Gluten Free Lasagna

5 from 4 votes

Gluten free lasagna is pure comfort food—cheesy, hearty, and baked until golden and bubbling. No-boil noodles make making lasagna easier, faster, and lighter to eat than heavier traditional pasta noodles.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1 30

Total Time2

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 455kcal

Author: Sally Cameron

Equipment

8"x8" or 9"x9" deep casserole dish 2 ½" - 3" deep, straight sides, ceramic or stoneware
4-5 quart pot for sauce
Food Processor to grind sausage, or use a chefs knife and chop by hand

Ingredients

Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ medium onion chopped
3 large garlic cloves chopped fine
¾ teaspoon ground fennel seed or wild fennel pollen
6 ounces pre-cooked chicken sausage usually 2 links
⅓ cup dry wine, red or white optional
1 bay leaf
1 ½ teaspoon dried Italain seasoning blend or combo oregano and basil
28 ounces crushed tomatoes preferably san marzano
½ cup pure strained Italian tomatoes called passata or Pomi in the box (same)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes optional

Filling

15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup fresh finely chopped basil leaves or 1 tablespoon dried
2 tablespoons fresh finely chopped oregano leaves or ¾ tablespoon dried
1 large egg
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Noodles and Cheese

6 ounces gluten-free no-boil lasagna noodles (oven-ready) 8 noodles
8 ounces grated low-moisture mozzarella block or log grate it yourself, skip pre-grated
⅔ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese to top the lasagna

Instructions

Sauce

Chop the sausage into chunks. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the sausage chunks until fairly finely, about 12 pulses.
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan (4-5 quarts) over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, stirring, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, then add the Italian seasoning blend, fennel, and wine. Simmer until the wine is reduced by half.
Add ground sausage, both tomatoes, salt and peppers. Swirl a little water in the crushed tomato can to wash it out and pour into the pan. Simmer for 30 minutes. Set aside and cool.
Note - If making the lasagna ahead and refrigerating overnight, cool the sauce below 70°, then assemble the lasagna. The fastest way is using an ice bath in the sink as you would to cool chicken broth.

Filling

In a large mixing bowl combine the ricotta, Parmesan, herbs, egg and seasoning. Set aside.

Layer the lasagna (4 layers)

If serving right away. Pre-heat the oven to 375°F degrees.
Spread ⅔ cup of sauce in the bottom of the pan. Add 2 noodles, then top with ⅓ of the ricotta mixture, a little sauce, and ⅓ of the mozzarella. Repeat this layering two more times (noodles, ricotta, sauce, mozzarella). For the top layer, place the final 2 noodles, cover with the remaining sauce, and finish with Parmesan.

To Bake Now

Spray a piece of foil with nonstick spray and cover the baking dish. Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more, until the top is lightly golden and bubbly. Check the internal temperature—it should read 165–170°F.
If the noodles still feel firm when pierced: loosely re-cover, lower the oven to 350°F, and bake 10–15 minutes more until tender.
Rest: Let stand 20-30 minutes before slicing and serving for the cleanest cuts.

To Bake for Later

Spray a piece of foil with nonstick spray and tightly cover the baking dish. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
About 1 hour before baking, remove the dish from the refrigerator to take off the chill. Preheat the oven to 375°F and follow the same baking directions as above.

Notes

If you need a double batch, I highly recommend you bake it using 2 - 8x8 or 9x9 casseroles instead of one large batch. It is easier and you get nicer slices.

Nutrition