This easy lasagna without ricotta cheese has a classically rich meat sauce and smooth white cheese sauce and is the ultimate comfort food.
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Recipe Highlights
- It's sugar free (no store bought bottled marinara sauces), and includes over a cup of hidden veg
- It uses pre cooked noodles so cuts down on time
- It's perfect freezer friendly food to make ahead
- Its delicious as a meal on its own or with a garden salad
- Its filling with rich, flavoursome meat sauce
- There is no ricotta cheese and no cottage cheese
- 3 delectable layers of lasagna goodness
This recipe makes 4 good sized servings of healthy lasagna and under 500 calories per serve. I used a rectangle baking dish that measured 25cm x 15cm. If your dish is a similar size it should be fine.
I would recommend using a dish as close in size as possible to the one I used so that you don't run the risk of not having enough ragu bolognase, as this recipe is for a small batch lasagna.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Mince/Ground Beef: I use extra lean ground beef mince to lower the amount of calories and fat.
- Cheese/Butter/Milk: To lighten up a traditionally heavy dish, instead of mozzarella cheese I use the low fat varieties of cheese, milk and butter for this recipe.
- Lasagna Sheets: I use San Remo brand - Large Instant Lasagna Oven Ready Lasagna Sheets: no pre cooking required. These sheets are the perfect size for a 25cm x 15 cm dish.
What Makes This Recipe Healthier than Regular Lasagna Recipes?
- Includes one and a half cups of grated zucchini and carrot
- Uses extra lean ground beef - the leanest cut you can buy, so it has less fat
- Uses low fat butter and milk in the white sauce
- Uses cheese that is lower in fat content, than mozzerella
- Contains no parmesan cheese, cream or ricotta.
I've served this lasagna recipe to loads of people and and everyone always comments on how rich the meat sauce is, and how good the homemade white sauce is!
How To Make
Meat Sauce
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C/350 degrees F. In a medium pan sauté the onion and garlic until translucent. Add in the ground beef, using a spatula to break up any lumps. Cook through for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the grated carrot and zucchini and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add passata, canned tomatoes, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, salt and Italian herbs. Stir until combined.
Keep heat on high, stir occasionally until liquid reduces (around 3 - 5 minutes). Once liquid has reduced, remove from heat, cover and set aside.
White Cheese Sauce (bechamel sauce)
- Add butter to a clean pot and gently melt on low heat. Remove pot from heat, add in flour and stir until a paste is formed
- Return to medium high heat, add milk gradually over a minute or two, whisking continuously to avoid clumping.
- As the milk heats it will slowly begin to thicken the sauce mixture. Do not let the milk boil. Once sauce has thickened to your liking, add in ½ cup of grated cheese. Stir in the cheese with the whisk until it melts. As soon as cheese has just melted, remove from heat immediately.
Assembly
- Place a layer of meat sauce on base of dish. About one third of the sauce should be used in between the pasta layers
- Spoon over one quarter of white sauce. Add lasagna sheets on top of white sauce.
- Repeat twice, ending with lasagna sheet on top (making sure to reserve a little bit of the white sauce)
- Add remaining white sauce on top and sprinkle with grated cheese and a light sprinkle of chopped basil if desired.
Bake
- Bake in oven at 180 degrees C (fan forced)/350 degrees F for 30 minutes until top of lasagna is golden brown
- Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Common Questions
Before you add the cheese, it should be the consistency of custard. When you dip a spoon into the sauce, you should be able to see it drip off. The cheese will thicken it a little more
It can be anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. Once it begins to thicken, it may bubble a little and it will begin to thicken very quickly. I recommend you stir continuously during this time to ensure the sauce doesn't burn, or boil.
Check the heat. The flour is the thickening agent in the sauce and required heat to thicken. If the pot is on a low or medium heat, it won't thicken. It needs to be on high heat, however keep watch on the sauce to make sure it doesn't boil
Making dinners under 500 calories is my specialty, with many of my most popular being low calorie chicken recipes, low calorie meal prepping recipes and low calorie slow cooker recipes.
Storing and Freezing Lasagna
Storage: Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent moisture loss and air exposure in the fridge, which can cause the lasagna to dry out. Store it in an airtight container for the best results and consume within 3-4 days.
Freezing: This lasagna freezes exceptionally well. Store in an air tight container and freeze for upto 4 months.
Reheating Lasagna
From the Fridge: Place a microwave-safe plate over the lasagna. Microwave in 1-minute intervals at medium power, checking for doneness between each interval. It may take 3-5 minutes.
From the Freezer (after thawing): Place a microwave-safe plate over the lasagna. Microwave in 2-3 minute intervals at medium power, checking for doneness between each interval. It may take 6-8 minutes.
Recipe Tips for the Best Lasagna
- Layer Thoughtfully: Create around 3-4 layers, alternating red sauce, white sauce, lasagna noodles.
- Rest Your Lasagna: After baking, allow the lasagna to rest for 10-15 minutes. This lets the flavors meld and makes it easier to slice.
- Crunchy Top: Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of breadcrumbs or cornflake crumbs on top of the lasagna for a golden and crunchy crust.
- Bake Covered: Begin by baking your lasagna covered with foil to trap moisture and prevent drying. Uncover during the final 10-15 minutes for a golden top.
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More Healthy Comfort Food Recipes
- Easy Apricot Chicken Curry
- Soft and Juicy Beef Masala
- Thai Chicken Meatballs with Peanut Sauce
- Slow Cooker Lamb Ragu with Papperdelle
- Easy Moroccan Shepherds Pie
Lasagna Without Ricotta Cheese
Ingredients
Ragu Bolognase
- 500 grams beef mince/ground beef
- 1 medium brown onion (diced)
- 1 tablespoon crushed garlic/garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil (finely chopped)
- 400 grams canned crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup tomato passata/tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt/sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- ¾ cup grated carrot
- ¾ cup grated zucchini
White Cheese Sauce
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 3 tablespoons plain flour
- ½ cup grated cheese
Other
- 6 oven ready lasagne sheets
- ¼ cup grated cheese
Instructions
Meat Sauce
- Preheat oven to 180℃/350℉
- In a medium pan sauté 1 medium brown onion (diced) and 1 tablespoon crushed garlic/garlic paste until translucent. Add in 500 grams beef mince/ground beef, using a spatula to break up any lumps. Cook through for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ¾ cup grated carrot and ¾ cup grated zucchini and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add ½ cup tomato passata/tomato puree, 400 grams canned crushed tomatoes, 3 tablespoon tomato paste, 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon garlic salt/sea salt, o1 teaspoon dried oregano, 2 tablespoons fresh basil (finely chopped) and ½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes. Stir until combined.
- Keep heat on high, stir occasionally until liquid reduces (around 3 - 5 minutes). Once liquid has reduced, remove from heat, cover and set aside.
White Cheese Sauce
- Add 5 tablespoons butter to a clean pot and gently melt on low heat. Remove pot from heat, add in3 tablespoons plain flour and stir until a paste is formed
- Return to medium high heat, gradually pour in 1 ½ cups milk a bit at a time over a minute or two, whisking continuously to avoid clumping.
- As the milk heats it will slowly begin to thicken the sauce mixture. Dip your finger in to test how hot the milk is and when it is warmish to hot (not boiling), add in ½ cup grated cheese. Stir in the cheese with the whisk until it melts. As soon as cheese has just melted, remove from heat immediately.
Assembly
- Place ⅓ of meat mixture on base of dish. Spoon over ¼ of white sauce. Add lasagne sheet on top of white sauce. Repeat twice, ending with lasagne sheet on top (making sure to reserve ¼ of the white sauce)
- Add remaining white sauce on top of lasagne sheet. Sprinkle with ¼ cup grated cheese and a light sprinkle of chopped basil if desired.
Bake
- Bake in oven at 180 degrees C (fan forced)/350 degrees F for 30 minutes
- Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Size of baking dish I used: 25cm x 15cm
- Mince/Ground Beef: I use extra lean beef mince. Choosing a leaner mince will help to lower the fat content
- Cheese/Butter/Milk: To lighten up a traditionally heavy dish, I use the low fat varieties of cheese, milk and butter for this recipe.
- Lasagna Sheets: I use San Remo brand - Large Instant Lasagna Oven Ready Lasagna Sheets: no pre cooking required. These sheets are the perfect size for a 25cm x 15 cm dish.
- Storing lasagna: Store leftover lasagna in the fridge in an air tight container and eat within 3-4 days
- Freezing Lasagna: Cut up lasagna into portions and store in individual containers in the freezer. Make sure the size of the container is just right for the size of the lasagna to maximize freezer space
- Defrosting Lasagna: Defrost using microwave safe dish on medium (about 80% power) for about 5 minutes. Don't forget to cover it with a microwave safe lid so id doesn't splatter everywhere.
- How thick should the White Cheese Sauce be? Before you add the cheese, it should be the consistency of custard. When you dip a spoon into the sauce, you should be able to see it drip off. The cheese will thicken it a little more
- How long does the White Cheese Sauce take to thicken? It can be anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. Once it begins to thicken, it may bubble a little and it will begin to thicken very quickly. I recommend you stir continuously during this time to ensure the sauce doesn't burn, or boil.
- What to do if White Cheese Sauce is not thickening. Check the heat. The flour is the thickening agent in the sauce and required heat to thicken. If the pot is on a low or medium heat, it won't thicken. It needs to be on high heat, however keep watch on the sauce to make sure it doesn't boil
Nutrition
Note: Sugars contained in this recipe are from naturally occurring sugars in fruits, vegetables or other natural sweeteners. Calories have been calculated for your convenience using My Fitness Pal and are based on the ingredients listed in the recipe card.
Lee says
Just perfect!
Aline says
AMAZING recipe. Thank you so... much. Everyone loved it.
LINDA LEMONS says
what are some examples of a good cheese to use? Is tomato paste, tomato puree? I want to try to fix this. I am not a cook as you can tell.
Kim says
I typically use a low fat or light version of cheddar cheese or a mozzerella. They seem to be readily available in most supermarkets regarless of where your located. Tomato paste and tomato puree are two different things. Tomato paste is a thicker consistency and is a concentrate so a little goes a long way - it a darker shade of red and adds a punch of tomato flavour. Tomato puree or Passata as its sometimes called is a thinner consistency (maybe similar to soup) and its flavour is more subtle.
Megan says
Just pass me the plate Kim. 🤤🤤 Delicious!