Lasagna without Ricotta

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

5 from 14 votes

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.

Prep Time1 30

Cook Time30

Total Time2

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 743kcal

Author: Lauren Skardal

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.

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