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This keto lasagna without noodles has all the flavor and none of the carbs. At just 2 grams net carbohydrates a slice, it’s a low carb spinach lasagna recipe perfect for any ketogenic diet meal plan!
I love taking classic comfort foods and making them keto friendly. With a few substitutions, these dishes can easily fit a low carb, sugar free, and gluten free diet.
Plus they turn out just as flavorful as the traditional version, if not more so!
This keto lasagna recipe is a perfect example of this. With layers of melty cheese, marinara, just the right amount of fresh spinach, and the perfect blend of spices, what’s not to love?
And once you add in the seasoned meat layer, it takes this dish to a whole new level of delicious!
Why I love the recipe
This savory casserole is a big crowd-pleaser. It’s super satisfying, and it’s very simple to make. Prepare the flat meatloaf, layer the ingredients, and bake in the oven. That’s it!
It also freezes well if you like to meal prep or simply want to have a quick casserole ready to go when you need it.
This low carb lasagna without pasta is one of those perfect dishes that’s easy to make and will be devoured by everyone.
Ways to make a keto friendly no pasta lasagna
Most people assume that lasagna is off-limits for carb conscious diets. After all, it’s made with layers of pasta noodles.
But when you think about it, the rest of the ingredients in lasagna are pretty low in carbohydrates. Cheese is the star of the dish, and many lasagnas use meat as well. Add in a no sugar added marinara, and you’re well on your way.
So really, the only thing left is to replace the noodles.
You can easily make a pastaless lasagna recipe by simply taking out the noodles. In fact, this is exactly what I do for my keto Instant Pot recipe. The result is super tasty, but also very messy. It’s the kind of dish you eat out of a bowl, not on a plate.
There’s nothing wrong with that, but it is a bit different than traditional lasagna. In my opinion, to make an authentic style pasta free lasagna, you just need to make it in layers.
Substitute for lasagna noodles on a keto diet
There are a few great options to replace the pasta layer when you’re making a low carb lasagna.
One tried and true method is using a vegetable layer. You could try spaghetti squash, cabbage, eggplant, or even strips of zucchini noodles to replace the pasta layer. But vegetables add extra carbs.
Another option is to use thin slices of deli meat. In Maria Emmerich’s cookbook Quick and Easy Ketogenic Cooking, she has a fantastic recipe for skillet lasagna that uses thin roasted chicken breast to create the layers. You could also try pepperoni or salami for even more flavor.
Replace pasta with meat!
When I was creating this recipe, I decided I wanted to try something a bit different. I wanted a dish that was super satisfying and full of great flavor that didn’t rely on veggies.
So, I decided to replace the pasta layer with meatza!
If you’re not familiar with meatza, it’s just a term for a low carb pizza crust made out of meat. It holds up really well to sauces and melted cheese, so it’s great for italian cooking. I also use it in my spinach tomato meatza pizza recipe.
The meatza noodle layer adds a ton of flavor and really takes this keto no noodle lasagna to the next level. And it’s quite easy to make!
How to make this keto lasagna recipe
You can prepare the recipe in only a few simple steps.
Making the meat layer
- Mix together your spices. Set ½ teaspoon aside for the marinara sauce.
- Place the ground beef in a large platter or bowl, then mix in the remaining seasoning, parmesan cheese, and beaten egg yolk.
- Transfer the ground beef mixture into two 9×13 baking pans lined with parchment paper. Flatten the beef with a spatula or back of a spoon.
- Bake at 450°F for 7-12 minutes or until just browned.
- Remove from the oven, drain the oil, then slice to fit the pan or casserole dish you’ll be baking your lasagna in.
Preparing the other ingredients
- In a bowl, combine the marinara pasta sauce, parmesan, and remaining seasoning (from the meatza ingredients). Mix well and set aside.
- In another bowl, beat the egg and then fold in the ricotta cheese.
- In a skillet on the stove, add olive oil and spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted, then season with onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper.
Assembling and baking the lasagna
- In an 8×8 baking pan, pour 2-3 tablespoons of marinara sauce mixture.
- Top with the meat noodle slices, then spread more marinara sauce on top.
- Add all of the sautéed spinach as your next layer.
- Spread the ricotta mixture on top of the spinach.
- Cover with half of the mozzarella cheese.
- Keep layering with remaining meat noodles and marinara.
- Cover the top layer with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly golden.
How many carbs in a serving of keto lasagna
When I make this dish, I cut the lasagna into 9 squares.
At this serving size, each square comes out to 3 grams of total carbs and 1 gram of fiber. This means that a single serving will have just 2 grams net carbs.
Compare that to traditional lasagna, which will have closer to 30 grams of carbs or more!
And once you try a bite of this keto lasagna with meat noodles, you won’t miss those carb-filled pasta layers one bit.
The perfect spinach and meat lasagna recipe without noodles
If you or your family have been looking for low carb versions of classic comfort foods, this super tasty dish is for you.
It’s also great for meal prepping! You can freeze the casserole before or after baking, although I prefer to freeze it before baking.
Once I’m ready to make my noodle free lasagna, I take it out a few hours early to thaw, then throw it in the oven. So easy! It’s a life-saver when we have surprise company or when I need a quick dinner for the family.
If you have a dish that can safely go from freezer to oven, you don’t even need to let it thaw. Just be sure to adjust the baking time.
Next time you’re craving this classic italian dish, be sure to give keto friendly lasagna a try!
Other low carb casserole dishes
Looking for other easy casseroles to feed the family or a bigger group? Check out a few of these favorites:
- Keto Chicken Broccoli Casserole is a quick and easy recipe made from scratch that’s absolutely delicious.
- Easy Mexican Chicken Lasagna includes plenty of cheese and is flavored with southwestern spices for a fun twist on this classic dish.
- Keto Eggplant Parmesan Casserole with a gluten-free breading is a delicious, cozy dish that’s loaded with cheese and authentic Italian flavor!
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole has all the flavorful ingredients of this classic comfort food combined in a baking dish for a super easy dinner.
- Pumpkin Lasagna also uses meat noodles to replace the pasta layer for a delicious twist on traditional lasagna.
I also love the flavors in the spinach artichoke chicken casserole by my friend Julianne over at Keto Cooking Christian.
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Keto Lasagna with Spinach and Meat
Ingredients
MEATZA INGREDIENTS :
- 2 Pounds Ground Lean Beef
- 1 Egg yolk beaten
- ½ Cup Parmesan
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 2 Teaspoon Ground Sage
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Oregano
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ½ – 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper Powder can be omitted if desired
- Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste
LASAGNA INGREDIENTS :
- 2 to 2 ½ Cups Marinara Sauce
- 10 Ounces Spinach
- 2 Egg yolks beaten
- 1 Cup Ricotta
- 2 Cups Freshly Grated Mozzarella Cheese
- ½ Cup Parmesan
- ¼ Teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ⅛ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- Fresh Parsley for garnishing
Instructions
Making the meat slices
- In a small container, mix onion powder, garlic powder, sage, oregano, thyme and cayenne powder (if using). Reserve ½ teaspoon for marinara sauce.
- Place ground beef in a large platter or large bowl and mix in seasoning. Sprinkle parmesan and beaten egg yolk. Mix well.
- Line two 9×13 baking pans with parchment paper. Transfer seasoned ground beef and flatten with a spatula or back of a spoon.
- In a preheated oven of 450°F, bake ground beef for 7 to 12 minutes or just until browned. Drain oil and slice to fit lasagna container.
Preparing the lasagna
- In a bowl with marinara sauce, add parmesan, reserved mixed seasoning (from meatza ingredients) and mix well. Set aside.
- In another bowl with beaten egg, fold in ricotta. Set aside.
- In a skillet, heat olive oil and spinach until wilted. Season spinach with onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper.
- Assemble lasagna. Pour 2 to 3 tablespoon marinara sauce to an 8×8 baking pan. Top with meatza slices, spread more marinara sauce. Add all sautéed spinach and spread ricotta mixture on top. Cover with half of mozzarella cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients, with mozzarella at the top most part.
- In a preheated oven of 400°F, bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly golden.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
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Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Unauthorized use of this material without written permission from Lisa MarcAurele is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes.
Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
First Published: January 5, 2018… Last Updated: January 2, 2020
Lisa MarcAurele has been creating keto friendly recipes since 2010. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen to create low sugar foods that taste like high carb favorites!
Colleen says
OMG! Best, seriously, best lasagna ever! A little labor intensive but so worth it. With COVID quarantine going on I have the time and this was a HUGE hit with my family. Instead of all the day individual seasonings I did 4 tbsps Italian seasoning + 1 tsp of onion and garlic powder each and then added salt and pepper to taste. I also forgot to add it to the mix while I was mixing the meat with the parm and egg so I sprinkled on top and spread around before cooking. I had to cook more like 15 mins or so. I skipped ricotta bc I’m not a fan and used all fresh mozz. Next time I would add more marinara and add basil but overall this was a major hit in my family and a new fave!! So delish!! Shared with family and friends! Thank you!!!
Sandi l says
Just made this tonight. I didn’t add the spinach since I hate it but loved the meatza! Love the spices. I didn’t add the cayenne pepper but next time I will!
Rene says
All i can say is, Oh my Word!!!! How tasty and wholesome have this been. Made this recipe last night and also made the marinada myself. i must say, it is a timeous process, but we have split the left overs in to two separate dishes – so with a salad it will be more than enough. I can really recommend you give this one a try.
Carol Verge says
Hi Lisa,
I am totally making this! But I have a silly question. Can I take out the ricotta without messing up the recipe? I cannot stand ricotta.
Love your recipes.
Lisa MarcAurele says
Hi Carol! I don’t recommend taking out the ricotta without replacing it with something else like cottage cheese. But, you might be able to replace the ricotta cheese layer with a layer of your favorite cheese.
Barb Natale says
Haven’t tried this yet, but it looks delicious. My only comment at this time is how can a recipe made in an 8×8 baking pan feed 9 people?
Lisa MarcAurele says
It’s very filling and cut into 9 squares but the count isn’t much more if you cut it into 6 pieces instead.
Teresa says
This was delicious!!! I did 1 pound grass fed beef and 1 pound Cajun seasoned Venison/sausage!
Rhea says
Hi! Is it possible to fry the Meatza part of the lasagna using coconut oil??
Lisa MarcAurele says
I don’t see why not.
DANA MIRANDA says
WINNER WINNER!!
This was really delicious!!
I put it on top of healthy noodles because my husband isn’t completely low carb.
Crystal Lantzy says
I first made this for my husband and myself and made a regular lasagna for my family. Needless to say my husband and I did not have any leftovers lol! My family LOVED it! Especially my 11-year-old grandson. He is so picky about everything. He even asked me to make this for Christmas dinner. Thank you so much for your recipes! I had weight loss surgery a few years ago and have really missed lasagne!
Lisa MarcAurele says
No need to miss lasagna on low carb! I’m glad this recipe was a hit with your family.
Stephanie Smith says
This is so smart, I never would have thought to use meatza like this! I’ve been avoiding Lasagne on keto because I’ve mostly seen the zucchini noodles, and that doesn’t appeal to me. This does! And it’s my daughter’s favorite meal! Thank you!
Lisa MarcAurele says
The meatza is a great way to still get the layers without using thin veggie slices. Hope you love it as much as we do!
Charlie says
Super yummy. Thank you so much!
Jill says
Wow, this was super time consuming, but turned out very delicious! I used non dairy cheeses for me and it was still great!
Lisa says
Good to know those non-dairy cheese products worked. I’ve been avoiding dairy myself.
Texicana says
This was yummy! But I have a suggestion…instead of baking it in the 8X8 i would recommend a casserole dish. My meatza shrank and would have fit perfectly in a casserole dish. I ended up cutting the meatza and some of it didn’t end up in the lasagna (fine for a burger later). And when I entered the macros into carb manager it said it had 5 net carbs and I even accidentally forgot to buy the spinach. My marinara sauce had only 4 net carbs per serving so I’m not sure if the nutrition info is right.
Lisa says
Thanks for the suggestion!
Kathy says
Its just me (sometimes hate cooking for just 1) Dose this dish freeze well
Thanks. so far love all the recipes.
Lisa says
Yes. This does freeze well and can be frozen before or after baking. I prefer freezing it before baking.
Tracy says
Is this for a 9×13 pan recipe? There’s no way the 8×8 will feed my family of 6. Would I have to double everything?
Lisa says
I bake it in a 9×9, but you can adjust it for a 9×13.
Kimberly Gilbert says
Using Onion and garlic powders are difficult for gluten free which is one of our family problems. Think I will try this with real minced garlic and minced onion. Sounds great. Thanks for clarifying the Meatza times.
Lisa says
You can certainly use minced garlic and onion. I usually have those on hand too.
Anne says
This looks DEVINE! The meatza is interesting. I can’t wait to try it.
Lisa says
Hope you love it!
Danielle says
This turned out so delicious! Just curious, do use rGBH free ricotta cheese and mozarella? Thanks
Lisa says
I try to buy organic if it’s available. But otherwise, I’ll use what I can find (unfortunately).
Susan says
I made it yesterday, me and boyfriend loved it! I used 1 lb ground chuck and I lb ground Italian sausage, and baked it just until it was stiff enough to cut. Also used fresh mozzarella. It was great, thank you for posting a great recipe.
Lisa says
You’re welcome! 🙂
Jen says
Where can I find Meatza?
Lisa says
You make it as stated in the recipe.
Myrna says
I want lean about Keto precios. Thank you.
You have delicious recipes.
Pepper says
Did you use parchment paper
Lisa says
I usually use a non-stick pan or silicon mat.
Lana says
Could you use roasted peppers that have been in a vinegar solution or bacon as the sheet substitute?
Lisa says
I’d cook the bacon first, but it should work. The peppers may not hold well.
mark says
Peppers are often used in Mexican dishes of a similar nature, with great success.
Monte says
This was really disappointing. Lean ground beef cooked for 30 minutes gets very tough and dry. When I went to slice the finished lasagna, the meat was so rubbery that it wouldn’t cut and made a huge mess of the whole dish. And it was just too dry to eat. I threw it all away and I feel like I just wasted a lot of time and money.
Lisa says
How long did you cook the beef? The original recipe says to bake for 10-15 minutes (I changed it to 7-12 or just until browned so others don’t overcook like you did). Once it’s in the lasagna sauce, it shouldn’t dry out or get tough.
Ruby Miller says
Read!
HStew22 says
Made this last night! Didn’t have any spinach, but this was fantastic! Took your recommendation of a baking sheet to spread the meat out to bake. Two nice thin layers! Absolutely delicious!
Lisa says
Yay! It’s one of my favorites.
Laura J says
I’m making this today!!!!
Laura J says
Why does it say to use two 9 x 13 pan’s in the video all I see is you putting the hamburger in one pan? Then, it bakes in an 8 x 8?
Lisa says
The video doesn’t show the two layers. I double the layers when I make mine so mine is just done in thinner layers. But, you can make it either way.
Tom says
Are the nutritional values based on your double layers as you make it or on the single layer as the video? I may just be over thinking this.
Lisa says
It’s based on the ingredients listed.