thank you for taking the time to leave this wonderful message! <3 N x
Great way for speed lasagna with smaller portions, Dinner for two without all the mess and time consuming labor cleanup, Yay!
That’s exactly right Lynn!! 🙂
Beautiful! That last photo – wow! I love the set up and props and the layers, so good. You kill me.
The step by step instructions and photos are just fantastic, Nagi. Inspiring.
Thanks Kevin!! Step by steps can be an effort – I often forget, I get so caught up in the cooking! But I’m glad I remembered for this one 🙂
I’ve been doing the step-by-step thing for a little over a year instead of just the final money shot images. I just didn’t see it out there and if I’m encouraging other people out there to take some risks and try new recipes I found it helpful. It is labor intensive when in the middle of it all, but I enjoy it.
When I started out I wanted to see what each step looked like, was I doing it right? is it supposed to look like this, at this point etc.
Have a great weekend and thanks for always inspiring!
I appreciate that Nagi. I can’t tell you how many times I have received unsolicited feedback from people that the step by step makes the site look a little amateur. I find it helpful and still always deliver two finish images at the start of the post and a few at the end. Nice to hear BHG and Saveur like that as well. There are a handful of fellow food bloggers I have met that I take the feedback from for my betterment, yours is one. Thanks! 😉
Really? I truly think it’s helpful. At least, for the steps where it is helpful to show people what something looks like at a particular stage. I do think some blogs take it too far – I am not sure, for example, what showing a pile of diced onion adds to a post other than being another photo in the post. But, for example, making a white sauce using roux, I would always show steps so readers know how thick the sauce should be at different stages of making it. Am I making sense? It just requires a bit of judgement. 🙂
Kevin – I have read feedback from blog award sites- like BHG and Saveur – that they LOVE step by steps. So I totally think it is worth it! I regularly forget but I make an effort for recipes where I think it really helps, like this one. What you are doing really helps readers and I don’t think you should stop!! 🙂
Haha love this hack! Will def have to try this next time.
Oooh, so glad you don’t just think I’m WEIRD for making lasagna this way!! I did have my moments of doubt! 🙂
Nagi,
What I like about the way you layer your lasagne is that the calorie count per serving is undoubtedly lower than assembling it the traditional way.
Steve
It definitely is Steven! The calorie information is below the recipe. 🙂 Also, not having a béchamel sauce on top makes a difference too!
Genius! I’m definitely going to give this a try. Lasagne is one of our favourites and this short cut is super clever.
Thanks Di!! Lasagna is a favourite for me too, I just rarely make it because I’m too lazy to make things that require a baking dish, fry pan and pot for the sauce! 🙂
Wow, great tips and trick! The layers look very neat. This recipe will become one of my family favorites if I make this. Thank you for the recipe, Nagi. 🙂
Thanks Hani, you are so kind! I would love to hear what you think if you do make this for your family! 🙂
I love lasagna.. it’s something I always order but rarely make because it is SUCH a hassle! I have to try out your easy one pot skillet lasagna Nagi, it looks absolutely divine.
Thanks Thalia, you’re so kind! I love one pot dishes! 🙂
made this tonight and it was awesome
The family loved it thank you
Julia! Thank you so much for coming back to share your thoughts! I am so so happy you and your family enjoyed this. I was worried that people might think I was weird because of the way I make it!! 🙂 So THANK YOU!
This looks amazing!! I’ve made lasagna a few times (GFCF), but the last time, wrestling w/the cooked noodles scarred me so badly, I’ve shied away from it for the past year! This looks totally do-able, esp since I don’t have to worry about substituting for the cottage cheese! I’ll try to come back & let you know how it turns out 🙂
Hi Christina – thanks for your lovely comment! Looking forward to hearing what you think!! 🙂
Hi Nagi, I am a new reader but I just love your site! This lasagna is gorgeous! How you got such beautiful pics of a pasta dish is beyond me. Beautiful!
Oh wow Jessica, thank you for your sweet message! Well, this was easier to photograph than the usual lasagna because it’s a one pot lasagna so it only has two layers. 3 or 4 layers is much harder! 🙂
YUM! I actually stay away from making lasagnas usually because it requires so much work. I absolutely LOVE the idea that this is all done in one pot! And yup, I am all about those lovely layers!
I am so glad to read all these comments so I know it isn’t just me that usually stays away from traditional lasagna because it’s too much effort!! Thanks so much for your lovely message Lisa 🙂