Gluten Free Lasagna

When I’m craving comfort food, homemade lasagna is one of my favorite dishes. Since starting a gluten-free diet, I discovered how easy it is to make delicious Gluten Free Lasagna that tastes as good as my original recipe.

Lasagna is one of my favorite recipes to make in a casserole dish. When I pull of pan of lasagna out of the oven, the whole family flocks to the kitchen because it smells so good.

My easy recipe uses only simple ingredients like oven-ready lasagna noodles, a trio of cheeses and a flavorful meat sauce that can be made quickly from scratch.

If it’s not already a family favorite dinner in your household, it will be the first time you make this recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground Italian Sausage
• 1 cup of diced onion
• 6 cloves of minced garlic
• 2 large cans of crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
• 2 pounds of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 16 ounces of ricotta cheese
• 4 ounces of grated parmesan cheese
• 1 package of gluten free lasagna noodles

Equipment

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Lasagna Pan
• Large skillet
• Heavy wooden spoon
• Cheese grater (or food processor)
• Serving spoon or spatula

By the Numbers: How to Make Gluten Free Lasagna

Follow these simple step by step instructions to learn how to make the best gluten-free lasagna recipe.

Step 1: Preheat Oven & Grease Pan.

Preheat your oven to 375˚ F and grease your lasagna pan. I usually use olive oil since the flavors are perfect for lasagna, but you can use nonstick cooking spray too.

Step 2: Brown Sausage.

Next, add 2 pounds of ground Italian sausage to a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat until browned.

Step 3: Add Onion & Garlic.

Add 1 cup of diced onion to the pan with the sausage and cook until translucent. Next, add 6 cloves of minced garlic to the pan and cook just until fragrant.

Step 4: Add Tomato Products & Seasoning.

Once you can smell the aroma of garlic, turn the stove down to medium heat and add 2 large cans of crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and 3 tablespoons of Italian Seasoning to the pan and stir until well combined.

Once bubbling, turn the heat down to low and simmer your hearty meat sauce for about 20 minutes or until the liquid has been significantly reduced. Turn off the heat.

Step 5: Add Sauce to Lasagna Pan.

Once the sauce has been reduced, add about ½ cup of the sauce to the bottom of your lasagna pan. You may need more or less… it should be a thin later in the bottom of the pan to help hydrate the bottom layer of noodles.

Step 6: Layer Gluten-Free Oven Ready Noodles.

Next make your first layer of gluten free oven ready noodles by pressing lasagna sheets over the top of the sauce. You need to make sure there is sauce touching these noodles everywhere or you could have some crunchy parts.

Step 7: First Layer of Sauce & Cheeses.

Next, add about ¼ of the remaining sauce to the pan on top of the noodles, then ¼ of the ricotta cheese, ¼ of the grated parmesan and ¼ of the shredded mozzarella cheese over the top of that.

Step 8: Keep Layering Ingredients.

Repeat the layering process with your ingredients, layering noodles, sauce, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and mozzarella. I typically make 4 layers in my lasagna, ending with a cheese layer.

You can do more or less layers depending on your preference for noodle to meat and cheese ratio and the size of your baking dish. When you’re done layering, the pan should be full. Just make sure you have mozzarella cheese on the top layer.

Step 9: Bake Gluten Free Lasagna.

Once you’re done layering your ingredients in the lasagna pan, you’re ready to bake it. Place the pan in the oven, covered with a piece of aluminum foil, and bake for 40 minutes.

Once the 40 minutes is up, remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the pan is bubbling and the cheese is starting to turn golden brown.

Step 10: Serve Gluten Free Lasagna.

When it’s done, remove the pan from the oven and allow your classic gluten free lasagna to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Cut into big squares, garnish with freshly grated parmesan and chopped parsley, if desired.

Tips for Making the Best Gluten Free Lasagna

Answers to all of your questions about making this easy gluten free lasagna recipe, including tips and substitution ideas.

Best gluten-free lasagna noodles?

I personally love the Barilla gluten free lasagna noodles over any other kind I’ve tried. They’re a delicious blend of corn and rice that softens and holds up well to sauce.

The best thing about them is they’re oven-ready noodles, which means you don’t have to boil noodles first like with regular wheat-based lasagna noodles. Alternatively, you can also use chickpea, lentil or brown rice lasagna noodles.

Will this recipe work with regular lasagna noodles?

Yes, you can also use traditional lasagna noodles if you’re not on a gluten free diet to make this same recipe.

Alternatives to Italian Sausage?

If you don’t have Italian sausage, my second favorite meat to use in lasagna is ground beef. You can also use ground turkey, chicken or pork. If the meat isn’t already seasoned, be sure to add an extra tablespoon of Italian seasoning per pound of ground meat.

Substitute for ricotta cheese?

The only real substitute for ricotta cheese in most recipes is cottage cheese. You can blend it up to make it smooth like ricotta and it works the same way.

Best Italian seasoning?

If you want to make sure your lasagna tastes like mine, I use my Homemade Italian Seasoning when I make lasagna. If you have some store-bought Italian seasoning, you may want to check it against the ingredients of mine as a find a lot of the brands from our local grocery store don’t contain red pepper flakes like my recipe.

My seasoning recipe includes dried basil, dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried onion flakes, garlic powder, sea salt, dried parsley, paprika and crushed red pepper flakes.

Can jarred sauce be used?

If you’d prefer to use a jar of pasta sauce, such as marinara sauce or homemade tomato sauce, instead of making your own with crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and spices, you can use an equivalent number of jars of canned tomato sauce.

Just make sure you cook down the liquid enough that it’s thick. Thinner sauces tend to bubble up more and cover the top cheese layer.

How to store leftover lasagna?

Leftover lasagna is even more delicious the next day. Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Eat within 3-4 days.

Can you freeze lasagna?

Yes, this is a great recipe for freezer meals… I have frozen lasagnas many times. Make all the layers in your pan as you would if you were baking right away, but it’s a good idea to make sure the sauce you make is cool before assembling the layers so the cheeses don’t get melty.

Once the casserole is assembled, wrap the unbaked pan tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil. Place in the freezer and eat within 2 months. I love having easy meals like this ready to go in the freezer for busy nights.

Thaw in the refrigerator, then bake according to the directions. It may take a bit longer to completely cook a cold lasagna.

More Gluten Free Italian recipes?

If your family is a fan of Italian food, but needs to be on a gluten free diet, try some of these recipes:

• Creamy Chicken Marsala
• Instant Pot Gluten Free Pasta
• Caprese Skewers
• Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
• Italian Dressing

More Gluten-Free Recipes for Dinner