Easy Gluten-Free Lasagna

slice of gluten free lasagna on white plate with fork topped with parsley

Meaningful Eats

12 people

An EASY recipe for gluten-free lasagna using barilla gluten free lasagna noodles!

This recipe has a few shortcut ingredients that give it a ton of flavor. It's a family favorite nobody will guess is gluten-free!

Be sure to watch the recipe video to see how to make it!

Course Dinner, Main Dish

Cuisine Italian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 45

Author Erin Collins

Ingredients

For the Cheese Mixture:

1 16oz bag of shredded mozzarella cheese low-moisture
8 oz ricotta cheese
8 oz cottage cheese small curd
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the Sauce/Lasagna:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 white onion finely diced
29 oz can Hunt's Tomato Sauce or another canned tomato sauce
24-28 oz bottle jarred tomato basil pasta sauce I like the Tomato Basil sauce from Trader Joe's best
10 oz Gluten-Free Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles I use Barilla

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425F.
Set aside one cup of the mozzarella cheese for topping the lasagna later. In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining mozzarella and rest of the cheese mixture ingredients (mozzarella, ricotta, cottage cheese, parmesan, eggs, parsley and pepper) until combined.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and onion. Brown the ground beef, breaking into very small chunks as you do. (The smaller the better so there aren't big chunks of meat in the lasagna.)
Drain the meat of any excess grease and return to the pan. Add the sauces and mix until heated through.
Spoon a thin layer of sauce onto the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Using 5 noodles for the first layer - dip a noodle in the sauce and spread the top of the noodle with a layer of sauce. Place in the pan. Dipping/covering each individual noodle with sauce ensures the noodles will cook through. (See the photos in the post.) Repeat with the remaining noodles. You may have to break the 5th noodle in half to fit it along the bottom of the pan. If it breaks no problem, just layer it in the best you can!
Layer the rest of the lasagna as follows:
Add 1/2 of the cheese mixture in dollops across the top of the noodle/sauce layer. Spread with a small spatula until smooth.
Spread a few small spoonfuls of sauce over the cheese layer.
Dip/cover another 5 noodles and lay them on top of the cheese mixture.
Add the other 1/2 of the cheese mixture in dollops across the top of the noodle/sauce layer. Spread with a small spatula until smooth.
Spread a few small spoonfuls of sauce over the cheese layer.
Dip/cover the remaining 6 noodles in sauce and and lay them on top. Spread any remaining sauce over top of the lasagna.
Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes covered. Remove the foil and top with the reserved mozzarella cheese. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until browned and bubbling.
Let the lasagna sit for 20 minutes before serving. Slice and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Ingredient Notes:

Gluten-Free Oven-Ready Lasagna Noodles: You can fine these widely available these days. My favorite brand is Barilla.
Hunt's Tomato Sauce: The combination of sauces is the main trick for this recipe! I like the flavor of Hunt's tomato sauce and the canned version has enough liquid for the no-bake noodles to soak up enough sauce to cook through while the lasagna bakes.
Jarred Tomato Pasta Sauce: I like using a jar of spaghetti sauce along with the canned tomato sauce for flavor and just a little texture. Pick a sauce you like the flavor of! My personal favorite for this dish is Trader Joe's Tomato Basil.
Ground Beef: You can also use ground sausage for more flavor. Be sure to break up the ground beef into very small pieces when you cook it. Nobody wants big chunks of meat in lasagna!
Ricotta/Cottage Cheese: This is my personal favorite combination of cheeses for lasagna. The cottage cheese ensures the ricotta mixture stays moist and distinct.

Recipe FAQ:

Can I make this in advance?

This lasagna can be assembled up to one day in advance. Any longer than that and the noodles will get too soft.

How do I store the leftovers?

Store any leftover gluten-free lasagna in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat individual slices in the microwave.

Can I freeze gluten-free lasagna?

Yes! The best way to freeze this is by cutting the lasagna into individual portions and freezing it in small containers. You can defrost a portion using the defrost setting of the microwave or overnight in the fridge (then reheating in the microwave).

Nutrition