"Just Like the Real Thing" Keto Lasagna

Published: Dec 13, 2011 · Last Updated: Sep 4, 2023 by Kyndra Holley

This post may contain affiliate links

The original low carb lasagna recipe! This “Just Like the Real Thing” keto lasagna is rich and delicious, with layers of low carb noodles topped with savory meat sauce, creamy ricotta cheese, and melty mozzarella cheese. It is the ultimate in low carb comfort food.

A close up photo of a low carb lasagna. Melty cheese, sauce, beef, garnished with basil

The best low carb lasagna recipe

This keto lasagna recipe is easy to make and tastes just like the real thing. In fact, over the years, I have been told many times that it should be called “Better Than the Real Thing” lasagna. It is so much better than zucchini lasagna. The keto lasagna noodles are so good that you can hardly tell you are eating a low carb, gluten free swap. If you have been wondering how to make keto lasagna, look no further.

Ingredients in the Best Keto Lasagna Recipe

The thing that makes this lasagna so close to the real thing is the noodles. You would never know that they are made up of just cheese, egg, and a little seasoning. Once you top them with the seasoned ground beef, homemade low carb marinara sauce, ricotta and parmesan, that is when they really shine.

For the Keto Lasagna Noodles

Cream Cheese: It is best to use a full fat cream cheese as it is lower in carbs than the low-fat or reduced fat varieties. Full fat cream cheese also has a richer flavor and a creamier texture.
Mozzarella Cheese: For these low carb lasagna noodles, you will want to use a pre-shredded, low moisture, part skin mozzarella cheese.
Parmesan Cheese: Finely grated parmesan cheese works best in this recipe, although you can also use a shredded parmesan. While fresh is always best, the green can/lid variety will also work.
Eggs: You will need 2 large room temperature eggs. I don’t recommend making this recipe with egg substitutes as the noodles will not have the right texture.
Seasonings: The seasonings in these keto lasagna noodles are really optional, but they do add a lot of flavor.

For the Low Carb Lasagna Filling

Ground Beef: If you are using a fattier ground beef, be sure to drain any excess grease before adding the marinara to the pan. It is also delicious with half ground beef and half Italian sausage. For a lighter version, you can even make it with ground turkey.
Seasonings: While the marinara has a lot of flavor, I like to also make sure that the ground beef is well seasoning. I cook it with dried minced onion, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Marinara Sauce: I like to make my own homemade low carb marinara sauce, but you can also use store-bought. My favorite is the Roasted Garlic Barilla. If you want to make your own, I have a couple of delicious recipes for you: Pesto Marinara Sauce and Three Cheese Garlic Marinara Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese: Again, you will want to use a shredded, low moisture, part skim mozzarella. I know this probably seems like a lot of cheese, but I promise it doesn’t have an overly cheesy flavor.
Ricotta Cheese: Just like the cream cheese, I recommend using a full-fat ricotta cheese. Cottage cheese is a delicious substitution also.

A close up picture of a low carb lasagna with melty cheese, marinara and ground beef

More Low Carb Lasagna Recipe

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make the low carb lasagna “noodles” in advance?

Yes, you can. In fact, it will speed up the prep time considerably when you are ready to assemble and bake the lasagna. If you want to go a step further, you can even swap out the low carb marinara sauce and ground beef in this recipe for my Hearty Tomato Meat Sauce and make that in advance also.

Should you freeze a whole lasagna before or after you cook it?

With this particular recipe, you could do either. You can do all of the assembly steps ahead of time, freeze it, and then bake it when you are ready to eat it. Alternately, you could fully cook it, freeze it, and then reheat it in the oven later.

How can I make this gluten free lasagna in a larger pan?

To make a larger keto lasagna, simply double the recipe and instead of cutting each “noodle” into three equal parts, cut the noodles to fit the pan you are using.

Other Recipes You Might Enjoy

REVIEW AND FOLLOW: Have you tried this recipe? If so, please leave a comment and ⭐️ rating below. If you make our recipes and share them, be sure to use our hashtag #peaceloveandlowcarb on social! We love seeing what you are making. FOLLOW us on FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST for more delicious recipes.

“Just Like The Real Thing” Keto Lasagna

Author: Kyndra Holley
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield: 6 Servings 1x
Diet: Gluten Free

Description

This “Just Like the Real Thing” keto lasagna is rich and delicious, with layers of low carb noodles topped with savory meat sauce, creamy ricotta cheese, and melty mozzarella cheese. This low carb lasagna recipe is the ultimate in low carb comfort food.

Ingredients

Units

Scale

Instructions

For the “Noodles”

Preheat oven to 375° Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and eggs.
Next, add Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in mozzarella cheese and mix until well incorporated.
Spread the mixture into the baking dish, forming a nice even layer.
Bake on the middle rack for 20 to 25 minutes.
When the “noodles” are done baking, cool in the fridge for about 20 minutes and then cut into thirds. This makes three perfectly sized “noodle” layers for an 8.5 X 4.5 X 2.5 loaf pan.

For the Filling:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine the ground beef, onion, oregano, garlic powder, dried basil and a pinch of salt. Cook until the meat is browned.
Drain excess fat from pan and add 1 cup marinara sauce to meat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Putting it all together:

Pour ¼ cup marinara sauce into bottom of loaf pan. Top with the first “noodle” layer
Layer a third of the ground beef mixture. Top with ¼ cup mozzarella cheese and 3 tablespoon ricotta cheese, and cover with another “noodle” layer. Repeat these steps.
Cover the top “noodle” layer with remaining meat sauce, marinara and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle Italian seasoning over top. Bake for 20 minutes.

Notes

Be sure that you are using parchment paper and not wax paper — They are not interchangeable. The noodles will stick to wax paper, and you will not be able to get them off. It is also a good idea to grease your parchment paper.
net carbs per serving: 5.6g

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Category: Dinner Recipes
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 399
Fat: 27g
Carbohydrates: 6.3g
Fiber: 0.7g
Protein: 33.5g

Keywords: low carb lasagna, keto lasagna recipe, keto lasagna noodles, low carb pasta recipes, peace love and low carb lasagna, just like the real thing lasagna, gluten-free lasagna