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Home » Recipes » Main Dish

Lasagna without Ricotta

By Lauren | Updated: Jan 9, 2024 | Published: Feb 8, 2023 | Leave a Comment

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This Lasagna without Ricotta recipe is made with layers of creamy béchamel sauce rather than ricotta and bolognese. It has three alternating stacked layers: meat sauce, meat sauce and béchamel, and béchamel. Finally, it is topped with grated parmesan cheese that gets beautifully crispy and brown.

This lasagna does not have any cottage cheese or mozzarella, and you don’t miss it. I use no-bake noodles in this recipe to eliminate some of the extra work of boiling noodles.

A slice of lasagna with layers of bolognese, béchamel and bolognese, béchamel, and parmesan between noodles.

Lasagna without Ricotta is easy to double, and it freezes well. I typically make a double portion and either freeze half or bring half to a friend around town. It is great for a family with a new baby or a meal train.

This delicious lasagna was a popular recipe for family dinners at my parents-in-law’s house when my husband was growing up (and it's our go-to recipe now, too). The stories usually go that after dinner, my husband (when younger) would go out with friends, come home late at night, and devour any leftover lasagna in the fridge.

Some of our other family favorites include these melt-in-your-mouth Italian Meatballs and this Crispy Gnocchi Dish in a White Wine Butter Sauce, pizza made with this Neapolitan style Poolish Pizza Dough, or pasta dishes like Lemon Basil Pesto Pasta or Pasta with Pancetta and Peas.

Doubling the Recipe:

Lately, I have been doubling this recipe, either because we are hosting a large crowd, we plan to bring some to a friend, or we are freezing a second lasagna for another easy dinner for us. It takes some work to make lasagna (you're making both a meat sauce and a béchamel sauce), but it takes very little extra time to double the recipe, and you’re rewarded with a whole other meal that freezes very well.

The portions also work well when doubled. The doubled recipe uses the whole carton of beef broth (rather than a partial carton), 3 lbs of ground beef (I know that’s a lot!), the whole package of bacon, and there’s plenty of extra celery and carrots in the bag that you may not use otherwise. So, it’s a great one to double. When looking for another meal to double, we also like to make this Sun Dried Tomato with Pasta Recipe or this Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage Sauce.

Expert Tip: Double the lasagna and freeze any leftovers. It takes very little extra work, and you get another whole meal for your efforts.

Lasagna without Ricotta Ingredients:

Below are the simple ingredients needed for the meat sauce as well as the pasta (béchamel sauce ingredients are further below).

Ingredients need to make Lasagna without ricotta including bolognese.
  • Onion: I use half of a small-medium yellow onion.
  • Carrots: I buy two loose large carrots, rather than a whole bunch.
  • Celery: Adds subtle flavor.
  • Bacon: Use uncured bacon. Try to avoid added flavors, like maple or smoked, which will add flavor to the béchamel sauce that doesn’t quite work.
  • Ground Beef: Use organic grass fed beef, if possible.
  • White or Red Wine: I prefer white wine since it imparts a lighter flavor, but if you like red wine, it adds a nice richness.
  • Beef Broth: Adds more flavor than using chicken broth, but chicken broth can be substituted if necessary.
  • Tomato Paste: I like the Cento brand, but anything works. Adds a deep, rich tomato flavor. Rather than using a spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce, this sauce is built using tomato paste, beef broth, and wine.
  • Oven Ready (no bake) Lasagna: Saves time to use no boil noodles (it tastes exactly the same), but you can certainly use the kind that you need to boil if that’s what you have or prefer. Just layer the cooked lasagna (cooked to al dente) in the dish.
  • Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese: I recommend grating the parmesan cheese yourself. It takes a little more effort (not a ton), but it will be fresher, taste better, and avoid anti-caking chemicals that are in the pre-grated kind. I prefer a milder block of Parmesan that you can get at Trader Joe's.

Below are the ingredients needed to make the béchamel sauce (creamy white sauce).

Ingredients needed to make béchamel sauce.
  • Butter: I use salted butter.
  • Flour: Use all-purpose flour, which acts to thicken the béchamel.
  • Heavy cream: Adds creaminess and flavor.
  • Whole milk: Use whole milk. Do not substitute 1% or 2% milk. It will be more likely to curdle while cooking. Whole milk ensures a creamy bechamel sauce.

How to Make Lasagna Without Ricotta

Below are the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make Lasagna Without Ricotta.

Be sure to set aside some time to make this recipe and consider doubling it so that you have leftovers to freeze or share.

*Note that the recipe card with instructions and ingredient list is included further below these step-by-step photos.

Raw bacon in a large Dutch oven, next to cooked crispy bacon in the large dutch oven.

Step 1. Cook the Bacon: Bring a large pot or Dutch oven to medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon and set it aside.

Raw onions, carrots, celery in the Dutch oven, next to the same vegetables that have been cooking for 10 minutes,

Step 2. Cook the Vegetables: Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ground beef added to the pot, next to picture of pot with cooked ground beef.

Step 3. Cook the Ground Beef: Add the ground beef, stirring occasionally until cooked through.

Pot with added white wine, beef broth, and tomato paste. Next to picture with those ingredients after simmering for 45 minutes.

Step 4. Finish the Tomato Sauce: Add the wine, beef broth, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Next, add the bacon back in. Cover and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes.

Step by step photos of how to make a béchamel sauce.

Step 5. Make the Béchamel: To make the béchamel, bring a large saucepan to medium heat. Add the butter and allow it to brown. Then, add the flour, stirring continuously.  Add the cream, little by little, while stirring. Add the whole milk ½ a cup at a time (2 cups total) and continue to stir. Be sure to see the expert tips section on making béchamel further below.

Step by step photos of how to assemble the layers of the lasagna with béchamel sauce, noodles, bolognese, and parmesan cheese.

Step 6. Layer the Lasagna: Preheat the oven to 425°F. To assemble the lasagna in a large lasagna pan or casserole dish, layer as follows:

  • 1. A very thin layer of bechamel (just so the bottom is not dry)
  • 2. No-bake noodles
  • 3. Layer of meat sauce (bolognese sauce)
  • 4. No-bake noodles
  • 5. Layer of Bolognese meat sauce and béchamel
  • 6. No-bake noodles
  • 7. Béchamel
  • 8. Sprinkle the top layer with the grated Parmesan cheese

Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and browned on top.

Lasagna without ricotta in a rectangular baker straight out of the oven with browned béchamel and parmesan cheese.

Tips and Tricks for Making Béchamel Sauce

  • Do Not Allow the Butter to Burn: When making the béchamel sauce, first brown the butter, watching carefully so it does not burn. If needed, keep the temperature lower to give you a longer window/margin of error before it will burn.
  • Sauce Consistency: Add the flour slowly, stirring continuously to make sure that the sauce ultimately has a smooth consistency. Once the flour has been fully incorporated, slowly add in the heavy cream. The sauce will foam up and then thicken very quickly. To ensure a thick and smooth consistency, be sure to add the heavy cream slowly, and then the milk slowly as well.
    • The trick is to get the béchamel sauce the right consistency. You don’t want it too thin so that it is soupy or too thick so that it’s hard to spread around on the noodles.
    • Thinning or Thickening the Bechamel: In order to thin out the béchamel, add more milk, or to thicken it, let it cook a little longer on low while stirring.
    • Coat the Back of a Spoon: Look for the béchamel sauce to cover the back of a spoon in a thick layer. See the photo below.
  • Layering the Sauce: When layering the béchamel sauce over the meat sauce, don’t worry about getting an even layer over the top. Just drizzle it over the meat with a large spoon.

Variations:

Beef Broth: Using beef broth instead of chicken broth gives you a more intense flavor for a rich meat sauce, but feel free to substitute chicken broth.

White Wine: I prefer white wine, so I add that here instead of red wine, but red wine gives a richer flavor, which is certainly nice, especially in the winter. Or you can leave out the wine altogether if that is your preference.

Fresh Herbs: Feel free to add herbs, like fresh basil or dried basil to the meat sauce.

No-bake lasagna noodles: Using no-bake noodles eliminates some of the work. They are just as good as the kind that you boil. The one difference between no-bake lasagna noodles and regular lasagna noodles is that you can’t overlap the no-bake noodles. If you do, there won't be any liquid for it to absorb, and the noodles will still be stiff.

How to Serve, Store, Reheat, and Freeze

  • To Serve: Serve warm with extra parmesan cheese. We often serve this with a simple green salad, garlic bread, or dinner rolls.
  • To Store: Store in the dish it was baked, tightly covered with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
  • To Reheat: Bake the lasagna in the dish that it was made in at 350°F for 10 minutes or until warmed through. Or place individual slices on plates and microwave them for 1 minute, adding 30 seconds as needed.
  • To Freeze: Freeze the lasagna before or after it has been baked, but before it is baked is preferable. Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in the freezer. To heat the lasagna, place it in the fridge overnight to thaw. Then, bake as directed.

Creamy Lasagna Without Ricotta: FAQs

Can lasagna be made without ricotta cheese?

Yes, absolutely. This recipe does not call for any ricotta cheese or mozzarella cheese. The béchamel sauce replaces both the ricotta and mozzarella cheese, and it's creamy and delicious.

Can lasagna be made ahead and frozen?

Yes. You can make the lasagna and either freeze it before baking it or bake it, let it cool fully, and then freeze it. Either way works well. Just take it out of the freezer, placeit in the refrigerator overnight, and bake when ready.

Why are the no-bake lasagna sheets still hard?

If you have overlapping layers of no-bake lasagna noodles, they will not have any liquid to absorb from either the meat sauce or the béchamel. The noodles need to absorb some liquid from the sauce in order to soften. So, if you are using no-bake noodles, be sure not to overlap them so that they are fully exposed to the sauce.

How many layers do you need in lasagna?

This lasagna recipe calls for 3 layers. However, we have had good friends from Sicily who are absolutely adamant that you cannot call it a lasagna unless it has 5 layers.

How to layer Lasagna without Ricotta?

o   A very thin layer of béchamel (just so the bottom is not dry and the no-bake noodles can absorb some liquid)
o  No-bake noodles
o  Meat sauce
o  No-bake noodles
o  Meat sauce and béchamel
o  No-bake noodles
o  Béchamel and parmesan

When is the lasagna done?

The lasagna is done when the top gets crispy and brown, and you can hear the sauce bubbling in the dish.

A slice of lasagna with layers of bolognese, béchamel and bolognese, béchamel, and parmesan between noodles.

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If you tried this Lasagna Without Ricotta Recipe or any other recipe on my site, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. I'd love to hear from you!

A slice of lasagna with layers of bolognese, béchamel and bolognese, béchamel, and parmesan between noodles.

Lasagna without Ricotta

This Lasagna without Ricotta recipe is made with a layer of creamy béchamel sauce rather than ricotta and a rich meat sauce. It has three alternating stacked layers: meat sauce, meat sauce, and béchamel, and béchamel. Finally, it is topped with grated parmesan cheese that gets beautifully crispy and brown.
5 from 14 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 2 hours hrs
Author Lauren Skardal
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8
Calories 743 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 5 slices of bacon, thinly sliced
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, thinly sliced
  • 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • 1 ½ lbs ground beef
  • ¼ cup white (or red) wine
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 6oz can tomato paste
  • 1 lb oven ready (no bake) lasagna
  • ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese

Béchamel Sauce

  • 6 tablespoon butter
  • 6 tablespoon flour
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups whole milk

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large pot or Dutch oven to medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside.
  • Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Then add the ground beef, stirring occasionally until cooked through.
  • Add the wine, beef broth, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Next, add the bacon back in. Cover and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes.
  • To make the béchamel, bring a large saucepan to medium heat. Add the butter and allow to brown. Then, add the flour stirring continuously.  Little by little add the cream while stirring. Add the whole milk ½ a cup at a time (2 cups total), and continue to stir.
  • Preheat the oven to 425°F.
  • To assemble the lasagna in a large lasagna dish, layer as follows:
    1. A very thin layer of béchamel (just so the bottom is not dry)
    2. No-bake noodles
    3. Meat sauce
    4. No-bake noodles
    5. Meat sauce and béchamel
    6. No-bake noodles
    7. Béchamel
  • Sprinkle the top with the grated parmesan cheese.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Notes

Oven Ready No Bake Lasagna: These taste exactly the same as the lasagna noodles that you need to boil, just way easier. Be sure not to overlap the no-bake noodles. There will not be enough liquid for the noodles to absorb and they will not soften.
Wine: For a lighter taste choose white wine. For a deeper, richer taste choose red wine. Always choose a bottle that you would also enjoy drinking. Alternatively, leave out the wine altogether if that is your preference.
Bolognese Sauce: If after the sauce has cooked for 45 minutes it has become too thick, add additional beef stock to thin it out.
Béchamel Sauce: This is the trickiest part of the recipe, watch it closely and keep it at a lower temperature if you're worried about burning it. Stir constantly as you slowly add the ingredients to ensure a smooth consistency. Pay attention to the consistency. It should be thick and cover the back of the spoon, but thin enough to spread over the noodles. It will thicken even more once baked. 
Double the Recipe: Consider doubling the recipe. It takes very little extra work and you get an entire additional meal or two out of it that you can freeze and have at a later time.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 743kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 158mg | Sodium: 645mg | Potassium: 632mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 3330IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 203mg | Iron: 2mg
Have you tried this recipe? Leave a comment below and share a photo on instagram and tag @elleandpear or #elleandpear. I'd absolutely love to hear from you and see what you're making!

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I'm Lauren, I've worked in Finance, earned an MBA, and lived and traveled throughout Europe and the US. I love to cook and bake, and bring our family together around the table. Recipes shared here are real family recipes with real fresh ingredients inspired by our travels.

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