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For the ultimate Italian comfort food, you’ll love this Gluten Free Lasagna. It has layers of rich and hearty meat sauce, three kinds of cheese, and gluten free lasagna noodles. Once you learn which brand of pasta to choose and how to make it, there’s no doubt that you’ll be calling it the World’s Best Lasagna recipe ever!
Best Gluten Free Lasagna Recipe
My kid went through a phase where he was obsessed with Garfield. This love of Garfield led to neverending requests for a lasagna dinner.
When I went gluten free, I tried to satisfy my lasagna cravings with Lasagna Stuffed Meatloaf or Lasagna Stuffed Acorn Squash, especially since those are quicker to make. But my kiddo’s cartoon cat-inspired craving was the motivation I needed to turn it into an amazing homemade gluten free lasagna recipe
And it is guaranteed to be the best lasagna recipe you’ve ever had. By making it with the best gluten free lasagna noodles, you won’t even know the difference. This hearty Italian comfort food is always a family favorite. Now everyone can enjoy the layers of pasta, meat sauce, and creamy, gooey cheese, even if you have to eat gluten free. It is truly a labor of love.
Making Gluten Free Lasagna
There are some traditional lasagna recipes that call for a bechamel. This is a white cream sauce traditionally thickened with a roux made with flour and butter. The recipe I make does not have a bechamel sauce, so that is not a concern when making this gluten free lasagna. But you do still get that creaminess in this recipe with a ricotta cheese mixture instead. Ricotta cheese is gluten free, and it is simply mixed with egg, salt, and fresh parsley.
The other factor is the pasta itself.
The Best Gluten Free Lasagna Noodles
Hands down, I only recommend Barilla Gluten Free Oven-Ready Lasagne noodles. These are no-boil noodles that you just layer in a baking dish with the other ingredients. I recommend these for several reasons:
- No-boil noodles are less work.
- No-boil noodles absorb some of the liquid in the sauce while cooking so you can add plenty of sauce to keep it moist and flavorful, and still end up being able to cut nice slices.
- Other brands do not have as good of a flavor and rice noodles tend to have a grittier texture. Plus they do not hold up well to the process of boiling and baking and can leave you with a pile of mush.
Where can I buy Barilla gluten free lasagna noodles?
I’ve already told you why these are my favorite gluten free lasagna noodles, but now the question is where to get them. I have often seen them at my regular grocery stores and even at Target, but you can also order from Barilla Gluten Free Oven-Ready Lasagne from Amazon!
Ingredients
In this overview, I’ll tell you about the ingredients, as well as anything specific you have to look out for to make sure everything you put into the lasagna is gluten free. You’ll find the full amounts and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
For the sauce:
- Pork or turkey sausage and ground beef: Do read the labels on your sausage, but most that I’ve seen are gluten free. If you buy pre-packaged ground beef, there is the possibility of added fillers. This is why I typically buy it ground in the store or I do check the labels on any pre-packaged meats.
- Onion, garlic, and fresh parsley: These fresh ingredients are always gluten free.
- Canned tomato sauce, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes: In most cases, these products are gluten free. Do be aware of added seasonings in tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes. I usually use Tuttorosso, in particular for Crushed Tomatoes because it is my favorite.
- Dried herbs and seasonings: This is another case where most brands are safe, especially for single herbs. But mixes, such as the Italian Seasoning, can be a risk. So check your labels. McCormick has all of its information on its website, and the only concern is occasionally the blends or other mixes. But all of the ingredients in this recipe are gluten free, including the Italian Seasoning.
For the ricotta cheese mixture
- Ricotta cheese: Typically ricotta is gluten free, but always check that there are no added ingredients.
- Egg
- Parsley: Fresh is best, but dried can be used in a pinch.
- Salt
For assembling the lasagna:
- Gluten free lasagna noodles: You’ll need 12 sheets of those Barilla Lasagna Noodles
- Shredded mozzarella cheese: I do recommend shredding your own mozzarella as it melts better than pre-shredded.
- Grated Parmesan cheese: If you buy pre-grated parmesan cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese, just check your labels for additives or fillers.
How to make gluten free lasagna
All of the instructions you need are in the recipe card for making the sauce and cheese mixture. But if you want to really know all the details, tips, tricks, and substitutions, I recommend you check out the World’s Best Lasagna recipe, which has all of that information.
Let’s start by making the meat sauce.
Brown the meat. In a large Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until cooked through and browned. Drain any excess grease, if needed
Finish the sauce. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water, followed by sugar (if using), basil, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and parsley. Cover and simmer for at least an hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Let it simmer a long as possible to truly develop the flavors. You can even do this the day before.
Make the ricotta cheese mixture. In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, and salt until smooth. Then refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the lasagna.
How to layer lasagna
Here is a quick overview of layering the lasagna. I like three layers of noodles with a good amount of meat sauce and all of the cheeses in between. Plus you can’t forget a golden and gooey mozzarella layer on top. Here is how it goes.
- Start with a layer of sauce on the bottom.
- Add one layer of noodles.
- Top with sauce, half of the ricotta mixture, one-third of the mozzarella, and one-third of the parmesan.
- Add the second layer of noodles
- Repeat with more sauce, the other half of the ricotta mixture, plus half of the remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
- Add the final layer of noodles.
- Top with sauce, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese.
Bake the lasagna. Cover the pan with foil and bake in the oven at 375°F for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 25 minutes, until the noodles are tender, the middle is hot, and the cheese is melted and golden. Cool for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Tips for Success
- Use your favorite sausage. I typically use turkey sausage to make it a little less greasy and cut out a few calories (and mainly because my husband can’t eat much pork). But any kind of Italian sausage is fine. Like a little more heat? Use hot Italian sausage.
- Sugar is optional. The original recipe calls for a couple of tablespoons of sugar. Some say that this helps balance the acidity in the sauce. I don’t feel that it is necessary, so it’s your call whether you use it or not.
- Simmer as long as possible. I like to simmer the sauce for no less than an hour and a half. In fact, I’ll often make it the day before I assemble the lasagna and refrigerate it over ight.
- Make it in advance. Besides the sauce, you can also mix the ricotta in advance and keep it in the fridge overnight if you want to assemble the lasagna the next day. You can also assemble the entire lasagna and refrigerate or freeze it. Then bake it when you are ready. If froze, you’ll need to thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Take it out of the refrigerator to let it warm up a bit before you bake it. It may need some extra time in the oven.
Storing Leftovers
As is common with gluten free pasta, the texture does change slightly when it isn’t eaten right away. However, this lasagna, when using the Barilla lasagna noodles, has held up well to reheating and even freezing and reheating.
If you want to refrigerate any extras, just wrap it with plastic wrap or place individual slices in airtight storage containers. You can microwave it or pop it back in the oven until it is steaming hot.
It can also be frozen baked or unbaked. You will want to wrap it tightly with foil first, to prevent moisture and freezer burn. This foil can be left on the pan when you put it in the oven. Then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap over the foil and freeze for up to two months. Individual slices can also be frozen/
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve lasagna with a Caesar salad and some Gluten Free Garlic Breadsticks. But you have many options to make it a meal.
Start with a salad. Try this Italian-Style Wedge Salad or Avocado Cucumber Tomato Salad.
Have veggies on the side. Lemon Parmesan Roasted Broccoli or Roasted Asparagus and Mushrooms with Balsamic Vinegar make lovely side dishes for gf lasagna.
Don’t forget bread. Garlicky Gluten Free Texas Toast or Gluten Free Garlic Rolls are perfect options.
Finish with Dessert. Enjoy a piece of Gluten Free Tiramisu or some Italian-style Gluten Free Rainbow Cookies.
Shop the Recipe
- Don’t forget to grab those noodles.
- While we’re at it, Tuttorosso Crushed Tomatoes have always been my favorite.
- A good, heavy enameled cast iron Dutch oven is great for letting that sauce simmer.
- I like to bake my lasagna in a nice, deep stoneware baking dish so that it cooked evenly and doesn’t overflow.
World’s Best Gluten Free Lasagna
Ingredients
For the meat sauce:
- 1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage
- 3/4 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup onion , minced
- 2 cloves garlic , crushed
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes (Tuttorosso is recommended)
- 12 ounce can tomato paste (or two 6 ounce cans)
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 Tablespoons sugar (optional)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
For the ricotta cheese mixture:
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablepsoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For assembling the lasagna:
- 12 Barilla Gluten Free Oven-Ready Lasagne Noodles
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
For the meat sauce:
- In a large Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until cooked through and browned. Drain any excess grease, if needed.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water, and stir everything together.
- Add sugar (if using), basil, Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, and 2 Tablespoons parsley, and stir to combine.
- Simmer, covered, for at least 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. I usually try to simmer for as long as possible.
For the ricotta cheese mixture:
- In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, 2 Tablespoons parsley, and ½ teaspoon salt. Refrigerate until needed.
For assembling the lasagna:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- To assemble, spread 1½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Arrange a single layer of three noodles over meat sauce.
- Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Spoon 1½ cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.
- Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
- Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes.
- Cool for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Did you make this?
Leave a rating below and tag @cupcakekalechip on Instagram and hashtag it #cupcakesandkalechips
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More gluten free pasta recipes
I’ve made all of these recipes with gluten free noodles, so give them a try and enjoy your favorite pasta dishes as part of your gluten free lifestyle.
This comes out perfect every time. Always a hit with family as well as company. No one ever knows it’s gluten free except the ones who need it to be.
Great recipe . The only thing I change is I add more of the ricotta mixture as my family loves more of it.
I have made this twice, and it’s turned out well both times. I agree that there is only enough ricotta mix for two layers, so I just used an Italian cheese mix for the third layer and on top. I also made the marinara a bit different to what was suggested (no jar sauce for this gal!). I added a lot more garlic and some red wine, and then boiled some milk through it to cut the bitterness. It smells amazing while cooking, and my husband, who normally likes gluten-y pasta, thought it was great. Will use this again.
This is really good, but a bit salty. I would recommend salting the sauce to taste after it simmers down, and maybe half the salt or none at all to the ricotta. Also, I substituted Impossible Burger for the ground beef…a lot less fat that way. But overall, a very good, hearty lasagne.
Thanks for the feedback. Salt can be a very personal taste, so definitely good to adjust to your preference.
I took a chance and made this for a special family dinner. Other than tweaking the spices and garlic in the sauce, I followed the recipe as written. After the first 25 minutes of baking, the noodles seemed very dry and I was seriously worried it wouldn’t come together but it turned out perfectly al dente in the end! The slow-cooked sauce really makes a difference and it’s something I have not done in the past. This will now be my go-to recipe for lasagna.
Love to hear this!
Do you think you could make this the day before and leave it in the fridge until baking? Or would the noodles end up turning to mush?
I have done that when I use the no-boil noodles and it works fine!
Can you freeze GF lasagna for a week or so befor cooking?
Absolutely!
I made this lasagna last night and it was amazing! Easy to make and buying the non-boil GF noodles was a game changer. The whole family loved it. I will definitely make it again.
So happy to hear it. Yes, the no-boil noodles work so well for gluten free lasagna since cooked GF pasta can tend to break apart.
Fairly straight forward to make, and it turned out great! I found that there was only enough ricotta for the bottom two layers, so the top half had a lot kore meat sauce. Seemed like I could have used just a little more mozzarella, but it turned out delicious. The noodles were a great recommendation.
How long do I bake it after I freeze it?
If you thaw it and then let it come to room temperature, it’ll take about the same amount of time, but if it is cold, it might need another 20-30 minutes covered.
Do you cook the noodles before layering the lasagna?
Forgive me if this is mentioned somewhere in the recipe or comments.
I use the Barilla no-boil noodles, so those I do not cook first, but it will depend on the type of noodles you use.
Admitting that this is the worlds best lasagna! My family wanted to eat the entire pan in one night!
Thank for the recipe!!!
I just made this for a second time in the last two weeks because it is so good. I haven’t had lasagna in years and this was delicious. I have celiac but the rest of my household does not, but I am the cook so I make most things GF and this recipe was a big hit! Only thing I added was diced up pepperoncini’s to the sauce because I am obsessed with them.
This has become my go to GF lasagna recipe after just two times making it. I am with you, Barilla lasagna noodles or don’t even cook this. You would have to be crazy to use any other noodle. The taste is great, they’re even not that hard to break up when using a round lasagna pan (I make this in the Ninja Foodi Pressure Crisp/Air Fryer). Just a great recipe and I appreciate your posting it!
Do you reduce the bake time in an air fryer? By how much?
I have never tried to make a lasagna in an air fryer.
I’m a 15 year old who loves to cook and I was diagnosed with celiacs around a year ago I haven’t had lasagna yet and it was Absolutely amazing! I’m so glad I found this, thank you so much!
This makes me so happy! It always feels good to be able to enjoy an old favorite again!
Walmart carries several types of Barilla GF noodles, all delicious.
Also, for sauces that need thickening, we use Bob’s Red Mill 1to 1 GF Baking flour… We have found this to be a superb thickener for all our sauces. Blends perfectly and tastes great.
Wonderful, thanks for the tips.
Making this now with a few adjustments. I used WAY more garlic, parsley, and basil because I am using dairy free cheeses, which tend to have zero flavor or leave an after taste. I’m not telling my family it is dairy free to get honest feedback, as I usually make them gluten free and just exclude dairy in my own foods.
Thanks so much this recipe, it smells heavenly!
I hope you enjoyed it. I have not tried the dairy free substitutions, so hopefully it was still just as delicious.
Hello. This recipe looks great. I want to make the gluten-free lasagne a week ahead and then freeze the lasagne. Will the noodles stay whole or disintegrate or turn to mush?
If you freeze it before baking, it should be fine. I have actually frozen it after it is completely baked and yes, the noodles to break apart a little, but it didn’t turn to complete mush. Even my gluten-eating kids and husband still enjoyed it.
HUGE HIT!!! I made this yesterday with Cappello’s Almond Flour Lasagna sheets. I also added spinach to each layer, and served with italian salad. I’m printing this as our new family favorite Lasagna recipe. 🙂
OK, now I am intrigued about almond flour lasagna sheets!!
In the nutrition information at the end of the recipe, I noticed the potassium and sodium content is very high. Where is all the extra sodium coming from? and since I’m on a renal diet, I can’t have much potassium either. Thanks for any advice!
Hi Diana, the nutrition information is pulled from a database to be as accurate as possible, but may not be exact. Therefore, if you have specific medical needs, I’d recommend discussing with your doctor. Ingredients such as the sausage and cheeses as well as the canned tomato products can have a high sodium content. But many are available in lower sodium versions, which may be an option for you.
Often my oven baked gluten free pasta isn’t all the. Way cooked. I found a brand online with the ruffled edges and you boil it! Delicious! No more tough pasta noodles!! Tinkyada is the brand. I will suggest this to my grocery store. Since Covid19 I can’t even find any gluten free lasagna noodles in the stores!!
Thanks for sharing! I will have to try those. I have heard of that brand.
A family hit! Our daughter has celiac and loves pasta, especially lasagna. We hadn’t tried a recipe up until this point for fear that the gf noodles would ruin it for us. But it was so great! A family staple for sure. Thank you!
Have you tried hearts of palm lasagna noodle alternative?
I have not, but I will look into that!
I am making this recipe as we speak and very excited- the sauce smells amazing. I am wondering if I want to freeze it, do i Bake it first and then freeze it once it cools or do I freeze it uncooked? thanks!
Sorry for the delay in responding. You can really do either. With gluten free pasta, it might be better to freeze it before, as they do tend to break up a bit more when cooked, frozen, and thawed. But I did that and we still enjoyed it.
We love this lasagna and froze half, it was great the second time. Making it again tonight for my parents.
Can I assemble this ahead of time, refrigerate, and bake off later? Or will the noodles turn to mush?
If you use the no-boil gluten free noodles, I would suspect it will be fine.
Can this be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen? I’m making it for a family in need. Thanks!
Absolutely, Michelle. You can bake it ahead and either refrigerate or freeze it.
Do you recommend taking the sausages out of their casings or just slicing them up after cooking?
Hi Christine!
I actually cover this in the video I made, but yes, I remove the sausage from the casings. That way, it crumbles up like ground beef. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
This was absolutely delicious! My husband did his happy dance while eating it and has requested me to cook this again next week! I made the sauce from scratch and I’m glad I did. I added a little bit of nutmeg and more garlic to my liking and it came out great! Five stars all around!
Talea, thank you for rating the recipe. I’m SO happy to hear that your family loves it as much as mine does!
can you come up with a lasagna not using ricotta cheese or any cream cheese
with a nice meat sauce instead, Husband does not like the cream cheeses variety at all
thanks
Thanks for the suggestion! I will look into it!