This cabbage lasagna recipe marries cheese, sausage, and sauce into a delightful low carb pasta for the whole family!
If you’re fresh out of low carb casseroles, boy do I have the perfect meal for you! Made with cabbage, Italian sausage, basil, onions, garlic, marinara, and tonsss of cheese, I can promise you that this is one of those low carb dinners that doesn’t skimp on flavor!
Your mouth will be watering as soon as you smell this low carb recipes deliciousness baking in the oven…
Cabbage makes for an awesome lasagna noodle alternative because it has a similar texture but way fewer carbs and calories!
So turn on the oven and let’s get the party started!
Jump To…
What I Love About This Cabbage Lasagna Recipe
My cabbage lasagna recipe has a special place in my heart because it’s inspired by my mom’s out of this world lasagna recipe. I grew up loving this dish, so I worked out a few simple low carb swaps but kept all the nostalgic lasagna flavors!
I promise you’ll fall in love with this recipe, too, because:
- It’s easy to meal prep
- It’s super customizable
- It’s amazingly cheesy!
- It tastes so warm and satisfying!!
- Crazy low in carbs.
- You don’t have to deal with those (pain in the butt!) lasagna noodles.
Recipe Notes
This cabbage lasagna recipe is a hundred percent worth the labor! And it’s not even that hard to make! Follow along for some of my tips and tricks:
Ingredient Notes
Cabbage – Cabbage is an underappreciated gem, packed with vitamins C and K. Although it’ll look different from regular lasagna noodles, I find that cut/sliced cabbage works way better for making lasagna. If you want to use whole cabbage leaves, you can follow the instructions for my keto cabbage rolls for boiling and separating the leaves. Otherwise, I recommend cutting the cabbage into 1/2 inch slices because it makes the lasagna much easier to cut into when eating.
It’s very important to steam cabbage because it has high water content. This will also ensure that the texture is nice and tender. You can use a steamer or just a pot with some water at the bottom.
Sweet Italian Sausage – I love Italian sausage because of its heavy seasoning! Cook it in a large skillet over medium heat, and when you’re done, don’t toss the sausage fat! Leave about two tablespoons’ worth in the pan and use it to sautee the veggies! This will make the onions and garlic taste extra delicious.
If you want more protein in your meals, you can also double the amount of sausage!
Marinara Sauce – If you’re watching your carb intake, when buying marinara sauce, be sure to read the labels to make sure it has no additional sugar added. You can also use homemade sauce instead!
To save some additional carbs, you can use just 1 jar of sauce rather than 2.
Ricotta, Parmesan, and Mozzarella Cheese – Ricotta and Parmesan cheese are absolute staples in any lasagna recipe! In addition, I love the additional cheesiness from the mozzarella. Feel free to use other cheeses as well!
Herbs – Everything tastes better with basil and oregano! Feel free to experiment with adding more if you’d like!
Tools To Make
Here’s what you’ll need to make this cabbage lasagna recipe:
- 9×13 inch casserole dish
- Large pot
- Colander
- Large skillet
- Medium bowl
Storing Tips
To store leftovers, cover the lasagna with saran wrap or aluminum foil and leave it in the fridge. You can also move the dish into an airtight container.
Can You Freeze This?
This cabbage lasagna recipe works great for freezing! Use a freezer-safe container or resealable bags for super convenient healthy casseroles! Make sure to label it with the recipe and date.
You can easily reheat lasagna by putting it back in the oven for a few minutes.
Meal Prepping Tips
For quick healthy recipes, I recommend cutting the cabbage lasagna recipe into individual serving sizes before freezing. That way you can grab and go the exact portions you need for healthy dinner ideas (or for a low carb breakfast casserole, I’m not judging)!
Recipe Variations
Here are a few suggestions for recipe variations if you want to switch things up!
Can I Make Lasagna Noodles With Other Vegetables?
I don’t know who first thought of replacing pasta noddles with vegetables, but it’s honestly GENIUS! Not only does it taste incredible, you get more nutrients while skipping the empty carbs and calories!
Some of the best lasagna noodle substitutes (other than cabbage of course) are eggplants and zucchini!
Eggplant lasagna is so hearty, not to mention nutrient dense! Slice 2 eggplants into 1/4 inch slices and salt both sides. After twenty minutes, pat both sides dry with a paper towel. There’s no need to cook the eggplants beforehand. Just follow the rest of my cabbage lasagna recipe, using the eggplant slices in place of the cabbage.
Zoodles are already a very popular noodle replacement…
Similar to eggplants, to make zucchini lasagna, first cut them into thin slices. Then salt both sides and let it sit for 20 minutes before patting it dry. You don’t have to cook the zucchini first, just assemble the lasagna as instructed.
You can also make zucchini lasagna rolls (kinda like to zucchini enchiladas if you saw that post), by rolling the filling inside!
What Kind Of Meat Can I Use (Or Skip…)?
I love the seasoning in Italian sausage, but any ground meat will do: ground chicken for a leaner yet cheesy low carb chicken casserole, or beef for a low carb meatloaf lasagna! Turkey would be great as well.
If you’re looking for a vegetarian option skip the meat all together! (don’t try fish here, save it for a low carb tuna casserole instead.)
If you do swap out the sausage for something else, just make sure to use more herbs to ensure that the lasagna is properly seasoned!
Can I Make This Spicy?
It’s so easy to make this cabbage lasagna recipe spicy!
You can add paprika, crushed red peppers, or even jalapenos if you’re craving a spicier food! Check out my low carb taco casserole or my low carb Mexican casserole for some spice-piration!
Can I Sneak in More Vegetables?
You can! Veggie loaded lasagnas sneak subtle tasting veggies into the sauce, like spinach, kale, mushrooms or zucchini (kinda like a low carb squash casserole). You’ll want to be sure to FULLY cook the veggies before adding them in so they don’t water down the casserole.
Cauliflower is another subtle veggie, grab some florets and add them in! (Save pureed cauliflower for dishes like low carb shepherd’s pie)
Skip veggies with strong tastes or textures, to keep this dish as lasagna-like as possible! Things like carrots, beets, parsnips, or green beans — check out this low carb green bean casserole if that’s what you’re craving!
Can I Use Different Cheese?
Well, this recipe calls for the lasagna classics: ricotta and parmesan. And of course, mozzarella, as with any good lasagna or low carb pizza casserole recipe.
If you want to get funky with your dish, you can swap these however you see fit! Mozzarella would be the easiest to swap — cheddar (like this low carb cheeseburger casserole) or Monterey Jack, or any meltable cheese are options!
Cabbage Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 Head Cabbage
- 1 Lb Sweet Italian Sausage casing removed
- 1 Yellow Onion chopped finely
- 4-6 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 - 24 Ounce Jars of Low Carb Spaghetti Sauce no sugar added
- 2 Teaspoons Oregano dried
- 1 Teaspoon Basil dried
- 32 Ounces Ricotta Cheese
- 2 Cups Grated Parmesan Cheese divided
- 4 Cups Mozzarella Shredded Divided
- 1 Cup Fresh Basil Chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Large Egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and prepare a 9x13” casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Quarter the head of cabbage, then cut each quarter into ½” strips.
- Place strips of cabbage into a large pot with a little water, and boil the cabbage until tender (about 10 minutes).
- Place cabbage in a colander and allow it to drain. Place paper towels on top to absorb as much liquid as possible from the cabbage.
- Meanwhile, cook the Italian sausage in a large skillet, over medium heat. Break sausage into small pieces with the back of your spoon as it cooks.
- Once cooked, remove sausage from the pan to a to a paper towel lined plate.
- Remove most of the sausage fat from the pan, leaving only 2 tablespoons (if there aren’t 2 tablespoons of fat, add olive oil).
- Add the onion and cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add garlic and continue to cook until it’s fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Remove veggies from heat and stir in your cooked sausage and marinara. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 cup of parmesan, 2 cups mozzarella, fresh basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and egg.
- Now let’s layer the ingredients. Start with 1/2 of the red meat sauce, then a layer of cabbage, then 1/2 of the ricotta mixture. Repeat 1 more time, or until you’ve used all the ingredients.
- Top the lasagna with remaining 1 cup of parmesan and 2 cups of mozzarella.
- Cook in preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until the lasagna is heated through and the cheese on top browns in the corners.
- Allow lasagna to cool slightly before slicing, and enjoy!
Nutrition
More Low Carb Lasagna Recipes
Nothing is as hearty and healthy as low carb lasagna! For more recipes, check out the following:
- Lasagna Stuffed Chicken – You’ll never have to eat another boring chicken again!
- Lasagna Stuffed Peppers – The bell peppers stuffed with marinara will blow you away!
- Spaghetti Squash Lasagna – It’ll leave you so full of warmth and joy!
- Cauliflower Lasagna – What can’t cauliflower replace?!
- Zucchini Lasagna Rolls – It’s like lasagna, zucchini, and enchiladas had a baby and created this EPIC casserole!!
Conclusion
This cabbage lasagna recipe tastes so good, you won’t even remember that it’s low carb! Who needs lasagna noodles anyway?!
Let me know what you think in the comments below! Did you use sliced or whole cabbage leaves? Have you tried adding more herbs? Enjoy!
Rebecca
The cabbage is one of the most delicious recipes I have ever tasted for a low carb lasagna. I will be switching to this as opposed to pasta going forward! Thanks for the amazing recipe!!
Lindsey
Good job Rebecca! so happy to hear you enjoyed! 🙂
Cris
Delicious! I didn’t think a pound was enough meat but at the end this came out to be a pretty heavy pan of food. Taking it up to a cabin this weekend which I think I overdid.
Lindsey
Yahooo! I’m SO happy to hear that Cris! Have a blast at the cabin 🙂 🙂