Stovetop Vegetable Lasagna

This stovetop vegetable lasagna is an easy one-pan dinner with lots of veggies, a creamy tomato sauce and melted mozzarella. The lasagna noodles cook right in the sauce, taking on all that savory flavor. Cook it, top it and bring it to the table, all in the same pan.

Step by step photos

These visual instructions help you see the process. You can also find the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions at the end of the post.

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and stir them through the onions.
Cook the mushrooms until they have reduced and most of the liquid has cooked away.

Add the butternut and cook for 5 minutes, then add the red bell pepper and cook for another 5 minutes.
Mix in the garlic, thyme or mixed herbs and salt. Cook for about 1 minute.

Stovetop Vegetable Lasagna steps 6 and 7

Pour in the pasta sauce and hot water and stir well.
Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little more hot water.

Stovetop Vegetable Lasagna steps 8,9 and 10

Break the lasagna noodles to fit the skillet and arrange them in a single layer over the sauce. Leave a little space between them where possible. A slight overlap is fine.
Gently push the lasagna noodles into the sauce until they are lightly covered.
Make sure the noodles are coated with sauce before adding the cream.

Stovetop Vegetable Lasagna steps 11, 12, 13

Pour the cream evenly over the lasagna noodles. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue to cook over low heat for 15–20 minutes, until the noodles are cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
Sprinkle the mozzarella over the top and add Parmesan if using. Turn off the heat, cover and leave until the cheese has melted. If needed, keep the heat on low for a minute or two to help the cheese melt. Top with fresh basil and let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Which lasagna noodles should I use?

I used oven-ready/no-boil lasagna noodles for this recipe. They cook directly in the sauce, so there’s no need to boil them first.

Break the noodles to fit the skillet and arrange them in a single layer. A slight overlap is fine.

Which cream should I use?

I used whipping cream for this recipe, which gives the sauce the creamy consistency shown in the photos.

Heavy cream also works and will give you a slightly richer sauce.
Half-and-half: Gives you a creamy sauce with less richness. Allow a few extra minutes of uncovered cooking if needed for the sauce to thicken.
Evaporated milk: Gives you a smooth, creamy sauce with less richness. It will thicken as it cooks, but may need a few extra minutes of uncovered cooking.

Tips and substitutions

Use a non-stick skillet: This helps prevent the sauce and lasagna noodles from catching on the bottom as they cook.
Cut the butternut small: Cut it into roughly ½-inch (1–1.5 cm) cubes so it cooks through evenly. You can substitute the butternut with sweet potato, pumpkin or finely diced carrot.
Let the mushrooms cook down: Cook until they have reduced and most of their liquid has evaporated before adding the butternut. This prevents extra liquid from thinning the sauce.
Check the sauce before adding the noodles: Pasta sauces vary in thickness. If yours has become very thick, add a little extra hot water so there is enough liquid for the noodles to cook.
Salt: Store-bought marinara and pasta sauces vary in saltiness, so taste yours before adding the salt. The sauce I used was lightly salted, so I used 1 teaspoon of salt. Adjust the amount depending on the sauce you use.
Swap the cheese: Use cheddar instead of mozzarella, or use a combination of both.

Recipe

Stovetop Vegetable Lasagna

PREP TIME 20

COOK TIME 55

TOTAL TIME 1 15

4 servings

An easy one-pan stovetop vegetable lasagna with mushrooms, butternut and red pepper in a creamy tomato sauce, topped with melted mozzarella.

Watch how to make the recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon (14 g) butter
½ small onion chopped (50 g)
8 oz (225 g) mushrooms, sliced
1 cup (150 g) butternut squash, cut into small cubes
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (120 g)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme or mixed herbs
1 teaspoon salt (see notes below)
1 cup (250 g) marinara or tomato-based pasta sauce (store-bought)
½ cup + 1 tablespoon (135 ml) hot water, plus a little extra if needed
1½ oz (40 g) oven-ready/no-boil lasagna noodles
⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon whipping cream (100 ml)
1 cup (120 g) shredded mozzarella or cheddar
Grated Parmesan (optional)
Fresh basil for topping

Instructions

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and cook until they have reduced and most of their liquid has cooked away.
Add the butternut and cook for 5 minutes. Add the red bell pepper and cook for another 5 minutes.
Mix in the garlic, thyme or mixed herbs and salt. Cook for about 1 minute.
Pour in the pasta sauce and hot water and stir well. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little more hot water.
Break the lasagna noodles to fit the skillet and arrange them in a single layer over the sauce. Leave a little space between them where possible. A slight overlap is fine.
Gently push the noodles into the sauce until they are lightly covered.
Pour the cream evenly over the noodles. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
Remove the lid and continue cooking over low heat for 15–20 minutes, until the noodles are cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
Sprinkle the mozzarella over the top and add Parmesan if using. Turn off the heat, cover and leave until the cheese has melted. If needed, keep the heat on low for 1–2 minutes to help the cheese melt.
Top with fresh basil and rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Recipe Notes

Check the salt: Store-bought marinara and pasta sauces vary in saltiness, so taste yours before adding the salt. The sauce I used was lightly salted, so I used 1 teaspoon of salt. Adjust the amount depending on the sauce you use.

Nutrition