Lasagna without Ricotta

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.

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.

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).

• 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).

• 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.

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.

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

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

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 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 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.

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:

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

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