Italian Sausage Lasagna (No Ricotta Cheese)
If you love lasagna but aren’t a fan of ricotta, this Italian sausage lasagna is for you. It’s layered with a touch of creamy béchamel, a rich Italian sausage tomato sauce, and two kinds of cheese. It’s hearty, flavorful, and deeply comforting – the perfect baked pasta for cozy dinners and special occasions.
When I make a sausage lasagna, I like it saucy, rich, meaty, and over-the-top comforting – and that’s exactly what we have today. A show-stopping pan of lasagna when only hearty dinner will do.
Recipe Highlights
- No ricotta cheese here. Instead, this lasagna has a light drizzle of bechamel – just enough creamy white sauce to balance the rich, saucy tomato meat sauce without taking over.
- A smooth, flavorful sauce. I blend the onion, garlic, and green bell pepper before adding them to the sausage meat sauce, so you get all the flavor without any chunky vegetables.
- Great for a crowd (and leftovers). This is a big, hearty lasagna that’s perfect for feeding a group, and the leftovers keep well in both the fridge and freezer.
- Make it ahead. It does take time to make, but you make parts or all of it ahead and bake it when you’re ready.
Ingredients
- Italian sausage: I like a mix of hot Italian sausage and mild, but you can mix and match how you like it.
- Vegetables: Green bell pepper, onion, and garlic
- Tomato sauce and tomato paste
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and black pepper. There’s also a touch of nutmeg in the bechamel sauce.
- Fresh parsley
- Unsalted butter
- Whole milk
- All-purpose flour
- Lasagna noodles: Oven ready noodles work great because you don’t have to boil them first.
- Provolone cheese: I use this instead of mozzarella because it has more flavor, but you can use either.
- Parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
How to Make It
☑️ Brown the Sausage
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break it up as it browns. Once it’s browned, add the garlic and onion powders, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper.
☑️ Blend the Veggies
Place the bell pepper, onion, and garlic in a food processor and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into the pot and stir it into the browned sausage.
☑️ Simmer the Sauce
Add the tomato paste and tomato sauce. Stir and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cover the pan and simmer the sauce for one to two hours. Stir it occasionally and adjust the heat to maintain a low simmer, as needed. Stir in the parsley before you assemble the lasagna.
⭐ Tip: You can make the red sauce ahead and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. Allow it to cool before storing it in an airtight container.
☑️ Make the White Sauce
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the top and stir it in until the mixture is smooth. Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
Slowly whisk the milk into the flour and butter mixture. Whisk until the sauce is smooth. Cook the sauce (don’t let it boil) for 10 minutes or until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Take the pan off the heat.
⭐ Tip: You can make the bechamel sauce ahead and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. Allow it to cool before storing it in an airtight container. You may need to add an extra splash of milk to thin it when you’re ready to use it.
☑️ Assemble the Lasagna
Pour two cups of meat sauce in a 9×13 baking pan. Place three sheets of lasagna on top of the sauce.
Add two more cups of meat sauce on the pasta and drizzle about 1/4 cup of the white sauce on top. Sprinkle some of the provolone and Parmesan cheese on top.
Add another layer of pasta followed by meat sauce, white sauce, and both kinds of cheese. Repeat these layers one more time.
For the top layer, place three more sheets of pasta followed by the rest of the meat sauce and bechamel. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.
⭐ Tip: At this point, you can cover the pan with foil and keep the lasagna in the refrigerator to bake later in the day or the next day. When you’re ready to bake it, leave it out at room temperature while you preheat the oven.
☑️ Bake the Lasagna
Place the lasagna pan on a sheet pan lined with foil. This will catch any drips while the lasagna bakes.
Cover the pan with foil and bake the lasagna on the sheet pan for 50 minutes at 375°F. If you assembled the lasagna ahead, you will need to add an extra five to ten minutes. Take the foil off and bake it for 10 minutes or until bubbling hot.
Rest the lasagna at room temperature for five minutes before slicing and serving it.
Recipe Tips
- Veggies: You can chop the veggies instead of blending them if you prefer.
- Bechamel sauce: There’s not a lot of white sauce in this lasagna. If you want more, you can double the sauce but it will make the lasagna extra saucy.
- Make ahead: You can make the meat sauce and white sauce ahead and keep them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the lasagna. Or, you can assemble the lasagna, store it in the fridge, and bake it later.
- Slicing: It helps rest the lasagna for a bit before you slice it. To make it easy to lift out clean slices, use a large knife to slice the lasagna into 12 pieces. Smaller pieces are a lot easier to lift out with a spatula.
- Leftovers: Store the leftovers in airtight containers. They will keep in the refrigerator for several days or in the freezer for a month.
More Baked Pasta Recipes
Italian Sausage Lasagna
Ingredients
For the Sausage Meat Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds Italian sausage (hot, mild, or a combination)
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium yellow onion (peeled and root end removed)
- 4 large garlic cloves (peeled)
- 1 large green bell peppers (stem and seeds removed)
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 2 (30-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- ¼ cup chopped parsley plus extra for garnish
For the White Sauce (Bechamel)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
For the Lasagna
- 12 oven-ready lasagna noodles
- 8 ounces provolone cheese shredded
- 8 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
How to Make the Meat Sauce
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and, as it cooks, break it up. Once it’s browned add 1 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, and kosher salt. Add ½ teaspoon black pepper and stir well to combine.
- Cut the bell pepper and onion into chunks and place them in a food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Add the garlic and blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the mixture into the pot with the sausage.
- Stir the tomato paste into the sausage. Add all of the tomato sauce and stir. Bring the sauce to a simmer, cover the pan, and lower the heat. Maintain a simmer and cook the sauce for one to two hours, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed.
How to Make the White Sauce
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add ¼ teaspoon each of nutmeg, black pepper, and salt. Stir and cook the spices in the butter for a about 30 seconds. Add ¼ cup of flour and stir until smooth.
- Slowly whisk 1 cup of milk into the butter and flour mixture. Stir until the mixture is smooth with no lumps. Cook the sauce (don't let it boil) until it thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Turn the heat off and take the pan off the burner and set it aside.
How to Assemble the Lasagna
- Preheat the oven to 375°F while you assemble the lasagna.
- Spread 2 cups of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13” pan. Place 3 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Spread two cups of meat sauce over the noodles.
- Drizzle ¼ cup of white sauce over the meat sauce and then sprinkle ¼ cup each of kind of shredded cheese on top. Place three noodles on top of the cheese, 2 cups of meat sauce, ¼ cup of white sauce, and ¼ cup of both kinds of cheese. Repeat these layers one more time. For the last layer, add three lasagna sheets, the rest of the meat sauce, white sauce, and both kinds cheese.
- Place the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with foil. This will catch any drips as the lasagna bakes so clean up is easier.
- Cover the lasagna with foil and bake it for 50 minutes. Take the foil off and bake it for 10 to 15 minutes or until bubbly hot.
- Cool the lasagna for five minutes. Use a large knife to slice the lasagna into 12 pieces. Smaller pieces are easier to lift out of the pan with a spatula. Garnish each slice with parsley.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
More Classic Comfort Food
- Cheese Stuffed Manicotti with Meat Sauce
- Stovetop White Macaroni and Cheese
- Easy Tomato Basil Spaghetti
- Baked Italian Sausage Gnocchi
I hope you try this lasagna recipe soon!
Happy cooking,
