Easy One-Skillet Zucchini Lasagna

easy-one-skillet-zucchini-lasagna

Got some zucchini? Love lasagna? Great! Then let’s make this Easy One-Skillet Zucchini Lasagna. This noodle-free recipe is the perfect way to infuse family-favorite lasagna with a veggie boost, upping the nutrition and making a pleasing weeknight meal that will be enjoyed by all. No need to par-boil noodles or dirty a bunch of pans. This quick and naturally gluten-free, veggie-filled lasagna cooks all in one skillet from the beginning right to the melty-cheesy end.

A wooden spoon scooping out a portion of one-skillet zucchini lasagna from an enameled skillet

Drop The Noodles, Up the Veggies: Healthy Weeknight Zucchini Lasagna Recipe

Everyone loves lasagna. But one of the pain points of making this favorite dish is how long it takes to come together, what with cooking the noodles, prepping the cheese filling, and cooking the beef filling separately. Then you have to layer it all together and wait for that bubbly goodness to come out of the oven. The whole process can take up to 2 hours. Who has time for that, especially on busy weeknights?

This recipe proves that lasagna can be all those things you never thought it could be: fast, easy, and healthy! The familiar flavors of lasagna (aka all the cheesy-beefy-tomatoey goodness) are all right here in this stove-top Zucchini Lasagna recipe. We dropped the noodles and added a ton of nutritious veggies to the pot so that each bite is satisfying and full of all those familiar flavors you love in lasagna.

Overhead view of the beef and veggie filling for one-skillet zucchini lasagna in white skillet

Ingredients to make One-Skillet Zucchini Lasagna

This one-pan veggie-filled lasagna is full of fresh and delicious ingredients, including:

  • Ground beef – or use ground turkey; we recommend using 93% lean ground beef or ground turkey
  • Italian seasoning
  • Extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil – our go-to oil staples are Primal Kitchen Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and Primal Kitchen Pure Avocado Oil (see below for a great deal from Primal Kitchen)

  • Zucchini – you’ll need 2 small or 1 very large zucchini, which will get cut into half-moon shapes
  • Mushrooms – use button or cremini mushrooms
  • Yellow onion – you’ll need 1/2 medium onion, can also use white onion
  • Garlic cloves – or you can use 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • Fresh spinach
  • Fresh basil leaves
  • Marinara sauce⁠ – you’ll need a 24-ounce jar; we like the marinara from Primal Kitchen

  • Balsamic vinegar – we love this Organic Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

  • Mozzarella cheese
  • Cottage cheese – you can use full-fat or 2% fat cottage cheese
  • Parmesan cheese⁠

A Primal Kitchen Deal for You: For an incredible deal on our favorite Primal Kitchen Foods products, click here or use coupon code REALFOODRDS for 10% off.

One-skillet zucchini lasagna freshly topped with mozzarella and parmesan cheese ready to start cooking.

How to Make This One-Skillet Zucchini Lasagna Recipe

Since everything cooks in one pan, this Zucchini Lasagna comes together in a few simple steps.

First: Cook the ground beef with seasonings in a deep skillet. Remove the cooked beef to a plate.

Next: Wipe out the skillet and cook the vegetables in the same skillet until tender.

Last: Add the marinara sauce and some of the cheese, and return the beef mixture to the skillet. Mix it all together.

Finish: Top with cheese and cook until melted (can also melt the top layer of cheese under the broiler)

A Note About Liquid in the Skillet

There will be some liquid at the bottom of the skillet, depending on how much water was released from the vegetables and the thickness of the marinara sauce you used. This is normal and fine. For this reason, serve scoops of the lasagna with a slotted spoon. Or, you could remove some of the liquid with a spoon or turkey baster, if you’d like. The water does not diminish the flavor or thickness of the dish.

A wooden spoon scooping out zucchini lasagna with a cottage cheese and mozzarella topping

How to Prep Zucchini Lasagna Ahead

If you have a few extra minutes on the weekend, you can make weeknights even easier by prepping some ingredients ahead of time. This recipe works especially well, as several of the components can be done a few days in advance, including:

  • Brown the ground beef mixture and refrigerate in a covered container
  • Chop the zucchini, mushrooms, onion, and garlic and refrigerate these veggies together in a covered container

With these ingredients prepped and ready to go, you’ll be all set for a busy weeknight. You can start on Step 2 of the recipe below, and from there the whole thing will come together in about 25 minutes. Serve scoops of this delicious Zucchini Lasagna alongside a salad or some roasted veggies for a well-balanced meal.

Zucchini lasagna topped with cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese plated on a speckled plate with a caesar salad on the side

Other Easy One-Skillet Recipes to Try:

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Let’s Get Cookin’

Easy One-Skillet Zucchini Lasagna

A delicious weeknight meal the whole family will love. This Zucchini Lasagna Recipe mixes seasoned ground beef, veggies, greens, and three kinds of cheese for a noodle-less, quick, one-pan weeknight lasagna.

  • Author: Stacie Hassing
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinners
  • Method: Skillet

Birdseye view of one-skillet zucchini lasagna with melted mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese on top.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey (we recommend 93/7)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon fine salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • Extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil
  • 2 medium zucchini, cut into ¼-inch round slices, then halved or quartered⁠ (4 cups) 
  • 2 cups diced mushrooms
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion (1/2 medium onion)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced⁠
  • 2 cups packed fresh spinach

  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped⁠
  • 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce⁠
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

  • 1 cup cottage cheese (full fat or 2%)
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese⁠
  • Fine salt and pepper to taste

Optional garnishes: Crushed red pepper flakes, additional Parmesan, and/or roughly chopped fresh basil leaves

Instructions

  1. In a deep skillet over medium-high heat, add ground beef, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon until beef is no longer pink. Remove beef from skillet to a plate lined with a paper towel.⁠
  2. Wipe out the same skillet with a paper towel and add a little olive oil. Once hot, add the zucchini, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and a dash of salt and pepper. Sauté until onions are translucent and zucchini is tender; 7-9 minutes.
  3. Stir in the spinach and basil; sauté for another 2 minutes.
  4. Stir in the marinara sauce, balsamic vinegar, cooked ground beef, and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
  5. Next, dollop the cottage cheese evenly over top. Let cook on a low simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.
  6. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan; cover skillet and continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Alternatively, you can place the skillet under the oven broiler until the cheese is melted and slightly browned; about 2 minutes.
  7. Remove skillet from heat and let set for about 10 minutes, uncovered, before serving. 
  8. Garnish with basil, additional Parmesan, and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Notes

There will be some liquid at the bottom of the skillet, depending on how much water was released from the vegetables and the thickness of the marinara sauce you used. This is normal and fine. For this reason, serve scoops of the lasagna with a slotted spoon. Or, you could remove some of the liquid with a spoon or turkey baster, if you’d like. The water does not diminish the flavor or thickness of the dish.

Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
  • Calories: 322
  • Sugar: 12 g
  • Sodium: 854 mg
  • Fat: 113 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 20 g
  • Fiber: 4 g
  • Protein: 32 g
  • Cholesterol: 78 mg

Pin Now to Make Later!

Zucchini lasagna topped with cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese plated on a speckled plate with a side of caesar salad.


Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter

All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!

About Stacie Hassing

Stacie is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian from rural southern Minnesota where she, her husband and daughter reside with their two pups. She’s a co-founder of The Real Food RDs and content creator of simple and wholesome recipes. She loves all kinds of fitness and has a passion to inspire as many as she can live a healthier and happier life both in and out of the kitchen – the driving force behind the co-development of the The Real Food RDs brand.

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