I’ve reviewed my fair share of keto pasta alternatives like shirataki noodles and have my favorites (looking at you, NuPasta)…so when I started to hear the buzz about noodles made from hearts of palm, I was a bit skeptical. I love hearts of palm in salads but the very distinct taste didn’t seem like it would work well with sauces or in lasagne. But, I kept seeing the buzz about the Palmini brand in particular – and then they showed up on the shelf at my local Whole Foods – so I decided to throw my Palmini Pasta review into the mix. I have typically made low carb lasagne with cabbage or zucchini and thought as this is one of the only keto pasta products that come in a flat sheet option, why not test it on keto lasagne?
The first time I made keto lasagne with Palmini, it was a fail. The acidy taste of the hearts of palm overpowered even my spicy bolognese and it seemed soggy – I couldn’t get into it. I was about to write this option off until I learned that the company recommends soaking the hearts of palm noodles in milk to cut through the acidity. So, we went for round two yesterday, first soaking the Palmini lasagne in whole milk for 30 minutes and then patting each sheet dry with a paper towel.
This time – the results were a hit! I used a Cut Da Carb flatbread as the final and top “pasta” layer because I had run out of Palmini pieces, and this ended up working really nicely to create a crispy and cheese top crust to the keto lasagne! All in all, after this Palmini Pasta review, I think I’ll be using these again for sure for lasagne. I’ll probably stick to shirataki options for noodle-based keto meals, but for lasagne, this is a winner!
Keto Lasagne with Palmini Pasta Alternative
Ingredients
- 1 can Palmini lasagne noodles drained
- 1 pound ground beef
- 16 oz sugar-free marinara I like Rao's
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 1/2 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella or you can use fresh, sliced mozzarella, which is my preference
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400?.
- Drain the Palmini noodles and place them in a bowl. Cover with whole milk (about 1 cup) and set aside for 30 minutes.
- In a stock pot, melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat.
- Add onion and cook until translucent - 4 - 5 minutes.
- Add ground beef. Break up the meat and cook until browned, 8 - 10 minutes.
- Add the chopped garlic and marinara sauce.
- Simmer for 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, parmesan and parsley.
- Mix until well combined.
- Lightly coat the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish with some sauce.
- Drain your Palmini sheets and rinse well. Pat each sheet dry with a paper towel.
- Place a single layer of the Palmini Lasagne Noodles on top of the sauce.
- Spread a 1/3 of your meat sauce mixture on top of the noodles.
- Next, spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on top of the sauce.
- Finally, top with 1/3 of the mozzarella.
- Repeat for three layers.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove and let sit for 10 - 15 mins.
made the Palmini lasagna last night, it was sooo good I used Raoes sauce. I boiled the the lasagna sheets for 10 minutes and they were perfect.
It’s so good! I haven’t made it in a while and now you inspired me to make it tonight!