White Skillet Lasagna
Updated October 8, 2025
Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Kaitlin Wayne.
- Ready In
- 1 hr
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
Salt and pepper
12 dried lasagna sheets (about 12 ounces)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1½ pounds leeks, root and leaf ends trimmed, then thinly sliced and rinsed (about 9 cups), see Tip
5 garlic cloves, sliced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, divided
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups whole milk
8 ounces smoked mozzarella or smoked gouda, grated
Fresh parsley leaves, for serving, optional
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
104 grams carbs; 77 milligrams cholesterol; 825 calories; 12 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 32 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 1074 milligrams sodium; 31 grams protein; 15 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with salt and cook the lasagna sheets until al dente, then drain. If the pasta is done before you’re ready to use it, lightly drizzle with olive oil so the sheets don’t stick together.
- Step 2
Meanwhile melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium (10-inch) skillet over medium-high. Add the leeks, garlic and 1½ teaspoons thyme and cook, using tongs to toss and turn the leeks, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. (At first the pan will be very full, but the leeks will shrink quickly.) Transfer to a large bowl.
- Step 3
Make the béchamel: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet over medium-low, then whisk in the flour until smooth, about 1 minute. While whisking constantly, slowly pour in the milk in a thin stream and whisk until it’s incorporated and the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened, about 7 minutes. Turn off heat, then pour béchamel over the leeks. Add about three-fourths of the cheese, mix well and season with salt and pepper.
- Step 4
Lay three lasagna sheets on the bottom of the skillet (if they hang over the edge of the skillet that’s OK), then spread a third of the leek mixture over. Arrange another three lasagna sheets so they form a cross with the first layer of pasta. Repeat layering the leek mixture and lasagna twice more, ending with lasagna sheets as the top layer.
- Step 5
Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and drizzle with olive oil. Bake lasagna until it’s bubbling, the edges are golden brown and the cheese has melted, 15 minutes. Let cool slightly and top with the remaining ½ teaspoon of thyme leaves and some fresh parsley, if using, before cutting and serving.
To clean the leeks, toss the sliced leeks into a big bowl of cold water and give them a good swish to rinse out any dirt. Scoop them out, repeating once more with fresh water if necessary. Drain in a colander, then gently pat dry with a clean towel.
Private Notes
Comments
People! I haven’t boiled a lasagna sheet in 10 years. Ina Garten’s method is foolproof. In a glass baking dish, soak unbroken noodles (regular, not the yucky, gummy no-cook kind) in hot tap water for 20 minutes. Literally just turn on your tap—don’t boil or superheat the water. No need to get fancy. After 20 mins, add the noodles to your lasagna recipe as directed.
Tasty. btw I didn't have a white skillet - used my trusty cast iron black one :) Rename 'Skillet White Lasagna' ?
This was delicious! And also rustically gorgeous. My grocery was low on leeks so I had to supplement with green onion, but that worked out just fine. I also added dollops of ricotta on top, cause I felt like it needed a little something saucy to prevent the noodles from getting too crackly. Perfect! My husband and I devoured ours, while my two- and four-year-old only ate a few bites. They’re crazy! But fine with me — more leftovers for us :)
Made this exactly according to the instructions and it turned out great. I saw some comments about needing to season the filling. Don't forget to season generously with salt and pepper. Taste the filling before you add it to the skillet. I used smoked mozzerella and it was fine. As I was making it, I was worried that there wouldn't be enough moisture for the lasagna sheets to soften, but the end result turned out fine. I'd recommend making a few extra lasagna sheets to fill in gaps.
Finally had the opportunity to make this dish - mostly true to the recipe: a couple large dollops of ricotta mixed with the bechamel/leeks (because there was some leftover to be used up) and added quick pickled cherry tomatoes/sprinkle of parsley on top. Ayup. It tasted as good as it looked. We’re in love.
The picture of the dish looks delicious, and I love leeks, but this as just meh. I kept adding salt and pepper, hoping for some improvement, but some meals are just misses, and this was one.