Easy Gluten-free Lasagna

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When it comes to gluten-free pasta recipes, nothing beats a homemade gluten-free lasagna to bring the whole family together.

This gluten-free lasagna recipe is full of flavor in every bite. It's the ultimate gluten-free comfort food that is easier to make than you think. You can easily make it any night of the week, and it's even fancy enough to make during the holidays. I always make this gluten-free lasagna for Christmas in our house!

Jump to:

• Gluten-free lasagna.
• Ingredients.
• Ingredient notes and substitutions.
• Gluten-free lasagna noodles.
• Steps.
• Tips and tricks.
• Make it your own.
• Make ahead.
• Storing leftovers.
• Reheating.
• Serving suggestions.
• More gluten-free pasta recipes.
• 📖 Recipe

Gluten-free lasagna.

Lasagna is one of those recipes that aren't typically gluten-free. No, you won't likely find a Stouffers gluten-free lasagna hiding out in the freezer section of the grocery store.

That's okay, though, because we can easily make a homemade lasagna that is a thousand times better and completely gluten-free with just a few simple ingredient swaps.

Remember to always check that lasagna is, in fact, gluten-free before consuming it since most are made with conventional noodles that are not gluten-free.

Ingredients.

• Gluten-free pasta
• Ground meat
• Onion
• Olive oil
• Marinara Sauce
• Mozzarella
• Parmesan
• Ricotta
• Eggs
• Spices

Ingredient notes and substitutions.

• Gluten-free pasta - To make gluten-free lasagna, you need gluten-free lasagna noodles, the flat kind, usually shaped into bigger rectangles. There are a few brands that sell gluten-free lasagna noodles. If you really want to make your lasagna extra special, you can whip up an easy batch of gluten-free egg noodles pasta dough and cut it into lasagna sheets. Note: This lasagna can also be made with gluten lasagna noodles as well. This makes it easier to make it for a crowd. Just be sure to assemble the gluten-free one first to prevent cross-contamination.
• Ground meat - You can use any kind that you prefer, ground beef, turkey, chicken, or even ground sausage. You can even leave it completely out to make a vegetarian lasagna.
• Marinara Sauce - Use store-bought gluten-free marinara sauce or use a homemade one.
• Ricotta - Ricotta cheese is naturally gluten-free, but it's always a good idea to double-check the label before using it. I tend to use the Galbani or Frigo, depending on what my store has in stock.
• Eggs - The eggs help to hold the ricotta layer together more. If you want to make this an egg-free lasagna, you can leave them out. You would then also want to try and find egg-free pasta as well.

Gluten-free lasagna noodles.

There are a few different brands that make gluten-free lasagna noodles. My local store tends to sell the Mueller's brand gluten-free oven-ready lasagna noodles. From what I've found, gluten-free lasagna noodles do not taste any different than traditional noodles.

Other brands that sell gluten-free lasagna noodles.

• Barilla
• Jovial
• Delallo
• Tikyada
• Le Veneziane

Always double-check the noodles are, in fact, gluten-free to make sure you are making a gluten-free lasagna.

When I want to make my lasagna extra fancy, especially like when I am making gluten-free lasagna for Christmas, then I'll make my own gluten-free egg noodle pasta and cut it into lasagna sheets. It really doesn't take much longer to do, and the extra little bit of love makes the lasagna taste even better.

Steps.

Step 1. Make the meat sauce.

1. Cook and drain the ground beef.
2. Add and saute the onion and any other vegetables you wish to add.
3. Combine the meat and vegetables with the spices and marinara sauce.
4. Let it simmer while you make the ricotta layer.

Step 2. Make the cheese filling.

1. Combine all of the ingredients for the ricotta filling layer in a bowl and mix well.

Step 3. Layer and bake.

1. Start with a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of the pan.
2. Then add a layer of your gluten-free noodles.
3. Top the noodle layer with more marinara sauce.
4. And then, top the marinara sauce with a layer of mozzarella cheese.

5. Layer with another layer of noodles.
6. And then another layer of ricotta cheese layer.
7. Followed by more noodles.
8. And then add another layer of marinara sauce.

9. Continue layering in the same order until your baking dish is filled, and then top the whole thing with a final layer of mozzarella cheese.

Step 4. Bake your lasagna.

Tips and tricks.

• Make each layer before you start assembling. - When it comes to layered dishes like this, I find it easiest when each individual part is ready before I try to put it together. I find the assembly process goes much smoother when I have all of the pieces ready to go.
• If you are using no-boil noodles, don't boil them. - This goes for when I'm using store-bought noodles or making my own gluten-free lasagna noodles. The noodles will cook in the oven; you don't have to boil them.
• Avoid overlapping noodles. - Overlapping noodles can lead to lasagna with gummy spots because the layer noodles act like thicker noodles, and they might not cook all the way.
• Let the marinara sauce be thicker and a little chunky - I find letting the marinara sauce simmer a bit longer to get thicker adds more flavor without making the final lasagna overly liquidy once it's baked.
• Bake covered and then uncovered. - Baking the lasagna completely uncovered can lead to a drier final lasagna. I prefer to cover the lasagna for the first half of the cooking time and then remove the cover to let the top of the dish get melty and brown without drying out.
• Bake on top of a cookie sheet. - This might not seem necessary, but as the noodles cook, they swell, and this can cause the over lasagna to puff up and let some of the sauce come out of the baking dish. Placing the baking dish on a cookie sheet gives that sauce someplace to go without it being all over the bottom of your oven.
• Let it rest. - I know you want to dig into all the layers of goodness, but letting it rest for 10-15 minutes will help solidify the lasagna just a bit so that it will stay together better as you cut into it.

Make it your own.

• Switch out the meat. - I find sausage a delicious switch for plain ground beef.
• Add more veggies. - Besides the onion, I love adding chopped mushrooms, bell peppers, and other vegetables to the marinara sauce. You can even add some spinach to the ricotta cheese layer.
• Play with the cheeses. - Mozzarella and parmesan are classic, but maybe you want to add some fontina or asiago. Play around and find your favorite combination.

Make ahead.

• Lasagna is one of the best dishes to use for making ahead of time. I will often make it 1-2 days before I plan on baking it off to make dinner come together quickly. This is especially handy when I am making lasagna for the holidays since, in our house, we always make this gluten-free lasagna for Christmas.
• Want to make it farther ahead? You can easily cover and freeze this lasagna and store it in the freezer for up to three months.

• I do recommend that you freeze lasagna uncooked.
• I also suggest using a freezer-safe container or even a disposable container.
• Let your lasagna defrost in the fridge overnight.
• Don't worry if it's still a little frozen when it still goes into the oven. It will take a little bit longer to cook fully, but it will still be delicious.

Storing leftovers.

Leftover baked lasagna can be stored in a container in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you want to store leftovers longer than that, then I suggest freezing it into smaller portions.

Reheating.

Reheat the baking dish in a 350-degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until warm. You can also microwave individual portions in 30-second increments until it is warmed through.

Serving suggestions.

Personally, I love serving lasagna with some gluten-free garlic bread and a side salad to keep it simple. You can serve it on its own or however, you like.

More gluten-free pasta recipes.

📖 Recipe

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag a photo #grainfreetable or @grainfreetable on Instagram. I'd love to see what you come up with!