Easy Lightened-Up Skillet Lasagna

Have you ever craved lasagna but didn’t want all the work and time involved? Now you can make lasagna in 30 minutes with my Easy Lightened-Up Skillet Lasagna! This meal is done in one skillet and tastes like a lasagna that has been cooking all day. First, I cook some whole grain penne pasta as per the package directions. Then, I brown some beef and add tomatoes, beef broth, and oregano. Toss the sauce with some part-skim ricotta and baby spinach and you have one delicious Easy Lightened-Up Skillet Lasagna!

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How is Easy Skillet Lasagna Lightened-Up?

Traditional lasagna usually consists of slow-cooked tomato and meat sauce, a ricotta cheese and spinach layer, and lasagna noodles. Combined all together, it can be a pretty heavy dish containing lots of fat and calories. By using lighter part-skim ricotta in my recipe, I slash the calorie count significantly. By using a lean ground beef, the tomato sauce element to this dish suddenly becomes lighter without sacrificing flavor. Finally, adding greens such as spinach adds iron, magnesium, and vitamin B12 to the dish.

Lightened-up dishes are my go-to when I am in need of some comfort food. For more lightened-up meals, try my Lightened-Up Best Shepherd’s Pie!

Ingredients in Easy Lightened-Up Skillet Lasagna

• whole grain penne noodles
• lean ground beef
• onion
• minced garlic
• beef broth
• no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
• part-skim ricotta cheese
• dried oregano
• fresh basil
• baby spinach
• salt
• black pepper

How to Make Easy Lightened-Up Skillet Lasagna

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne according to package directions for al dente.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the beef and onion together, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon until it is no longer pink and the onions are translucent.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and add the beef broth and crushed tomatoes. Simmer until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes.

Stir in the ricotta, dried oregano and fresh basil. Stir until the cheese is melted and smooth.

Right before draining the penne noodles, add the spinach to the pasta water, then drain together immediately.

Add the drained penne and spinach to the skillet with the meat sauce and stir together to evenly coat all of the penne.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot out of the skillet.