This Broken Lasagna is a delicious weeknight meal made in one skillet with noodles cooked right in a homemade tomato sauce with ground chicken and it’s all topped with mozzarella and ricotta cheese broiled until melty.
Jump to:
Ingredients
Some pretty standard ingredients are used to make this one pot deconstructed lasagna but they come together in an absolutely delicious way.
- Lasagna noodles: Regular uncooked lasagna pasta noodles, I love the ones with the wavy edges for added texture in the dish. Break them into pieces roughly 2 inches big. You do not need the no-boil for these.
- Ground chicken: Whichever brand you like - stays nice and tender in the sauce.
- Onion: Yellow onion helps serve as the flavor base for the tomato sauce.
- Garlic: Measure garlic with your heart. I used about 4 garlic cloves which equates to roughly 1.5 tbsp
- Tomato paste: Deepens the tomato flavor in the sauce. When we add the broth to help cook the noodles it dilutes the tomato flavor, so adding the paste makes sure it still has tons of that classic flavor!
- Tomato puree: Nice and smooth pureed tomatoes.
- Chicken broth: Adds just enough liquid to cook the lasagna noodles without totally drying up the sauce.
- Dried spices: A mixture of dried parsley, dried basil, and dried oregano adds great flavor to the sauce.
- Brown sugar: Helps bring out the tomato flavor – canned tomatoes can get a little metallic tasting, and this balances that out.
- Fresh basil: To serve!
- Ricotta cheese: Whole milk ricotta cheese will yield the creamiest result.
- Mozzarella cheese: A ball of fresh mozzarella cheese cut into chunks.
Ingredient substitutions and variations
- Ground beef, sweet italian sausage, or ground turkey would also work well.
- Vegetable broth would be great.
- Crushed tomatoes instead of tomato puree work great if you prefer those.
- Granulated sugar instead of brown sugar is fine.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese or the mini balls would work.
- Make it vegetarian by omitting the meat or subbing it for chopped mushrooms or a meat substitute.
- Add some calabrian chili peppers or red chili flakes for some heat.
Step by step instructions
This easy skillet lasagna comes together by first making the meat sauce, then cooking the lasagna noodles, then finishing with cheese. No dealing with layering here!
1. Cook the chicken. Warm a deep large skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once warm, add the chicken breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon and cook until about ½ way done, 5 minutes.
2. Add the onion. Sauté the onion with the chicken for 5 minutes until softened and the chicken is cooked through.
3. Add the garlic and spices. Add in the garlic and spices and cook for 1-2 minutes until very fragrant.
4. Add the tomato paste. Stir in the tomato paste until evenly distributed with the chicken/onion/garlic.
5. Add the tomato puree, broth, and sugar. Stir in the tomato puree, broth, and brown sugar until evenly combined with everything. Bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Add the noodles. Carefully mix the raw broken lasagna noodles into the sauce until fully submerged.
7. Cook until al dente. Keep at a simmer, cover the dish and cook, stirring often, for about 20-30 minutes until the noodles are al dente. Add more chicken broth if needed.
8. Top with cheese and broil. Top with dollops of ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese and broil until melted and golden. Serve warm with fresh basil.
Tips and tricks
- Truly make sure you stir the dish often once the noodles are added. They’ll stick together and not cook properly if not.
- If you want, you can cook the noodles separately in a large pot of salted water and add to the sauce, but if you do this, omit the chicken broth entirely.
- Break the lasagna noodles by just snapping them with your hands, or put them in a bag and give it a few whacks with a rolling pin or wood spoon.
- Use a skillet with deep sides to ensure there’s enough room for everything.
- The best way to tell if your pasta is al dente in this recipe is to take a bite! Also look at the “floppiness” of the noodles, if they are still pretty stiff, they’re likely not ready.
- If you love cheese like I do, top the finished dish with parmesan cheese too.
- Add salt to taste, if it needs extra seasoning for your taste with a pinch more salt, go for it.
- If you want to add some veggies in there, when the noodles are almost done cooking stir in some fresh spinach or peas.
Storage and reheating
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
FAQs
Sure! Follow the recipe the same way, just keep an eye on them while they're cooking as depending on the shape may take more or less time to cook.
Any large skillet with high sides that can go from stovetop to oven for broil. I used my Staub enamel cast iron braiser with a glass lid.
Ricotta and mozzarella cheeses give this dish the classic lasagna taste and texture – you can use a different cheese, just know you may lose some of the lasagna essence. If you can, stick with a melty cheese such as provolone, fontina, or gruyere.
More pasta recipes
Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating and review below and tag me on social!
Recipe
One Skillet Broken Lasagna with Meat Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 28 oz tomato puree
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 8 oz lasagna noodles broken
- ¼ cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup fresh mozzarella cut into chunks
INSTRUCTIONS
- Warm a deep large skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once warm, add the chicken breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon and cook until about ½ way done, 5 minutes.
- Add the diced onion and sauté it with the chicken for 5 minutes until softened and the chicken is just about cooked through.
- Add in the 4 cloves of garlic and spices (1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon dried basil) and cook for 1-2 minutes until very fragrant.
- Stir in the 2 tablespoon tomato paste until evenly distributed with the chicken/onion/garlic.
- Stir in the 28oz tomato puree, 2 cups broth, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar until evenly combined with everything. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Carefully mix the 8oz raw broken lasagna noodles into the sauce until fully submerged.
- Keep at a simmer, cover the dish and cook, stirring often, for about 20-30 minutes until the noodles are al dente. Add more chicken broth if needed.
- Top with dollops of ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese and broil until melted and golden. Serve warm with fresh basil.
NOTES
- Truly make sure you stir the dish often once the noodles are added. They’ll stick together and not cook properly if not.
- If you want, you can cook the noodles separately in a large pot of salted water and add to the sauce, but if you do this, omit the chicken broth entirely.
- Break the lasagna noodles by just snapping them with your hands, or put them in a bag and give it a few whacks with a rolling pin or wood spoon.
- Use a skillet with deep sides to ensure there’s enough room for everything.
- The best way to tell if your pasta is al dente in this recipe is to take a bite! Also look at the “floppiness” of the noodles, if they are still pretty stiff, they’re likely not ready.
- If you love cheese like I do, top the finished dish with parmesan cheese too.
- Add salt to taste, if it needs extra seasoning for your taste with a pinch more salt, go for it.
- If you want to add some veggies in there, when the noodles are almost done cooking stir in some fresh spinach or peas.
Lisa
I made this for my family this evening and they ate the whole thing! It was delicious and I love the fact that all it took was one pan!!!!!
Haley
Wonderful! Glad you all loved it!