My brain is telling me I should be eating light and healthy meals. My body is saying, comfort food and carbs please! This Skillet Lasagna with Basil, Italian Sausage, and Butternut Squash satisfies them both. A one-pan easy and healthy dinner recipe, itโs both what I feel like I โshouldโ be eating and what I WANT to be eating.

I believe passionately that enjoying a healthy, balanced diet should never EVER leave you feeling deprived.
What inspires my recipes here (and every recipe in my upcoming cookbook) is creating nutritious meals that taste so fabulous, you forget that what you are eating is โhealthy.โ
This Skillet Lasagna with Basil, Italian Sausage, and Butternut Squash is the perfect example.
Every forkful delivers the kind of wrap-you-up, grandmaโs-cooking comfort that we seek from lasagna, but the ingredient lineup is shockingly good for you (just like in this Sweet Potato Pasta).
Weโre talking lean protein, whole grains, and (GASP!) hidden veggies (a lot of them).
Hereโs how the healthy skillet lasagna magic happens!

How to Make Healthy Skillet Lasagna That Tastes Like the Real Deal
The key to making a slimmed-down skillet lasagna that doesnโt skimp on a morsel of flavor is simple swaps.
These are swaps you can apply to any recipe, not just lasagna, and are some of my most frequently used tips and tricks to cook more healthfully at home.
- Use Italian Turkey Sausage or Italian Chicken Sausage. One of my favorite ingredients! While you might notice the swap if you were eating only a plain Italian sausage on a bun, when you use Italian sausage in a recipe that has other elements like this tasty skillet lasagna, you wonโt notice one bit. It also has oodles more flavor than standard ground chicken or ground turkey and (this is key) it does not taste dry AT ALL.
A few of my favorite recipes using this Italian sausage: Sausage and Rice Casserole, Sausage and Peppers, Crock Pot Sausage and Peppers, and One Skillet Butternut Squash Gnocchi.
I opted to make this a sweet Italian sausage recipe, but you can certainly swap spicy Italian sausage if you are craving some extra heat.
- Herbs and Spices. These ingredients deliver mega flavor without adding to the calorie count. For this skillet lasagna, I used basil and parsley The basil especially gives the lasagna a true classic Italian flavor.
- Whole Wheat Pasta. Another trick I love to keep up my sneaky-swap sleeve. Whole wheat pasta is higher in fiber than regular white pasta. This skillet lasagna recipe calls for no-boil (oven-ready) noodles to save on time.
If your store doesnโt carry oven-ready whole wheat noodles, they are available online.
You can also parcook regular whole wheat lasagna noodles and then use them in the recipe as directed.
- Fully Flavored Cheeses. Since cheese is a more indulgent ingredient, I like to use less of a cheese that has a stronger flavor so that the net taste is the same as if Iโd used a larger quantity of a more mild cheese.
In this skillet lasagna recipe, my pick is fontina, an idea I picked up from (ironically) the Pioneer Woman.
If you canโt find fontina, a mild provolone or a mild gruyere are good alternatives. If all else fails, mozzarella is classic, so you can certainly use it here too.
- Hidden Veggies. Believe it or not, the sauce in this recipe is nearly half butternut squash! I sautรฉed, mashed, and then mixed the squash together with regular marinara sauce.
Not only is the flavor combination of the squash and marinara lovely (the sweetness of the butternut squash offsets the acidity of the tomatoes), you could not even tell the squash was there! Instead, it tasted like a particularly delicious tomato sauce.
I also added a full pack of frozen spinach to the sausage mixture.
Its flavor is so mild, you canโt taste it, though it does look green. If you have picky eaters who wonโt touch the lasagna with green visible, you can omit it.

This skillet starts out on the stove, then finishes in the oven. I tested a no-bake version but found that it took so long to cook through on the stovetop completely that it was worth popping in the oven to save time.
You can make this a cast iron skillet lasagna if you have a skillet thatโs large enough (heads up, it will be heavy!). I used the 3.5-quart braiser you see pictured. Any deep, ovenproof dish with a lid will do nicely.
Donโt own a skillet thatโs large enough to hold all of the lasagna layers? You can cook the squash and sausage in a smaller skillet on the stove, then layer the lasagna in a regular baking dish instead.
What to Serve with Skillet Lasagna
- Salad. A tasty salad like this Antipasto Salad would pair nicely.
- Veggies. Serve a healthy side dish like Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Roasted Zucchini.
- Appetizer. Start your meal off with these easy and delicious Pesto Pinwheels.
Other Tasty Lasagna Recipes

I am SO excited for the scrumptious and healthy recipes that I have in store for you this year.
This Skillet Lasagna with Basil, Italian Sausage, and Butternut Squash feels like an especially wonderful way to begin.
Skillet Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 4 cups 3/4-inch-cubed butternut squash about 1 small 1 1/4 pound squash
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper divided
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 24-ounce jar good-quality marinara sauce I used a roasted garlic basil variety
- 1 pound ground Italian chicken sausage or Italian turkey sausage sweet or spicy
- 1 10-ounce package frozen spinach thawed and drained with as much water pressed out as possible
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese or low-fat cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 1 cup shredded fontina cheese divided (if you can’t find fontina, swap mild provolone or mild gruyere (better), or mozzarella (still good))
- 6 no-boil oven-ready lasagna noodles whole wheat if possible (see Notes if you cannot find oven-ready)
Instructions
- Place one rack in the center of the oven and one in the upper third. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large ovenproof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the squash, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, basil, and parsley. Stir to coat, then add in 1/3 cup water. Cover and cook until the squash is softened, about 15 minutes.
- Once the squash cubes are completely tender, remove them to a large mixing bowl (a large spoon works well for this). Discard any water that remains in the bottom of the pan. With a fork or potato masher, mash the squash well. Stir in the pasta sauce.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook, breaking apart the meat so that it is in small bits. Cook until golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes.
- Add the spinach to the sausage and break it apart so that it is mixed up with the meat. Let cook until any remaining liquid has evaporated (this should only take a minute or two), then remove the skillet from the heat. Transfer the sausage-spinach to a second large bowl and set aside. Stir in the ricotta and 1/4 cup Parmesan.
- Lightly coat the skillet with nonstick spray or drizzle with a bit of additional olive oil.
- Assemble the lasagna in the skillet: Spread 1 cup of the squash-marinara mixture back into the bottom of the skillet (it will be very thick). Cover with 2 lasagna noodles. Next, spread half of the sausage-ricotta mixture on top of the noodles, then sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the fontina. Add another layer of 2 noodles, the remaining sausage-ricotta mixture, half of the remaining squash-marinara mixture, and the next 1/3 cup remaining fontina. Top with the remaining 2 noodles, then the remaining squash-marinara and fontina. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
- Cover the skillet with a lid or piece of aluminum foil. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes, then uncover and continue baking until the sauce is hot and the pasta is tender, about 5 to 10 additional minutes. Check at the 10-minute mark. If the edges seem dry, drizzle 1/4 cup water around the edges of the skillet, then re-cover and continue baking as directed.
- Turn the oven to broil and transfer the uncovered lasagna to the rack in the upper third of the oven. Broil until the cheese is extra bubbly and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Watch it carefully and do not walk away so that it doesn’t burn. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If you cannot find oven-ready lasagna noodles, you can use regular lasagna noodles. Precook them in boiling water according to package instructions, for 1 to 2 minutes less than the cook time, since they will continue to cook in the oven. The noodles should be very chewy and a bit harder than al dente when added to the lasagna.
Nutrition
Join today and start saving your favorite recipes
Create an account to easily save your favorite projects and tutorials.
Register
Any suggestions on how to make it vegetarian? Mushrooms instead of sausage maybe?ย
Hi Claire, I haven’t tried that myself, but you could definitely give it a shot. Because the Italian sausage adds so much flavor, you’ll want to make sure to add some additional Italian spice to the dish. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to hear how it goes.
Such a great recipe for my family – I love how you added in squash!
This looks so good! I love all the cheese haha great recipe!
Thanks so much Bryan! I hope you love it!
Lasagna never looked better. So easy yet so SO good.
I LUV the idea of butternut squash and tomatoes! i made the marinara puree with tomatoes and butternut squash. This recipe is a HEALTHY twist from one Rachel Ray’s! She made the sauce with bean puree. This is a very delicious recipe with and without the cheese! Thanks for sharing!
Bonny, thank you!
I loved having this for dinner and having some of the leftovers for lunch today! Great meal!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Jennifer! Thank you!
This is my new go-to comfort dish. Love it!!
Hooray! Thanks, Sommer!
A great meal you can feel good about eating.
This lasagna is all I could ask for in a cozy dinner!!
Just made this – sooo good!! Got my boyfriend to try both spinach and squash for the first time!ย
Hooray! I’m glad it was a winner, Jackie. Thanks for taking the time to leave this review!
Adding the squash was genius! This tastes amazing!!!
Love this super easy way to make lasagna!
This is literally the best lasagna I’ve ever had. I substituted lean ground beef instead of sausage, and used mozzarella instead of fontina, and OMG. I looked forward to having the leftovers for lunch all morning!
Lauren, I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review!
This recipe is delicious! I tried it last week and my entire family gobbled it up. It served two adults, two children, and we ate about half the pan. I loved the sneaky butternut squash, it didn’t alter the flavor of the tomato sauce but gave it a great texture. I also really appreciated that everything was made in one skillet, no extra dishes to do! The lasagna held it’s shape really well, when sliced it was a perfect piece of lasagna without falling apart. We will be eating this again and again!
Erin, this comment makes me smile from ear to ear. Thank you!!!
Hi, I have a 10 inch and 12 inch cast iron skillet. Which size is better for this recipe?
It looks great!
Hi Tina, I tested the recipe in a 10 inch skillet! I hope you enjoy!
Just made this for dinner tonight. Soooo delicious! Healthy comfort!
Elaine, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks for reporting back!
how would this turn out without lasagna noodles?
Hi Emily! I have not tried this recipe without the noodles, and I’m afraid that leaving them out would definitely affect the outcome of the dish. The noodles help hold everything together, and they’re delicious! I hope you love the recipe if you give it a try!
This clever recipe looks and sounds delicious AND healthy. I love the idea of using just one pan for everything! What is the sodium content for this recipe? That’s something my husband has to watch. Thanks in advance.
Linda, Iโve had so many issues with calcing sodium accurately, in part because sodium varies greatly depending upon different products that each person selections, how much you season the recipe afterwards, etc, that ultimately I didnโt feel comfortable providing sodium counts as it was all over the place no matter what I tried. The nutritional info I do provide is as a courtesy. If youโd like to calc it yourself, you definitely can! There are free tools available, such as myfitnesspal.com. Iโm sorry I canโt give you the answer you were hoping for, but I do hope that helps and that you love the recipe!!
Think this is my first ever comment on a recipe blog, but I had to come back and say how good this was!! But even more so, I have to thank you for introducing me to turkey sausage…pork sausage does not agree with my system but I didn’t know there was an alternative out there, especially an italian flavored one! So double thank you!! This has (no exaggeration here) literally changed my life.
P.S. made this gluten free and lactose free, for the noodles I used no-boil green lentil lasgana, and for the cheese swap I used lactaid cottage cheese in place of ricotta and then a combo of vegan parm and vegan mozzarella, both from violife. So delicous!!
I’m SO happy that the recipe was a hit, Helen! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I made this exactly as-is, except I didnโt drain the spinach; and I put it in a square pan rather than a skillet. Soooo good! It fell apart a bit (prob. cuz I didnโt drain the spinach), but that didnโt affect our enjoyment! Will make it again: thank u!
Hi Gaby! Iโm so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!