CABBAGE LASAGNA
on Nov 11, 2025
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If you love my low carb Spaghetti Squash Bolognese 🍝, and your cravings for Lasagna kicked in, you have to try my Cabbage Lasagna recipe! It’s high-fiber AND packs 45 grams of protein 💪- without sacrificing on taste.
Classic lasagna is bae 🥰. But this? This recipe is perfect for veggie lovers – or if you’re just doing the absolute most to cut down on your carb intake. Because, sameeeeeeeee 🙋♀️. It’s easy to make and takes just 45 minutes from start to finish – which if you’ve ever made classic lasagna from scratch you know this is fast 🏃♀️. The best part? You can indulge in seconds guilt 👏 free 👏.
Key Takeaways
- Cabbage Lasagna is a low-carb alternative to traditional lasagna, featuring tender cabbage leaves instead of noodles.
- This recipe is high in fiber and protein, making it both healthy and satisfying.
- It takes just 45 minutes to prepare, making it a quick meal option.
- The dish includes a rich meat sauce with layers of creamy cheeses, creating a delicious comfort food experience.
- You can customize the recipe by using different proteins or making it vegetarian with lentils.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Cabbage Lasagna
Tender boiled cabbage leaves 🥬 take the place of noodles in this low carb masterpiece. Between the layers, a rich, tomatoey meat sauce simmers with the aroma of garlic 🧄 and onion, while basil infused ricotta and nutty Parmigiano 🧀 create creamy pockets of comfort. A crown of mozzarella 👑 melts into a golden, bubbly top layer making this dish completely irresistible. In short, this healthy twist on a classic lets you layer on the love with none of the carbo-load 🙅🏻♀️.
Ingredients
🥬 Cabbage: The secret weapon in Cabbage Lasagna. Once it’s boiled and soft, the leaves are the perfect low-carb understudy to the noodles.
🥩 Ground beef: Forms the protein-packed base of the hearty sauce.
🧅 Onion: Finely diced onion melts into the sauce and adds that depth of flavor every good lasagna needs.
🧄 Garlic: Five cloves might sound like a lot, but is there even such a thing as too much garlic? It gives just the right amount of flavor and aroma to make this dish savory in the most addictive way.
🧂 Salt: Season as you go to bring each layer to life.
🍅 Tomato paste: A little spoonful adds creates that rich tomato base.
🥫 Tomato sauce: The heart of the meat sauce. It ties everything together and gives you that classic Italian comfort.
💧 Water: Helps the sauce simmer into the perfect consistency. Not too thick, not too thin.
🧀 Parmigiano rind: If you have one in the fridge, toss it in! It infuses the sauce with so much flavor while it simmers.
🍶 Ricotta cheese: Lightly whipped ricotta adds that creamy layer you know and love.
🥚 Egg: Helps the ricotta filling set nicely so it slices cleanly once baked.
🌿 Basil: Just a few leaves add a burst of freshness in the ricotta layer.
🧀 Parmigiano cheese: Adds a salty, nutty flavor to the ricotta mixture.
🧀 Mozzarella cheese: Measure with your heart for that golden, gooey top layer that ties it all together.
Nonna’s Tip 😴
Rest before slicing. Give the lasagna time to settle so your layers stay beautiful and don’t slide off your plate.
Variations and Substitutions for Cabbage Lasagna
- Feel free to choose your favorite protein 💪 for the meat sauce. Ground veal, chicken, or turkey are all great swaps for ground beef!
- You can make this sauce vegetarian with lentils. Check out my Lentil Bolognese recipe for full instructions.
- I use green cabbage 🥬 in this recipe, but you can totally use any variety you have on hand. Purple, Napa, or savoy all work well!
- Instead of ricotta, you could use cottage cheese or mascarpone. However, the former will add a nice boost of extra protein.
- Need more fiber? Add in a thin layer of extra veggies like kale, roasted eggplant, or mushrooms 🍄.
Best Served With
- Obviously, a warm, crusty loaf of No Knead Garlic Bread 🧄🍞.
- A Simple Green Salad 🥗.
- A side of Roasted Baby Eggplant or this classic Roasted Eggplant Recipe.
- My Easy Tiramisu Recipe for dessert.
Similar Recipes
Zucchini Lasagna Loaf
55 mins
Zucchini Lasagna Rolls
50 mins
Lasagna Soup
35 mins
Lasagna with Crepes
1 hr 15 mins
Common Questions
Be sure to drain the cabbage leaves well after blanching and let your sauce thicken before layering. Additionally, allowing your lasagna to rest after baking also helps any extra moisture absorb back in.
Yes! Assemble it in your baking dish up to a day in advance, then cover, and refrigerate. Bake just before serving so it’s nice and warm.
It is! Swapping pasta for cabbage makes it a delicious low-carb alternative to traditional lasagna.
Absolutely! If you let it cool completely, then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, you can freeze it for up to 2 months. However, if you reheat from frozen you’ll need to add around 30 minutes of extra baking time. Additionally, you could thaw overnight and bake according to instructions.
It keeps well for 3–4 days in an airtight container. Additionally, you can reheat individual slices in the oven or microwave.
Cabbage Lasagna
Equipment
Ingredients
The Cabbage
- 1 cabbage, cored and boiled until the leaves are soft
Meat Sauce
- 1 pound lean ground beef (454 grams) , or veal
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- pinch salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- ⅔ cup water
- Parmigiano rind, optional
Ricotta Filling
- ½ cup fresh ricotta
- 1 large egg, optional
- ⅓ cup parmigiano cheese, grated
- 3 leaves basil, optional
- salt, to taste
- grated Mozzarella + Parmigiano , measured with your heart to cover the top
Instructions
- Core the cabbage and boil in a large pot of salted water for 15-20 minutes, or until the leaves are soft.
- Drain and set them aside to cool.
- Start the sauce by placing a pan on medium-high heat. Add ground meat and break it apart.
- Tip: For ground beef, pork, or veal, no oil is needed as they release enough fat. For lean turkey or chicken, add a tablespoon of oil to prevent sticking.
- Stir the meat and let the water evaporate without draining. This takes 8-10 minutes until the meat browns.
- Add finely chopped onion, garlic, and salt. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Then add tomato sauce, water, and parmigiano rind. Partially cover the pot.
- Simmer on low heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Mix ricotta, egg, Parmigiano, basil, and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
- Next, layer your lasagna in a baking dish. Add a little of the tomato sauce on bottom (try to avoid adding too much meat). Then, add a layer of cabbage leaves, followed by ricotta mixture, and a sprinkle of mozzarella.
- Repeat with a layer of meat sauce, then a layer of cabbage leaves, a little of the remaining meat, and mozzarella cheese (measure with your heart) to cover the top.
- Bake uncovered at 400°F (200C) for 30 minutes, then broil the top for 2-3 minutes until golden and bubbly. Let rest before serving and enjoy!
Nonna’s Notes
- Proteins: Feel free to choose your favorite protein. Ground veal, chicken, or turkey are all great swaps for ground beef!
- Vegetarian sauce: You can make this sauce vegetarian with lentils. Check out my Lentil Bolognese recipe for full instructions.
- Cabbage varieties: I use green cabbage in this recipe, but you can totally use any variety you have on hand. Purple, Napa, or savoy all work well!
- Cheese swaps: Instead of ricotta, you could use cottage cheese or mascarpone in your mixture. The former will add a nice boost of extra protein.
- Extra veggies: Need more fiber? Add in a thin layer of extra veggies like kale, roasted eggplant, or mushrooms.
My Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Would taste better with 6 to 7 layers of cheese
This was absolutely delicious with cabbage, will definitely make it again!
This came out so good. It gave all the lasagna flavor but so much lighter and still feels super comforting.
This was SO amazing and really satisfying! Will be on repeat!