Easy Keto Cabbage Lasagna
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
25 mins
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Cook Time
45 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
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Servings
12 slices
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Calories
319 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Easy Keto Cabbage Lasagna
Description
Easy Keto Cabbage Lasagna replaces traditional pasta sheets with cabbage leaves softened by boiling them around the core to preserve their shape and pliability. Ground beef is sautéed with onions, garlic, chili flakes, and seasoned with salt, basil, oregano, and tomato paste, creating a thick meat sauce complemented by sliced black olives and Worcestershire sauce for depth. Additional thickeners like pea protein or nutritional yeast may be stirred in to firm the sauce's consistency.
Layers of boiled cabbage leaves alternate with the beef mixture and shredded mozzarella cheese, finished with Parmesan on top. The assembled lasagna is baked until bubbly and the cheese is melted and golden. The flavor is mildly spicy due to the chili flakes, and the combination of herbs contributes aromatic notes. The boiled cabbage provides a tender texture and mild flavor to balance the hearty meat sauce and melted cheeses.
This recipe serves as a filling main course for anyone seeking a low-carb or keto-friendly lasagna alternative. It can be prepared ahead and refrigerated to bake the following day, adjusting baking time accordingly. Depending on taste preferences, the spice level can be reduced or adjusted by omitting chili flakes or adding milder pepper.
The recipe suggests flexibility in cheese choice and encourages experimentation with substitute vegetables such as zucchini or eggplant instead of cabbage. Increasing cheese quantities or including cream cheese layers can add creaminess. The preparation notes include tips on handling the sauce thickener and managing flavor and texture adaptations.
Ingredients
- 1 cabbage medium
- 2 tablespoons olive oil plus extra for bottom of the dish
- 2 onion chopped, small
- 4 to 10 to 10 garlic to taste, crushed, cloves
- 2 pounds ground beef
- ½ tablespoon salt fine
- 2 teaspoons chili flakes adjust to taste
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup black olives sliced
- 1 tablespoon basil dried or fresh chopped
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 1 coop pea protein optional, to thicken sauce.
- 4 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese grated
Instructions
- Core the 1 medium cabbage head, carefully inserting a knife and cutting around the stem at an angle. The hole should go about 3 inches inside the cabbage.
- Boil the cabbage, hole down, submersed in water for 20 minutes, until the leaves are soft. While the cabbage boils,
- In a large pan or deep skillet, heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil, and fry the 2 small onions until they are soft. Add in the 4 to 10 crushed garlic cloves, and fry them together until golden.
- Add 2 pounds ground beef, 1/2 tablespoon fine salt and 2 teaspoons chili flakes. Mix it with the onion and garlic, breaking larger meat chunks that might form, and continue cooking until the meat just starts to brown.
- Add the 4 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 cup black olives, 1 tablespoon basil and 2 teaspoons oregano, mix it in, and simmer until the moisture is mostly evaporated and the sauce is thick. You may also add 1 scoop pea protein or nutritional yeast to thicken the sauce (see Notes below). Set sauce aside to form layers.
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C (395 °F).
- Prepare the layering set up: Drizzle some olive oil at the bottom of a large lasagna or casserole dish (13"x 9" or equivalent). Around it, have the pan with the sauce, the 4 cups shredded mozzarella (or other cheese and cream cheese, if using), the cooked cabbage head, drained of water, and a few paper towels or a dry tea towel.
- Gently remove the cabbage leaves whole, one by one as you need them, and pat them dry with the paper towels or tea towel. Assemble the first layer of cabbage at the bottom of the dish. You'll need 2 or 3 leaves per layer. Don't overlap the leaves.
- Add a few spoonfuls of sauce, and tap it down to spread as evenly as possible.
- Add a generous layer of mozzarella cheese (or mixed cheese) and optionally spoonfuls of cream cheese. Use about one cup of cheese for each layer.
- Add another layer of patted dry cabbage leaves, another layer of sauce, and another layer of cheese. Repeat until you have 3 layers of sauce (for a 13"x 9" dish).
- To build the last layer / topping: 1 layer of cabbage leaves, mozzarella cheese, 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, and drizzle some olive oil.
- Bake the lasagna at 200 °C (395 °F) for about 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Then, turn on the broiler for about 5 minutes to gratinate the top cheese layer. Watch it closely not to burn, remove from the oven when the cheese starts to crust, getting slightly browned.
- Let the lasagna rest outside the oven to set for about 20 minutes before cutting the slices.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute mozzarella with other easy-melting cheeses or mix cheeses; increasing the amount is possible for a richer dish.
- Adding cream cheese between layers can enhance creaminess.
- Pea protein or nutritional yeast can be added as a thickener; sprinkle evenly over the sauce off heat and mix quickly.
- Adjust chili flakes according to spice preference; omit for a milder version or replace with black or white pepper.
- Onion and garlic quantities can be customized to taste.
- Cabbage layers can be substituted with zucchini or eggplant; recipe details are available for such variations.
- The lasagna can be assembled ahead, stored covered in the fridge, and baked the next day; increase baking time to compensate for chilled ingredients.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 319 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 319kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 8.5g | 3% |
| Protein | 25.7g | 51% |
| Fat | 20.2g | 31% |
| Saturated Fat | 7.1g | 36% |
| Fiber | 2.5g | 10% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Net Carbohydrates | 6g |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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