This low carb, 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. When I was first starting a low carb, ketogenic lifestyle, I really wanted a low carb and gluten free pasta substitution. But at the time, they were really hard to find, and the keto pasta recipes that I could find, we just plain no good! I was tired of wasting food trying low carb recipes that fell flat. Sound familiar? I knew I had to set out to make my own low carb, real food versions. There were two recipes that I immediately knew I wanted to make – a low carb mac and cheese and a low carb lasagna. So, I did exactly that. They were two of the very first recipes I ever wrote for this site and 6 years later, they are still among the most popular.
The first time I made this keto lasagna, I served it to Jon without telling him that it was an impasta (get it? impasta?) and he had no idea. Once I told him, he was even more impressed. It is low carb comfort food at it’s finest. Although it does take a little meal prep work, it is definitely worth it to have a healthier version that you can eat whenever you want.
You can even make the low carb noodles in advance and freeze them. Having the noodles done ahead of time makes for a quick and easy low carb meal. Perfect for those busy weeknights. 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 Low Carb Hearty Tomato Meat Sauce Recipe. I like to make a double batch of that sauce and portion it out into individual freezer meals so that I always have it on hand. If you have a stash of the noodles and the sauce in the freezer at all times, this meal comes together so quickly. This is a great example of why I talk about the importance of food prep in my low carb and gluten free meal plans. Spend one day a week batch cooking and prepping and then it is smooth sailing for the rest of the week!
I’ll even let you in on a little secret. about the “noodles” in this recipe. They also make for an amazing nut free pizza crust. Don’t believe me? Check it out for yourself. Low Carb Nut Free Pizza Crust
Check out some of my other favorite low carb pasta substitutions:
- 27 Low Carb Keto Pasta Substitution Recipes
- Low Carb Chicken Cordon Bleu Lasagna
- Low Carb Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
- Low Carb Cabbage Noodle Tuna Casserole
- Keto Mediterranean Zucchini Noodle Pasta
- Keto Eggplant Lasagna
- Low Carb and Gluten Free Lasagna Stuffed Peppers
Did you know I have two new books coming out? You can order them HERE
"Just Like The Real Thing" LASAGNA!!
Ingredients
For the “Noodles”
- 2 large eggs
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
For the Filling
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 1/2 cups Three Cheese Marinara Sauce, divided (get recipe here)
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 6 tbsp whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 tbsp minced onion flakes (I use these)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Instructions
For the “Noodles”
- This part will take the longest, so feel free to make the "noodles" the night before and just leave them in the fridge until you are ready for them.
- Preheat oven to 375° Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper
- In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, cream together 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 20-25 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 ground beef, minced onion, oregano, garlic powder, dried basil and a pinch of salt. Cook until the meat is browned.
- Drain excess fat from pan and add ¾ 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 tbsp ricotta cheese, and cover with another “noodle” layer. Repeat these steps.
- Cover the top “noodle” layer with remaining ground beef, and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle Italian seasoning over top. Bake for 20 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Per Serving - Calories: 486 | Fat: 34g | Protein: 57g | Net Carbs: 9.5g
I’ve found a pasta sauce that has a really low carb count. It’s 3 or 4 per 1/2 cup serving (can’t remember for sure). The brand is “Rao’s” and it’s really great. Lasagna is one of my faves, I usually pick around the noodles, but I’ll try these next time. Thanks!!!
Yessss,RAO!.They also have low carb vodka penni sauce. It taste fantastic, with zoodles. I make shrimp vodka penne! Rao’s sauce are low carb.not sure if gluten free. Check th ingredience.
Your recipes are simply AWESOME! Thank you and please continue to add more!
Thank you and I definitely will keep posting new recipes
Very good indeed…even the bottomless pit guys in my house chose ‘my side’ of the lasagna over theirs with regular noodles! I tweaked it with fresh garlic, onion and basil in the meat mixture and loved the ‘noodles’ – thanks for all your work in making some great recipes!
Thank you very much!
Looks delicious Can you add the calorie count per serving?
I made the pizza crust, even though is not crunchy it was very good, after done it my toppings were: mozzarella, ricotta, spinach, onions, red bell pepper, black olives and sausage, OMG it was sooooooooo good! Thank you very much for this delicious recipe. I enjoyed it a lot….
First we found your nachos and now Low Carb Lasagna?? Really?!?!? God Bless You, Holley!!! I just asked my wife is we could invite you to be her first sister wife. LOL
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delish. Thanks so much!
OMG.. BY far THE best recipe I have tried for Lasagna Low Carb or NOT!! I made mine in two small loaf pans since I didn’t have a regular loaf pan and my husband couldn’t stop eating it (and he’s not the one dieting!)
Honestly, same here! Made the noodles and sauce last night and had the lasagna at church today. (Just me and my mom since we’re eating keto. We brought regular lasagne for everyone else.) It was amazing. Best lasagne I have ever had. ever. Both the noodles and the sauce are delicious, and it was all super easy. I did blend my sauce with an immersion blender to get rid of the large tomato chunks. My brother and I hate those.
I will absolutely be making it again.
Can’t wait to make this tonight! Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!!!!!
Made this tonight…O.M.G. delicious!!! Loved, loved, loved the “noodles”! Doubled the noodles so I could make a larger dish of this. I can’t rave enough about it. Thank you!
making this right now… smells deeeeeelicious!
Made this last night. Oh so good! It will be a keeper in our house.
Thank you for this recipe! My husband is diabetic and I was looking for recipe alternatives (lasagna is my fav) that were low carb—plus no zucchini “noodles”. I cannot wait to try it out this weekend ^_^ Please keep up the great work and add more recipes.
To follow-up, I made this last night since we had some left over ricotta in the fridge. My husband said it was better than original lasagna (w/noodles). Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! This will definitely be part of my dinner rotation ^_^
I made this for Superbowl Sunday and it was AWESOME! Thank you so much! This Italian and her super PICKY husband loved it!!!
OMG!!! I love you for posting this!!! I have been looking for a low carb version as I love my lasagna and was unsure what to use for the noodles. THANK YOU!!!
This was awesome, , I made it for my family and now am making it for a dinner party. . I am excited to share this with my friends.
Thank you for the great ideas.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! So good.
I made this last night and my husband and I were in heaven. This is incredible and really easy.
Any chance you can create a white sauce version? My husband can’t have tomato-ey stuff. I will, however, be trying this for me :).
Has anyone tried to make this ahead of time? I would like to assemble and then bake the next night. Or should I bake it and reheat it?
Does this freeze well? When I make lasagna I usually make a double batch and freeze / cook it in smaller baking dishes since I’m cooking for one (most of the time).
Thanks!
Hi Mellie, I have never frozen it. If you try it, report back and let us all know how it holds up. 🙂
I’m wondering if it can be pre-prepped and frozen to be baked up to a few days later when I’ll have guests. Has anyone tried?
How did it end up holding up after freezing and cooking? Did you freeze it uncooked or cooked? Want to make a bunch of Keto post partum food for the chest freezer!! Thanks!
I made this last night and my husband and I loved it. Such a great idea. I’ve tried the zucchini style lasagna and it just didn’t do it for me, but this is awesome!! Thanks for the great recipes.
I made this tonight and the whole family loved it!!!! Thanks so much!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! What a clever way to make a substitute for noodles! And so delicious! My husband, who can eat anything and never gain an ounce was over the moon, and did not notice the “faux” noodles. I used my own marinara sauce (basically the same but without the added cheese) and gave it a little depth with some hot paprika paste, and used fresh herbs and garlic. I can`t wait to try more of your recipes. You have talent, gal!
Thanks for the awesome compliment. I am so happy that you enjoyed it.
I LOVED this! You are amazing. Can’t wait to follow you going forward!
Amazing! Scrumptious!
Sadly, burned the first 2 batches of noodles, and the overall dish. Be really careful with temperature and baking times!
So I didn’t see the temp for what I should bake this at. I saw the noodles were at 375. Is that the temp for the full lasagna too?
This recipe rocks! Everyone in the family loves this even my parents think it’s as good as the real thing. It freezes and reheats really well. I usually make 3 or 4 at a time and it’s great to have them to pull out of the freezer for a busy weeknight!
I wish I would have made more when I made this for the first time! Great idea! My family absolutely loved this!
Did you bake it before freezing?
So I made this meatless (for lent)… and the first night it was just ok maybe cause I used the “noodles” right after they cooled… but the days following it so good. I can’t wait until I’m eating meat again… Thanks!
AMAZING!!!!! Just perfect! We loved this recipe! Better than regular lasagna. The flavor in the “noodles” is just wonderful!
I substituted fat free ricotta and used low fat mozz. I also used ground turkey instead of beef. I just can’t get over how great this recipe is.
THANK YOU!
So so delicious!
Wow! I just stumbled upon this today and since it was cold and rainy, I was in the perfect mood for this. I haven’t made regular lasagna in years, since it makes such a mess and this was easier than “real” lasagna, but just as tasty. Thank you! This will go in the regular rotation.
My friends and family LOVE this lasagna, even more than regular lasagna. My daughter brought the lasagna noodles in her lunch and her friends are now asking for the recipe. Thank you.
Holy cow! Best lasagna recipe EVER! This is better than my “old” pasta one! 🙂
Very good! I found a marinara sauce with 4 carbs per 1/2 cup and had real ingredients. Brand was Mezzetta and I bought it at Publix
Thank you so much for this recipe. This is my second time making it and we all love it.!!
I made this this past weekend. It is very good and as good as “real” lasagna with noodles. A winner for me.
I guess I am missing something. How do you get e layers of noodles from the one pan?
3 noodles are cut from the 9X13 pan. The noodles are then layered into a single loaf pan.
This lasagna is amazing. I just made it for the first time last night and was floored at how well it turned out. My family prefers this version to the “old” way. It was delicious. Thank you so much ! You are amazing….I love reading about your real life struggles and the real food you are eating. So glad to see you are back !!!
Thank you for this. I’ve been running out of low carb ideas for my dieting husband. This one opens up so many possibilities! Made this tonight and am just waiting for him to come home to try it. Smells divine.
So very good. And, it was better the second day! My carb eater husband even loved it!
Also, she’s right about the noodles being a good pizza crust, too. I made some extra and stored them in the fridge. I just topped the “noodles” with some cheese and pepperoni and baked on a parchment lined pan at 425 until bubbly and golden brown. Delicious!
I was soooo skeptical, but have to agree that this version actually surpassed regular lasagna in our house! Wow it’s yummy. I tripled the noodle recipe and spread it on 2 large cookie sheets in order to make a 9×12 lasagna, and it was perfect. The “noodles” themselves are pretty tasty… trying to think what else to do with them! The funny thing, both my boyfriend and I found this to be so filling – normally we’d go back for seconds when something tastes this good (hense the change in diet!) but neither of us had the room. Had a piece reheated the next day for lunch and could barely finish. Bonus!!!! Really excellent job!
Made this tonight for supper, like it better than regular pasta noodle lasagna. Delicious.
OMG, this was da bomb…Husband loved it, and he doesn’t even like low-carb meals…can’t wait to make it again next week…thanks for the recipe!!!!
This was really, REALLY good. In fact, if I didn’t know it didn’t have actual pasta, I’m not sure I would be able to tell! One of the best low carb recipes I’ve tried. Thank you so much!
Holy deliciousness! Made with 1.5 lbs. browned uncased Italian sausage. My husband who’s also low carbing LOVED it! Thanks!!!
This lasagna is insanely delicious!! It is the first recipe I give to friends who want to go low carb and think they can’t. Thank you so much!
So happy you enjoy it enough to share it. Thanks for the kind words.
This looks like a great recipe. What size baking pan do you use? Thanks,
Oh.My.Damn!!! This is so good!!! It’s not just good as real thing – it’s better than real thing!!! Thank you for this awesome recipe!!!
This sounds too good to be true! I usually cook lunches on Sunday and then re-heat during the week for work. Has anyone had luck with this dish as leftovers, even a few days later?
Thanks!!
First, I would like to thank you for all the time spent developing your recipes. I made a few changes to make it more like my own higher carb recipe….instead of your marinara, I used Rao’s out of the jar…only 2 net carbs per 1/2 cup. And I used 1 cup whole milk ricotta and added one egg and Italian seasonings and a little salt.
My only problem was the size of the loaf pan I used. I saw that you used glass….so I did the same and could only get 2 layers in….but I did have a 9×5 bread metal bread pan so I just put some sauce in the bottom and turned out the glass loaf pan into it….it was upside down, but I still needed to add a layer so it all worked out. It is in the oven now…can’t wait to try it….can’t imagine it won’t be the most delish thing I have had lately…..7+ months with no “pasta”….this should be a treat. Thanks so much
Had to let you know how delicious the lasagna was….iin fact, I have another in the oven right now. I got 6 healthy servings out of mine……4 would have been way too much. I found that it was even better the next day. I just left it in the loaf pan and sliced a serving and heated in the microwave….added a bit more Rao’s marinara sauce to the top…delish.
I made this recipe over the weekend and OMG it was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!
So happy you enjoyed it!!
Delicious!! We loved it!
Had to post a pic on my FB and now I have several inquiries about recipe.
I’m certainly sharing and hope they find it equally scrumptious!
Thank you so much for this recipe. The only thing I changed was that I used Italian sausage instead of hamburger and did not use ricotta. I prepared this several days ago and froze in four mini loaf pans to have individual servings. I couldn’t finish a whole serving so had the left over just now for breakfast. It tasted as good or better than my old lasagna using pasta noodles. Thank you so so much!
Phenomenal! My picky PICKY husband loved it and we both agreed it’s every bit as good as the real deal. You don’t miss the pasta at all! I made the real deal for my kids and this for my husband and I. The kids tried it and all said they’d be happy eating it. You can’t tell the difference! You are pure magic! Thank you for giving me back one of my favorite foods!
Yay! So happy you liked it. Any meal that is husband AND kid approved is a winner.
this is amazing!! Ive made it twice and nobody missed the high carb pasta. I thought the cheezy noodles were better than the high carb pasta. Thanks for a great recipe!!
Made an almost dairy-free version . . . used leftover Almond nut pulp from Almond milk . . . works just like ricotta cheese . . . my husband Loved it and so did I . . . still used eggs and 1 ounce of kefalotyri cheese and it’s wonderful. Thanks for all the hard work!
I’ve got to say, this is amazing. Lasagna is my trademark recipe that all my friends love. Since my husband has gone low carb, it’s not been an option. I tried this recipe last weekend and was amazed. I didn’t change a thing. While I didn’t set out to improve it, I made it again today and changed one thing and it is even better. I didn’t think that would be possible. I made your noodle recipe and instead of baking it in one 13×9 pan I used the same recipe but split it between two 13×9 pans to make 6 smaller noodles. I also used the leftover sauce form last weekend. OH MY GOODNESS. Those smaller noodles literally dissolved and became almost pasta like. Thank you for sharing. I have a feeling my husband will be requesting this often.
Did you make 6 layers or did you make a double batch of the filling and use two loaf pans?
WOW, WOW, WOW
This is unbelievably delicious!! Made to recipe but did add an egg yoke to the Ricotta.We had an emergency so we put all the ingredients in the fridge and assembled the next day. It baked for 50 minutes to get to 160 degrees internal. Tented the cheese on top after the first twenty minutes. This has all the texture and flavor of the real deal. Next go around I’ll make sure i have an additional few tablespoons of marinara as it was a little drier than I care for.
Thank you for creating this gastronomical delight!!!!
I skip the mozzarella on top while baking…always Brown’s too much and with all the other cheeses you really don’t miss it.
This was amazing! My husband and I both thought it tasted like the “real” thing. Thanks for such a great recipe!
This recipe is amazing!!! Oh my gosh!!
Do you know if this can be cut into individual portions and frozen to reheat later? It seams like even real pasta gets a little mushy after freezing.
Thank you!
wow this is so good. I froze leftovers, and reheated a month later just as good. really just amazing. loved it
Thank you for this info. I’ve been looking for someone to say how they froze it, cooked or uncooked. Love that we could make several and freeze individual portions for easy future suppers.
I made this last night and loved it!!! Will Will be making this again!
I’m doing your diet bet this month and just made this for dinner. Holy Smokes!!!! Amazing!!! That sauce is incredible. Thank you!
OMG…made this over the weekend. A little bit of work but I doubled sauce recipe and froze it for next time. This was insanely delicious – REALLY. Hubbie ate it and had no idea they weren’t real noodles. Well worth a little time and making the “noodles” ahead of time and leaving them in refrigerator worked just fine.
So happy you enjoyed it. Yes, it is definitely a little more time consuming than traditional lasagna, but so, so worth it.
I just made this recipe for our dinner tonight. I did use a different sauce, but it was delicious. I recently found out I have a truck load of food allergies. I am enjoying exploring your website and finding new recipes that work with my food restrictions.
I tried it tonight and it was amazing! Better than the traditional. Thank you!
Super impressed with this recipe. I also used another sauce, but my family loved it. Thanks for an outstanding recipe!
This has been my go-to lasagna for years now! I don’t bother with any other recipe because there is no point! Right now, we are house-sitting in Barbados and I made a few loaf pans of it and froze it and brought it with us….We have it once a week. It is definitely the best!
Thank you for this recipe! It’s CRAZY good. I didn’t know I was missing lasagne until my first bite. But this is really delicious!
I just made a double batch of this tonight!! I had extra “noodles” because I made smaller pans, which I used up making single serving pans. This was sooooo good!! I put the extras in my freezer for quick low carb dinners. 🙂 Thank you for this awesome recipe.
Absolutely amazing. Made this tonight for my dad who doesn’t eat low carb and he couldn’t believe how tasty it was!! Thanks for the great recipes!!
Congrats on your upcoming cookbook releases! They look beautiful and this lasagna looks delicious!
This sounds amazing! I’ve been using a thickish slice of provolone or swiss cheese as a noodle (it holds up really well and adds an extra cheesy flavor!), but I can’t wait to try this too!
So, I really do not leave comments but felt like I had to with this one. My husband who is not a big noodle fan was amazed at how good this was. We couldn’t believe how much it tasted like lasagna!!!! The only complaint that I had was that I should have made more. I’ve been asked to keep this one in the rotation.
Awesome!! So happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking a moment to tell me. 🙂
I was a big carb fan with lasagna being on the top of my list. Started going kept about 4 weeks ago and was really missing all pasta’s then I came across this recipe. One word : FAN-F%$KING-TASTIC!!!! It was unbelievable I would even venture to say it was better than my ‘regular’ lasagna recipe. Husband couldn’t believe it was kept but was very happy to hear it was 9.5g of carbs. Then I find a nacho recipe?!?! Guess whats for dinner tomorrow!
This recipe says 4 servings but I easily get 8 out of it….this and a side salad or veggies is plenty.
Kyndra this dish is so amazingly delicious! You have outdone yourself. My hubby has finally started keto with me after watching me a couple months and he was worried about what he will be eating. If he will like it. Well today helped to assuage his worries after eating this. Thanks again for sharing!