Lasagna Recipe Without Ricotta Cheese
Say goodbye to the traditional, and hello to a new, scrumptious lasagna recipe without ricotta cheese that will soon become a go-to dish for your family dinners and special occasions alike.
The best part is, that you won’t miss out on the creaminess because we are going to replace the ricotta cheese with a bechamel sauce.
Follow along for my step-by-step directions to make a hearty, creamy lasagna without getting that mouth full of gritty cheese.
Lasagna recipe without ricotta cheese video
How to make lasagna without ricotta cheese
Nothing says comfort food like the smell of lasagna cooking in the oven on a cool evening. It’s an easy dinner that feeds a crowd and no one will complain.
Especially once they realize there is no ricotta cheese!
Let’s dive into making this crowd-pleasing lasagna without ricotta cheese.
If you are looking for what to serve with lasagna I have a post with so many great ideas!
1. Prepare the veggies
Dice up one whole white onion and a few cloves of garlic. You will add these to the red sauce as we make it.
Using a box grater, grate about 2 cups of mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of parmesan cheese. Set these aside until you start to build the lasagna.
2. Make the Meat sauce
While your noodles are cooking go ahead and cut up the beef into 1″ pieces. This will help the browning process.
If you don’t know how to brown your beef check out my post on how to cook ground beef.
Heat up your frying pan on medium heat and then add your olive oil to the pan. Once your oil is nice and loose in the pan, add your ground beef. Sprinkle a pinch or two of salt over the ground beef.
Let the ground beef brown for a few minutes and then stir the meat so that it can continue to cook. Once the beef is brown remove it from the heat, into a bowl, and set it aside.
This lasagna was baked in breville smart oven air fryer pro.
In the same pan that you brown your beef in, add two tablespoons of olive oil and heat it up.
Add in your onions and cook them until they are browned and translucent. Using the same pan as the beef is going to incorporate the beef flavor into your sauce also.
Once your onions are browned, add half a can of tomato paste to the pan, stirring it around the pan. Be sure not to burn the paste.
I have an entire video on how to make lasagna without ricotta.
Now add 1/2 cup of water to the pan and stir the paste and onions together. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for a minute.
Pour one can of crushed tomatoes into the pan and then add 2-3 pinches of salt, a tablespoon of Italian seasoning, and fresh cracked black pepper.
Add your meat to your sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes and set aside.
3. Cook Noodles
Get your water boiling. Once the water is boiling add your lasagna noodles and a pinch of salt. Cook them for about 5 minutes.
I like to cool them in an ice bath to stop them from cooking because they are going to continue in the oven as well.
Set them aside until you are ready to layer the lasagna.
4. Bechamel sauce
Warm one and a half cups of milk in a pan and in a separate pan melt down 4 tablespoons of butter.
When the butter is melted slowly add in your flour and continue to stir the butter and flour together making sure that it doesn’t burn.
Slowly add in your warm milk whisking it into the butter-flour mixture also known as a roux. Continue to whisk until you have yourself a creamy mixture.
If you find that you have clumps, break them up and continue to whisk until smooth. Set aside until you are ready to layer the lasagna.
5. Build the lasagna
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Before you start layering your noodles you want to put meat sauce on the bottom of the baking pan. Then add your first layer of noodles.
Spread meat sauce over your noodles, add bechamel sauce, sprinkle with mozzarella, and freshly grated parmesan, then do it all again.
Add another layer of noodles going in the opposite direction that you laid them previously. Cover with meat sauce, add a layer of bechamel sauce, and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan. Repeat!
I can fit three layers in my pan but feel free to do more if you’d like. Bake it for at least 30 minutes or until the cheese is nice and browned on top.
Once it is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for about 30 minutes before you cut into it.
Serve and enjoy with a garden salad or a nice texas toast! I have an easy texas toast garlic bread recipe that you should serve up with this lasagna!
6. Serve
This is the part you have been waiting for. Let the lasagna cool this is so important so that all the juices work their way back into the lasagna.
I also like to add some freshly grated parmesan cheese to the top of the lasagna. Do you really enjoy pasta recipes? Check out my new england american chop suey recipe.
Ingredients for Lasagna without ricotta cheese
Meatsauce
- 1 lb Ground beef
- 1 White onion Small and diced
- 3 Garlic Cloves Diced
- 15 oz Tomato sauce
- 3 oz Tomato paste
- 28 oz Crushed tomatoes
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/8 tsp Black pepper
Bechamel sauce
- 1 1/2 cups Milk
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 1/4 cup Flour
Lasagna
- 9/12 Lasagna noodles
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese Grated
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese Grated
Alternatives for Riccota Cheese in a Lasagna
| Alternative Ingredients | Description |
|---|---|
| Béchamel Sauce | A creamy white sauce made from butter, flour, and milk, béchamel sauce adds richness and a velvety texture to lasagna. |
| Cottage Cheese | Similar in texture to ricotta, cottage cheese can be a delicious substitute, providing a lighter, tangier flavor to the dish. |
| Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese Blend | Combining mozzarella and parmesan cheeses creates a smooth, creamy, and flavorful alternative that can replace ricotta in lasagna. |
What is ricotta cheese?
Ricotta cheese is a traditional Italian cheese made from the whey leftover from the production of other cheeses like mozzarella and provolone.
It has a light, creamy texture, and a slightly sweet flavor, making it a versatile ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes.
Benefits of ricotta cheese sauce in a lasagna recipe:
- Contributes a creamy, rich texture to the dish, enhancing its overall mouthfeel
- Adds a subtle sweetness that balances the savory flavors of the other ingredients
- Works as a binding agent, helping to keep the layers of lasagna together
- Offers a good source of protein and calcium, providing nutritional value
- Provides a traditional and authentic Italian taste to the lasagna
What is bechamel sauce?
A béchamel sauce, also known as white sauce, is one of the classic “mother sauces” in French cuisine.
It is a versatile, creamy sauce made by whisking milk into a roux, which is a mixture of equal parts butter and flour cooked together. The sauce can be flavored with various ingredients like onions, nutmeg, or cheese, depending on the desired outcome.
To learn more about béchamel sauce and its rich culinary history, you can visit this comprehensive guide from Serious Eats: The Science of Béchamel.
Benefits of béchamel sauce in recipes:
- Provides a rich, creamy texture to dishes, enhancing their mouthfeel
- Acts as a binding agent, helping to hold ingredients together in recipes such as lasagna
- Can be easily customized by adding various flavorings and seasonings to suit the dish
- Adds moisture to baked dishes, preventing them from becoming dry
- Works well as a base for other sauces, making it a versatile addition to your culinary repertoire
Lasagna Recipe Without Ricotta Cheese
Equipment
- 2 Frying Pan
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Chef knife
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Box Grater
- 1 Lasagna pan
Ingredients
Meatsauce
- 1 lb Ground beef
- 1 White onion Small and diced
- 3 Garlic Cloves Diced
- 15 oz Tomato sauce
- 3 oz Tomato paste
- 28 oz Crushed tomatoes
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/8 tsp Black pepper
Bechamel sauce
- 1 1/2 cups Milk
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 1/4 cup Flour
Lasagna
- 9/12 Lasagna noodles
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese Grated
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese Grated
Instructions
Meat sauce
- Heat up a pan on medium heat and put a tablespoon of olive oil in.
- Once the oil can slide around in the pan add in the ground beef, chopping it into small pieces. Add a pinch of salt
- Once it has browned and cooked thoroughly dump it into a bowl, and set it aside.
- In the same pan add another tablespoon of olive oil and add your diced onions.
- Once the onions are translucent add 3 oz of tomato paste and stir around the pan making sure it does not burn! Stir in diced garlic.
- Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and cracked pepper stir occasionally so it doesn't burn or stick at the bottom. Add the beef back in and bring to a simmer and then set it aside.
Bechamel
- Warm milk in a pan on medium/ low heat.
- In another frying pan melt the butter. Once melted add the flour a little at a time do not stop mixing!
- Add your milk in little by little whisking constantly to prevent clumping. Once smooth and creamy remove it from the heat and set it aside.
Lasagna Noodles
- Bring water to a boil in a pot. Once boiling add your noodles into the water with two pinches of salt for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the noodles from the pot and place them into an ice bath to stop them from cooking.
Layer the Lasagna
- Preheat your oven to 350°F
- Shred mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Put one layer of meat sauce at the bottom then lay the across the pan side by side to cover the pan.
- Cover the noodles with meat sauce, spread a layer of bechamel sauce then the shredded cheese. Repeat the layer 3 times ending with a layer of cheese.
- Cook the lasagna in the oven for 30 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
- Remove it from the oven and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
- Serve and ENJOY!
Nutrition
Have Questions? We Have Answers.
Conclusion
Our lasagna recipe without ricotta cheese proves that you can create a flavorsome, satisfying meal without the traditional ingredient.
This modern and classic take on a beloved classic offers a unique and tasty alternative, perfect for those who are looking for something different or simply want to enjoy a delicious, comforting meal with a creative touch.
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