This vegetarian pesto skillet lasagna recipe is one of my favorite springtime dishes. Fresh green veggies, vibrant pesto and tons of cheese come together in one pot to make this easy dish.
What is Vegetarian Pesto Skillet Lasagna
My easy Vegetarian Pesto Skillet Lasagna recipe is like the ultimate spring fling in your kitchen, all cozied up in one skillet!
Layers of al dente lasagna noodles and loads of fresh, tender green veggies all swimming in a vibrant and herbaceous pesto cream sauce are what make this dish totally irresistible.
And as you might know, I'm all about that cheese life so I would never skimp on it!!
This dish is oozing with the classic lasagna cheeses like ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan.
And although there's no real bechamel sauce to go with it, the creamy bright green pesto sauce really gives it the same mouthfeel.
What I love most about it is that you can serve it as a fancy dinner recipe or make it a main on your brunch spread.
This vegetarian pesto skillet lasagna is a total winner and you will love it!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Olive Oil - Any neutral oil will work. You could also use half butter and half olive oil if you wanted.
- Onion - I'm using a sweet onion but you could use white, yellow or even shallot if you prefer.
- Fresh Garlic - Fresh garlic not only adds so much good flavor but texture too. I don't recommend using the pre-minced jarred variety unless you want to.
- Broccoli - You could use frozen broccoli but I think fresh is best.
- Baby Spinach - Same goes for spinach - use frozen if you want to but I recommend using fresh. You could also swap it for another green like asparagus.
- Frozen Peas - If you're not a fan of peas, you could leave them out or swap them for carrots or even sun dried tomatoes.
- Half and Half - If half and half is too rich for you, try using whole milk or another vegan alternative.
- Veggie Broth - Water also works but the veggie broth adds even more flavor.
- No Boil Lasagna Noodles - These cook so quickly and
- Ricotta - You could totally swap out ricotta for full fat cottage cheese if you wanted to get more protien.
- Low Moisture Mozzarella - Fresh mozzarella also works but I think the low moisture mozz works best for this recipe.
- Pesto - You could use store bought or homemade - whatever kind of pesto you prefer.
- Parmesan - You could replace parmesan with pecorino romano or grana padano.
How to make it
Cook the Veggies: Add olive oil to a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 3 minutes or until slightly softened. Add in garlic and cook for another minute or until tender and fragrant. Add in the broccoli, the baby spinach and the frozen peas and another pinch of salt and cook for a few more minutes or until the peas are heated through and the broccoli is tender.
Prepare the Sauce & Noodles: Add in half and half and veggie broth and stir. Next, break up the noodles and submerge them. Cover the pan and drop the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes or until noodles are al dente.
Make it Cheesy and Green: Then stir in the ricotta, half of the mozzarella and the pesto. Taste it one last time and add salt if needed. Top with the remaining mozzarella and the parmesan.
Broil the Top: Place under the broiler for a few minutes or until golden. Remove from heat and let rest for a few minutes before serving.
What goes with Vegetarian Pesto Skillet Lasagna
This vegetarian pesto skillet is so good either as a brunch dish or a easy weeknight dinner. Here are some of my favorite dishes to serve with it.
I love serving this for dinner with my no-anchovy caesar salad.
For brunch, I love pairing it with my easy Honey Butter Chicken Biscuits or some Hawaiian Roll Breakfast Sliders.
What Else Can I Add?
If you want meat, try adding ground chicken, sausage or even plant based meat. When it comes to protein, you could also add cottage cheese in place of the ricotta. For more color, try carrots and sun dried tomatoes. You could even make it more veggie-ful by adding sauteed zucchini, asparagus and kale.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Absolutely! You can prep this easy one-skillet lasagna up to 24 hours in advance if you keep it in the fridge. If you want to make it in advance even longer, simply place it in your freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
How to reheat skillet lasagna
Reheating lasagna is like giving it a second chance to shine, bringing back that bubbly, cheesy delight to its gooey glory. If you're reheating the entire recipe from the freezer simply cover the top with tinfoil and bake at 325F degrees for about 30-45 minutes. If you're reheating just a portion, the easiest method is to just put it in the microwave for 2 minutes or so with a moist paper towel over the top of it. If it's not hot enough, put it back in for 30 second intervals until it's to your liking.
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Recipe
Vegetarian Pesto Skillet Lasagna
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large Sweet Onion roughly chopped
- 5 cloves Garlic thinly sliced
- 1.5 cups Broccoli finely chopped
- 4 oz Baby Spinach
- 1 cup Peas frozen
- 2 cups Half & Half
- 1 cup Veggie Broth
- 8 No-Boil Lasagna Noodles broken into pieces (about 6 oz)
- 1 cup Ricotta
- 1 8 8 oz bag Low Moisture Mozzarella shredded
- ½ cup Pesto storebought or homemade
- ½ cup Parmesan
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large cast iron (or enameled cast iron) skillet over medium heat.
- Add onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 3 minutes or until slightly softened. Stir in garlic and cook for another 2 minutes until tender and fragrant.
- Add in the broccoli, baby spinach and the frozen peas and another hefty pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the peas are heated through and the broccoli is tender and the spinach is wilted and bright green.
- Add in half and half and veggie broth, another pinch of salt and stir. Next, break up the noodles and stir them in — using the back of your spoon or spatula to push the noodles down into the liquid. Cover the skillet and drop the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes or until noodles are al dente.
- Stir in the ricotta, half of the mozzarella and the pesto and taste - adding another pinch of salt one last time if needed.
- Top with the remaining mozzarella and the parmesan and place under the broiler for a few minutes or until golden and bubbly.
- Remove from heat and let rest for a few minutes before serving.
Breann
One of the best things I have ever created… It’s so creamy and cheesy and the pesto is the bomb! I have celiac so I substituted for gf noodles and it was out of this world, 10/10.