30-Minute Turkey & Pumpkin Skillet Lasagna

Real lasagna means boiling noodles, simmering sauce, and a careful assembly job that earns you a sink full of dishes. This turkey & pumpkin skillet lasagna skips all of that. Broken lasagna noodles simmer right in the skillet in a creamy pumpkin-marinara sauce with seasoned ground turkey, and 30 minutes later you’re scooping lasagna out of the pan — no layering, no boiling, no waiting.

Why you’ll love it

• No boiling, no layering. The noodles cook directly in the sauce, soaking up pumpkin-marinara flavor as they go tender.
• October in a skillet. Canned pumpkin purée whisked into marinara is the fall shortcut — creamy, gently sweet, and ready in seconds.
• ~33g protein per serving (estimated), thanks to lean ground turkey plus ricotta and mozzarella.
• One pan. Brown the turkey, build the sauce, simmer the noodles, melt the cheese — all in the same deep skillet.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb ground turkey, 93% lean
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• 8 oz lasagna noodles, about 9 sheets, broken into 2-inch pieces
• 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce
• 1 cup canned pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 8 fresh sage leaves, torn, plus more for serving
• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Equipment

A large deep skillet with lid (12-inch) or a Dutch oven, and a wooden spoon or spatula.

Instructions

1. Brown the turkey (6 minutes). Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey, onion, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes if using. Cook, breaking the turkey into crumbles, until no pink remains, about 5–6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant.
2. Whisk the pumpkin sauce (2 minutes). Reduce the heat to medium. Pour in the marinara sauce and chicken broth, then add the pumpkin purée. Whisk until the pumpkin is fully dissolved into a smooth, creamy sauce — this is the 30-minute enabler: canned pumpkin melts right in, no long simmer needed.
3. Add the noodles (2 minutes). Stir in the broken lasagna noodles and the torn sage, pressing the noodles down so they’re submerged. Bring to a lively simmer.
4. Simmer covered (12 minutes). Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until the noodles are tender, about 12 minutes. Stir every 3–4 minutes, scraping the bottom so nothing sticks. If the sauce thickens too much, splash in 1/4 cup of broth.
5. Dollop the ricotta (2 minutes). Uncover and drop the ricotta over the top by rounded tablespoonfuls. Let it warm through for 1–2 minutes so it softens into the sauce.
6. Melt the cheese (3 minutes). Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top, cover, and cook 2–3 minutes until melted and bubbly. (For a browned top, run the skillet under a hot broiler for 2 minutes instead.) Rest 5 minutes, then top with fresh sage and serve straight from the skillet.

Doneness cues: Turkey must reach 165°F internally (it will, well before the end — the long simmer guarantees it). The noodles are done when tender but not mushy; they’re cooked when a broken edge has no hard white center. The sauce thickens as it stands, so if it looks a little loose at step 5, it will set during the rest.

Nutrition note

Protein is estimated at about 33g per serving, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients — this is an estimate, not a lab analysis. Actual values vary by brand and preparation.

Substitutions and tips

• Ground chicken or lean ground beef swap in 1:1 for the turkey. For beef, drain the fat well after browning.
• No sage? Use 1 teaspoon dried sage or a handful of fresh basil — different vibe, still delicious.
• Make it spicier: bump the red pepper flakes to 1/2 teaspoon or stir a diced jalapeño in with the onion.
• Vegetarian: skip the turkey, use 2 cups of roasted butternut squash cubes and vegetable broth instead.
• Don’t walk away from the simmer — broken noodles want to stick together and to the pan, so that stir every few minutes in step 4 really matters.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of broth, or microwave in 60-second bursts, stirring between, until steaming (165°F). Freezes well for up to 3 months — thaw overnight in the fridge. The noodles soften slightly after freezing but the flavor holds.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use no-boil lasagna noodles? You can, but they absorb less sauce as they cook, so reduce the broth by 1/2 cup and check tenderness at 10 minutes.

Is this actually sweet from the pumpkin? Not noticeably — the pumpkin reads as creamy and earthy, and the marinara plus nutmeg keep it savory.

Can I use pumpkin pie filling? No — pie filling is sweetened and spiced, and it will make the sauce dessert-sweet. Use plain canned pumpkin purée.

Is this good for meal prep? Very — portion into containers and reheat with a splash of broth. The ricotta and mozzarella reheat well for lunches.

What if my noodles clump together? Stir well when they go in and again every few minutes during the simmer. Broken sheets like to nest, but a quick stir separates them.

More fall skillet dinners

If you like one-pan fall dinners, try our 30-Minute Roasted Butternut & Chicken Sausage Soup. For another skillet pasta night, our 30-Minute Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta is a reader favorite. Craving more turkey comfort food? Our 30-Minute Chicken & Black Bean Enchilada Bowls skip the rolling.