This dairy free lasagna without ricotta is creamy from bechamel and full of flavor thanks to our homemade meat sauce.
If you’ve been missing lasagna due to a dairy free diet THIS IS the lasagna recipe for you. After every bite you’re looking forward to the next and you’ll want a second slice after the last bite.
We make our homemade meat sauce, quality lasagna noodles, vegan mozzarella, vegan parmesan, and a creamy delicious bechamel.
This recipe is a labor of love. We have tested it thoroughly to ensure every bite is delicious. It’s also freezer friendly!
Dairy Free Lasagna Ingredients
- Meat – We use a combination of ground beef and ground pork. You could also do ground sausage or even short ribs.
- Seasonings – We use some dry seasonings in this recipe to give it tons of flavor. Basil, oregano, garlic, onion, parsley, and of course salt and pepper.
- Veggies – A basic mirepoix of celery, onions, and carrots but we also use garlic.
- Balsamic Vinegar – We use this to give our meat sauce a delicious richness, you could also use red wine.
- Beef Bouillon – This gives more salt to the recipe as well as flavor. Make sure you’re salting to taste and keeping in mind this is added.
- Crushed Tomatoes – We use crushed tomatoes and add one 28 oz can, but if you like extra sauce in your lasagna you can use an additional 15 oz can.
- Bechamel – Keeping it dairy free we make a from scratch bechamel which consists of butter, flour, milk and we spice it up with granulated garlic, vegan parmesan, salt and pepper to taste.
- Dairy Free Cheese – We don’t use real cheese in this recipe, but you definitely could. The thing about vegan cheese is a little goes a LONG way. Too much and it’s too sweet and vegan mozzarella gets goopy and gummy. We use a combination of vegan shredded mozzarella and vegan grated parmesan. We recommend follow your heart brand.
- Pasta – This wouldn’t be lasagna without lasagna noodles, but you could definitely use a layer of pasta shapes like ziti or campanelle.
How to make lasagna without ricotta cheese
Brown the ground beef and ground pork with seasonings, drain once cooked and set aside.
Heat some olive oil in a dutch oven and cook the veggies until slightly tender.
Then add in the seasonings along with the balsamic vinegar, and bouillon.
Once ready you can add in the crushed tomatoes with water, stir. Next add in the meat and stir until combined.
Let this mingle on low heat while you make the bechamel and pasta.
Boil the noodles, but not fully, follow the instructions on the box, we do about 4 minutes.
In a saucepan melt the butter and add the flour to make a roux, slowly add in the warm milk and whisk then add in the other ingredients and let thicken on low heat mixing as needed.
Now it’s time to assemble! Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Assemble the lasagna in a 9×13 inch casserole dish. Start with a layer of meat sauce, then 4 noodles across the dish. Add another layer of meat sauce, a layer of bechamel, a sprinkle of mozzarella, and a sprinkle of parmesan. Repeat until you have 3-4 layers.
Cover the lasagna with foil but don’t let it touch the top. Cook for 30 minutes and then remove from the oven. Let it cool for 20 minutes before slicing.
Recipe tips and variations
- This recipe is well worth the prep. If you love it we recommend making a double batch and freezing some for later!
- You can make this recipe with regular cheese if you’re not dairy free.
- Our preferred dairy free cheese brand for this recipe is follow your heart. Their vegan cheese has the best mouthfeel and taste for this.
- If you like extra sauce you can add another 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes.
- Use a food processor to cut the veggies up and save time.
Storage and reheating tips
- Refrigerate: Store any lasagna leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days.
- Freeze: We recommend freezing before baking if possible. Freeze baked or unbaked lasagna for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: We recommend reheating lasagna in a 350 degree oven in a casserole dish covered with foil for about 25-30 minutes.
How to serve
We love to serve lasagna with some fresh garlic bread and a side salad.
Frequently asked questions
Does this lasagna have ricotta?
Nope! We don’t use any ricotta in this recipe, or any animal cheese for that matter. It’s completely dairy free as long as you use dairy free ingredients.
Is this lasagna vegan?
I know when we say dairy free many people think it’s vegan or even gluten free, but this recipe is just that, dairy free. It has animal products and gluten. You can use plant based meat and gluten free pasta to alter to your dietary needs.
Can I make this lasagna ahead of time?
We assemble up to 24 hours in advance and store in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
Can I add more meat or veggies?
Absolutely! We love to add short ribs for another meat option and whenever we have zucchini and mushrooms I love to chop some up and add it into the meat sauce.
Can I make this lasagna gluten-free?
Yes, you can make this lasagna gluten-free by using gluten-free lasagna noodles or even your favorite gluten free pasta.
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Dairy Free Lasagna without Ricotta
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Print Pin Recipe 🖤 SaveIngredients
Meat
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
Meat Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or use the meat grease
- 2 stalks celery chopped finely
- 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped finely
- 1 large yellow onion chopped finely
- 5 cloves garlic minced we usually do a whole bulb
- 1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar do this to taste, or you can use 1/8 cup red wine
- 1/2 tablespoon beef bouillon we use better than bouillon
- 1 teaspoon dried basil omit if your crushed tomatoes have basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes use another 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes if you like extra sauce
- 1/2 cup water use this to rinse the tomato can and get all the crushed tomatoes into the pot
- salt & pepper to taste
Bechamel
- 1/4 cup vegan butter we recommend country crock plant butter sticks
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2-3 cups full fat oat milk warmed, we recommend Oatly full fat
- 2 tablespoons vegan parmesan we recommend follow your heart
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- salt and pepper to taste
Lasagna
- 12-16 sheets lasagna noodles we use De Cecco or Barilla
- 4 oz vegan mozzarella we recommend follow your heart
- 2-4 oz vegan parmesan we recommend follow your heart
Instructions
Meat
- In a large pan, brown the ground beef and ground pork using a metal potato masher to break the meat up. Season with the granulated garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Drain the grease and discard.
Meat Sauce
- In a dutch oven heat up the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the celery, carrots, and onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add in the garlic and cook for another minute. Once the garlic is fragrant add in the balsamic vinegar, bouillon, and seasonings. Stir until fragrant.
- Next add in the crushed tomatoes and water. Stir and then add in the meat, stir again and then let the sauce cook while you prepare the rest, stir as needed and add salt and pepper to taste.
Bechamel
- Prepare the lasagna noodles and prep the bechamel.
- In a small saucepan on medium heat add the butter and once melted add in the flour. Cook for a minute or two then reduce the heat and gradually whisk in the warm milk. Whisk as needed as the sauce will thicken. Once thickened add the grated parmesan, granulated garlic, salt and pepper to taste.
Lasagna
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Assemble the lasagna in a 9×13 inch casserole dish. First do a layer of meat sauce, then 4 noodles across the dish. Add another layer of meat sauce, a layer of bechamel, a sprinkle of mozzarella, and a sprinkle of parmesan. Repeat until you have 3-4 layers.
- Cover the lasagna with foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
- Use oven mitts to carefully remove the lasagna from the oven and remove the foil. Let the lasagna cool for 20 minutes before slicing and enjoying.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information is automatically calculated and can vary based ingredients and products used. If the nutrition numbers are important for you we recommend calculating them yourself.
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