Are you looking for a super and easy skillet zucchini lasagna recipe? This easy skillet lasagna with meat sauce only takes 15-20 minutes to make and works perfectly as a low-carb dinner option! I created this after seeing a few different ideas out there in Pinterest - my goal is to always narrow down the best and QUICKEST way to get a yummy recipe on the table and sometimes. I love to cook, but I’m also a busy mom and love a good shortcut when I can use one!

Do I need to use spicy sausage?

Nope! and you don’t even need to use sausage - I have made this when I only had ground beef or ground pork on hand. I just seasoned 1 pound of ground meat with 3 cloves of garlic, some red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. If you don’t like spicy sausage, you can use sweet sausage, I do like using sausage because it allows you to use less ingredients, but use what you have on hand!

Ricotta vs. cottage cheese

As I shared above, I did try multiple versions of this recipe and hands down I recommend using ricotta over cottage cheese. I feel it has more flavor and is creamier than cottage cheese. I also prefer to use an Italian blend of shredded cheese vs. plain mozzarella. Again, its all about getting more flavor in with LESS WORK!

What is the best way to make the zucchini noodles for this recipe?

When testing out this recipe, I tried my mandolin and a regular vegetable peeler. Guess which one won out?! 100% the plain old, boring vegetable peeler noodles are the way to go in this recipe. It is definitely the fastest and least amount of work both for prepping and cleanup. Plus, I truly felt it gave the zucchini noodles the perfect thickness and length for more of a “noodle” feel. If you have larger zucchini, I recommend cutting lengthwise so your noodles aren’t super thick. *NOTE - I also made this with eggplant one night and that is a great option as well!

Also - remember the zucchini will release LOTS of water into the sauce as it cooks down, so do not add any extra water! I’m using a Le Creuset large skillet and this is 6 small/medium zucchinis in the photo above. It seems like a lot when you first put it in your skillet, but believe me - it will cook down and add plenty of liquid to your sauce. Use your LARGEST skillet for this meal!

Yield: 8

Author: Lil

Easy Skillet Zucchini Lasagna

Quick and easy weeknight dinner - great for meal prep!

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 20 Min

Ingredients

4-6 medium to small zucchini, about 6 cups zucchini noodles
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, removed from casing
1 1/2 cups jarred pasta sauce (I use Rao's brand)
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2/3 cup Italian blend shredded cheese
1 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions

Heat Olive oil in your largest skillet with a cover and brown sausage.
Once sausage is browned thoroughly and cooked through, add pasta sauce and ricotta.
Add zucchini and stir well to combine zucchini with sauce (remember zucchini will release LOTS of water, so don't worry if it seems dry)
Cook zucchini about 8 minutes until sauce is hot and bubbly and zucchini is tender.
Top with shredded cheese and place cover on skillet for 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted.
Serve immediately - keeps in fridge 3-4 days for meal prep.