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Roasted eggplant is one of my favorite things to make during the summer, and I’m always finding new ways to incorporate it into full meals. One of my favorite ways is this keto eggplant lasagna recipe with ground beef and ricotta. If you’re worried that you’ll miss the noodles, don’t be. My low carb eggplant lasagna without noodles has all of the flavors of a great lasagna, I promise you won’t even miss the noodles one bit! And, learning how to make eggplant lasagna is super easy – not so different from the regular kind.
I really should have known how awesome low carb eggplant lasagna without noodles would be. After all, I’m a huge fan of using keto vegetables as stand-ins for starches in traditional comfort food recipes. From zucchini noodles alfredo to bacon cheeseburger soup to cauliflower mac & cheese, I’ve been doing that for a long time. (In fact, I have a whole guide on keto pasta alternatives that have many veggie options as replacements.)
During the summer, simple eggplant lasagna is the best way to enjoy those flavors and use seasonal produce at the same time. Give it a try even if you don’t like eggplant! The flavor of the eggplant is not strong with this preparation.
That being said, if you prefer real noodles, try my classic keto lasagna instead.
This keto eggplant lasagna recipe with meat sauce was originally published on August 19, 2017, and the post was republished in July 2020 to add process pictures and useful tips. I also changed the method a bit to make it easier to assemble. Here is one of the original photos, if you are curious:
What Is Eggplant Lasagna?
Low carb eggplant lasagna is just like regular lasagna, but with layers of roasted eggplant instead of the noodles. Who doesn’t love the Italian flavors of lasagna, right?
What does eggplant lasagna taste like?
Eggplant lasagna tastes very close to regular lasagna. The texture of the eggplant layer is just slightly different from pasta.
Layers of roasted eggplant, a beef and marinara sauce, and three cheeses and Italian seasonings… it’s a flavor combo that can’t be beat!
Is eggplant lasagna keto?
Yes, this simple eggplant lasagna recipe is keto friendly! Each filling serving has just 6 grams net carbs.
How To Make Eggplant Lasagna
The trick to keto eggplant lasagna is to make the layers in parallel. Roasting the eggplant, cooking the meat marinara sauce, and making the cheese filling can all be done in tandem. Then, it’s a matter of simply assembling the layers and baking.
Here’s how to make eggplant lasagna without noodles:
- Roast eggplant. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line and grease a baking sheet and arrange the slices in a single layer. Brush both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the eggplant until soft.
TIP: To avoid any bitterness, make sure you choose small-to-medium eggplants that are firm to the touch. Huge ones, or those that are too soft, tend to be more bitter.
- Make meat sauce. While eggplant is roasting, heat oil in a large pan. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, then add ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned, breaking apart with a spoon or spatula. Stir in marinara sauce and Italian seasoning and reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
- Make cheese filling. While the meat sauce simmers, mix together the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and egg in a small bowl.
- Assemble low carb eggplant lasagna. Now, you’ll alternate the layers…
Line the bottom of a 9×13 inch glass or stoneware casserole dish with a single layer of roasted eggplant slices…
Top with the ground beef marinara mixture…
Spread the ricotta mixture on top…
Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese…
And repeat the layers again, with shredded mozzarella last.
- Bake. It’s done when the cheese is melted and golden. I like to top with a little fresh basil.
Low Carb Eggplant Lasagna Storage Instructions
Can you make baked eggplant lasagna ahead?
Yes, you can make this recipe for keto eggplant lasagna ahead.
You could prepare the layers ahead of time:
- Roast the eggplant
- Mix together the cheese layer ingredients
- Cook the meat sauce
Store these separately in the fridge for up to 4-5 days, then all you need to do is assemble and bake.
Alternatively, you can assemble the whole thing in advance as well, store in the fridge for 2-4 days, and just bake when ready. (I usually opt for this second option.)
How to store leftovers of healthy eggplant lasagna?
IStore this classic eggplant lasagna recipe in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Can eggplant lasagna be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze eggplant keto lasagna for 2-3 months.
If you are making it ahead, assemble the casserole as written but skip the last baking step. If you have leftovers you want to freeze, it’s fine to freeze those after baking, too.
Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking if you can. While baking from frozen is possible, it would take a very long time.
How to reheat keto eggplant lasagna
If you previously baked it, you can reheat low carb eggplant lasagna leftovers in a 350 degree F oven, or in the microwave, until heated through.
On the other hand, if it was pre-assembled but not fully baked, you’d heat it the same way as the original, at 400 degrees F. Keep in mind that cheese will burn if it’s in there for longer than 10-15 minutes, so you may want to reduce heat or tent the top with foil if you are baking it for longer to get it heated through.
What To Serve With Eggplant Lasagna
Eggplant lasagna is easily a complete meal in itself – that’s one of the things I love about it! But if you want to add something on the side, here are a few ideas:
- Avocado Caprese Salad – Make easy eggplant lasagna, then whip up this Caprese salad while
- Ratatouille – This is a great way to use up more seasonal summer veggies to go with your eggplant lasagna.
- Zucchini Noodle Salad – Super simple and refreshing!
- Caesar Salad – Skip the chicken and just serve it as a side salad.
- Keto Dinner Rolls – If you like a roll with your pasta-inspired meal, this hits the spot and is still low carb.
More Keto Lasagna Inspired Recipes
If you like this low carb eggplant lasagna recipe, you might also like some of these other ways to enjoy lasagna on keto:
- Lasagna Stuffed Peppers – Layers of lasagna stuffed into baked bell peppers. Yum!
- Zucchini Lasagna – You can make it the same way as eggplant lasagna, but use zucchini instead. This version features a pesto sauce.
- Cauliflower Lasagna – Another way to sneak a veggie into your keto lasagna.
- No Noodle Lasagna – Skip the noodles altogether and just include the other layers.
- Zucchini Roll Ups – These are like zucchini lasagna in the form of individual rolls. Great for portion control and so fun!
Tools To Make Keto Eggplant Lasagna
Click the links below to see the items used to make this recipe.
- Meat Chopper – This masher breaks up ground meat super fast.
- Mandoline Slicer – This tool makes it easy to slice eggplant into sheets that will be uniform in thickness. (Plus, you’ll find so many ways to use it.)
Easy Keto Eggplant Lasagna Recipe:
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Easy Keto Eggplant Lasagna Recipe
See how to make eggplant lasagna without noodles! This healthy, low carb keto eggplant lasagna recipe is easy comfort food, with simple ingredients + 20-minute prep.
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PrintIngredients
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Meat Sauce
Roasted Eggplant
Cheese Filling
Cheese Topping
Easy Keto App: Macro Tracker & Custom Meal Plans
Instructions
Click on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
Roasted Eggplant
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line and grease a baking sheet.
- Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on a large baking sheet (or two small ones). Brush both sides with olive oil. Season with sea salt and black pepper.
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Roast the eggplant in the oven for about 15-25 minutes, until soft. When done, remove from the oven and leave the oven on at 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
Meat Sauce
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While the eggplant is roasting, heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the ground beef. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Cook until browned (about 10 minutes), breaking apart the meat with a spoon or spatula.
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Stir in marinara sauce and Italian seasoning. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
Cheese Filling
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While the meat sauce simmers, make the cheese filling. In a small bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and egg.
Assembly
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Line the bottom of a 9x13 in (23x33 cm) glass or stoneware casserole dish with a single layer of roasted eggplant slices (typically 6 slices for a layer). Top with the ground beef marinara mixture. Spread the ricotta mixture on top. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers again, with shredded mozzarella last.
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Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese on top is melted and golden.
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Recipe Notes
- Nutrition info is based on 85/15 ground beef and will also vary depending on which marinara sauce you use.
- For "saucier" lasagna, increase marinara to 2 cups instead of 1 1/2.
- For prettier lasagna, you can use two eggplants instead of one, and only use the center cut slices.
Serving size: 1/8 of entire recipe
Video Showing How To Make Eggplant Lasagna:
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110 Comments
Maggie
We love it! Thank you for another fabulous recipe!
Farrah
Just made it for lunch…..it was absolutely delicious and perfect!! Thank you so much!
Sharry
This recipe was SOOOOOO good! THANK YOU FOR SHARING!!!!
Wendi
We adore this! I carmelize the onions then add chopped mushrooms and garlic, then ground beef. After browning I add fire-roasted tomatoes and tomato paste. Thank you for another fabulous recipe!
Maria
Ok, here it is. I am new to Keto.. this recipe was absolutely delicious, I couldn’t even tell there was no pasta. It was so delicious that my mouth waters talking about it. There was no bitterness in the eggplant at all. Will make this again for sure. Wow!!
Rachel
OMG! So yummy! I’m new to keto and didn’t miss the pasta at all! Thanks for the recipe!
Caterina
Maya, you are amazing! My Italian Mom would have been so impressed with your Eggplant Parmigiana, which I’ve made and tastes so much like hers! She, too, always salted and rinsed (and stacked) the eggplant for her Parmigiana. Since on Keto, I’m making your Lasagna next but wondering why you roast versus sweat the eggplant here? I’m real sensitive to the bitterness so does roasting remove that? If so, is roasting an option for your Parmigiana, also?
Thank you for all you do for us!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Caterina, Thank you so much! If you are especially sensitive to the bitterness in eggplant, then you may still want to sweat it before using it in any recipes. Also, keep in mind the longer they sit on your counter, the more bitter they will become. Fresh eggplant is always best. Enjoy!
Ivy Breininger
Like every other recipe I have try, I LOVE IT!! Taste delicious!
SHARI J KATICH-ROGERS
Should we be draining the meat after cooking?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Shari, This is really your preference. I do not drain the meat. See the image above to see how my sauce turns out. Draining the would make your sauce a little drier.
DIANE
I have made this recipe several times with different variations – but always delicious. I have made it with half turkey and half grass-fed beef. I use homemade marinara sauce from the tomatoes in my garden. I have roasted the eggplant on my grill (the best) and in the oven. I have doubled the ricotta cheese recipe and layered it as directed and like that I can be generous with the layers. It is one of my favorite recipes and now a regular.
Rosanne
Great recipes, when I did the meat sauce I added some extra veggies (carrots, cĂ©leri and green peppers). I also didn’t have ricotta cheese so used cottage cheese. Thanks, dh was happy to eat a supper without pasta…
Suz
I salted a pressed the eggplant for an hour to remove moisture and then grilled the slices so they didn’t get as soggy and used veggie sausage instead of meat. 10 out of 10 would make again!
Kelly
Another successful and delicious recipe from Wholesome Yum!! This is hands down fantastic and…. super easy to make, which makes it all the better.
Eva
I think this is the best homemade lasagne I have ever had. Absolutely did not need any noodles and the taste is amazing. Next time I will cut the eggplant a little wider as it shriveled down a lot when roasting and definitely 2 larger eggplants for the full 2 layers
Dale Olstinske
Made as directed, there was lot of liquid after cooking. Don’t know it was from eggplant or cheese, but I think this this needs an addition of something to soak up the water.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Dale, There shouldn’t be much liquid – just a little as shown in photos. If it was watery, the issue is likely that the eggplant needed to roast for longer in the beginning – this brings out and evaporates the extra moisture.
Diane
Can I make this ahead and freeze it
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Diane, Yes, you can!
Suzanne
This was a good recipe! I made a few tweaks, based on what I do when I make regular lasagna. I added about a teaspoon (you can use less) of nutmeg to the ricotta filling. It increases the carbs a little, but nutmeg brings out the flavor of the ricotta a bit more. I also chopped and quickly cooked in a 1/2 tsp of oil about 2 cups of packed fresh spinach (you could defrost a box of frozen spinach and use it instead). Once the spinach cooked down, I squeezed as much moisture out of the spinach as possible and then divided it up and used it as another layer in the lasagna. However, I think next time I’ll add it to the ricotta mixture – it’s too hard to spread separately. This also adds a tiny bit to the carb count. But I like one-dish meals, and this way I was still getting my greens.
While it’s fine to leave the eggplant skin on, I probably will take some of it off on the outside pieces so that you don’t need a knife to cut the eggplant once you’ve eaten everything else.
This was so satisfying! Thanks for a great recipe!
Melissa
I convinced my family to try it last night. It was awesome.
Diana Evans
Delicious! Will definitely make this again. I used havarti slices in place of the mozzarella- so good!
Ruth
I don’t like riccota cheese. Can I substitute small curd cottage cheese?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Ruth, Yes, absolutely that will work!
Stephanie Walters
This is seriously one of the best low-carb/keto recipes I’ve ever made! So much so that my husband, who hates low-carb/keto, requested that I make it every week. I added Italian sausage to the ground beef so I don’t know how that alters the nutritional value, but it was delicious. And even better the next day, and the next!
Lou
Could you cook this in slow cooker?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Lou, This recipe would turn out too watery if cooked in a crock pot.
Janine
This receipe is really good. My only criticism comes in the page layout of the website. It takes forever to find the actual measurements of the ingredients. Other than that, this is fab!
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Janine, Thanks for the feedback! The ingredient amounts are always located in the recipe card, which is accessible by a ‘jump to recipe’ button at the top of the page if you don’t want to read the post.
Niamh
This is one of my go to recipes for eggplant. My family loves it! I have made it multiple times this summer! Thank you!
Joycelin Kilgore
Amazing dish and so simple to make!
Lisa
Yum! That looks delicious!
Petegay Johnson
So, I tried my best but as usual was making too many keto meals at the same time and messed up my layers. Maya, what would be the nutritional impact if I used ground turkey instead of beef? Thanks
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Petegay, I’m not sure. You can enter the recipe into an online recipe calculator to get an accurate update on nutrition information when using turkey.
Lisa
That looks delicious!
Carol
Great recipe!
Mihaela
Best meal I had in my keto cruising! I started in July.