This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Classic gluten-free lasagna is easy to make and tastes just like you remember. Go all out with this easy family favorite recipe, and bring back the ultimate comfort food!
Why I love this gluten free lasagna recipe
- Flavor & texture: Rich, savory tomato and beef flavor with creamy layers and browned cheese on top.
- Easy to make: With oven ready gluten free noodles, a combination of canned and jarred sauces, and prepared cheeses, homemade lasagna just got a lot simpler.
- Make it ahead: Assemble the dish up to a day in advance and store it in the refrigerator, covered. Let it sit at room temperature for an hour, then bake and serve.
- Feeds a crowd: There's enough here for 8 generous servings, so that's dinner tonight, lunch tomorrow!
Ingredients & substitution suggestions
- Gluten free lasagna noodles: I like Whole Foods no boil gluten free lasagna noodles. Barilla gf noodles are great too. If you use the kind that you have to boil, be sure to boil to just barely al dente so they don't fall apart.
- Tomato puree: Cento brand tomato puree in the big 28-ounce jar is my favorite.
- Tomato paste: The most concentrated tomato flavor you can find is in paste. Don't skip it! It also balances some of the moisture in the puree.
- Marinara sauce: I really like Rao's brand, but it's expensive so I get it on sale whenever I can. Choose something with some texture and herbs.
- Lean ground beef: I like to use 90% lean beef so I don't have a lot of fat to drain, which means more beef flavor in the dish. If you don't eat beef, you can replace it with ground dark meat turkey. You can also try chopped, sauteed baby portabella mushrooms in place of beef.
- Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning: The classics, to brighten all the flavors. You can replace the Italian seasoning with 3/4 teaspoon dried basil, 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme. You can also just use minced dried onion and garlic powder, or whatever seasonings you like best.
- Ricotta cheese: Trader Joe's makes a really nice ricotta cheese, but the traditional grocery store brands like Polly-O and Galbani are good, too. You can try using Friendship whipped cottage cheese in its place instead, since that has a similar texture.
- Mozzarella cheese: Adds tons of texture and flavor, and holds the dish together. Be generous with the top layer of shredded cheese and cover the sauce with it completely.
- Parmesan cheese: Finely grated, this adds so much depth of flavor, and also absorbs some excess moisture from the tomato sauce and ricotta.
- Egg: Adding an egg to the cheese mixture helps to firm up the cheese, and makes that layer really creamy, too. If you can't have eggs, you can leave it out but the dish will be looser.
How to make gluten free lasagna
These step by step photos are meant to give you an idea of what it's like to make this lasagna recipe in your own home. For full instructions including precise ingredient amounts and a printable recipe, please scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Make the basic mixtures
Begin by preparing the tomato sauce mixture, the cheese mixture, and browning the ground beef with spices. Then, begin with a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a greased 9-inch x 13-inch x 3-inch casserole dish. It should take about 1 cup of sauce to cover the bottom.
How to layer a lasagna
Place a single layer of lasagna noodles on top of the bottom layer of sauce, cover with 1 cup of sauce, scatter 1/3 of the ground beef, and finish with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture. Instead of dolloping on the cheese and spreading it out, break the mixture into smaller pieces to cover more ground.
Complete the layers, top & bake
Continue with 2 more layers of noodles, tomato sauce, beef, and cheese. Finish with the rest of the tomato sauce, and plenty of shredded mozzarella cheese and grated Parmesan cheese.
Cover with nonstick or greased aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes at 350°F. Increase the oven temperature to 375°F and remove the foil. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until the top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
Recipe tips & tricks
Let the dish rest before slicing with a serrated knife
Whether you've baked the top until it's brown and crisp, or you prefer your lasagna more tender throughout, this is a dish that needs to sit for at least 10 minutes out of the oven. Use a large serrated knife to cut through the top, too, and you'll get clean slices. This way, everyone can see all the layers in that work of art you just created!
Use no boil gluten free lasagna noodles
You have your pick of dried gluten free lasagna noodles to buy, but I really recommend using almost any of the no-boil kinds. I really like the Whole Foods 365 brand no boil noodles, and Barilla is also great.
More traditional lasagna noodles like Tinkyada, DeBoles and Jovial require boiling first. I don't think they taste any better, it's an extra step to take, and they are more fragile once boiled.
Parboil traditional noodles very lightly, if you use them
If you do prefer more traditional lasagna noodles that you boil first, they do tend to be a bit fragile. I recommend undercooking them to a very al-dente texture so they hold their shape well. And blot them as dry as you can before layering them into your dish.
Try soaking the no boil noodles in hot water
If you're at all concerned that you don't have enough sauce to fully cover your oven-ready noodles, soak (don't boil) them in some hot water for about 5 minutes right before layering them into the dish. That way, you won't have to overbake the dish just to get the noodles soft enough.
Variations
Ground turkey instead of beef
If you don't eat beef, you can use ground turkey instead. Be sure to use dark meat ground turkey or you won't get the richness that ground beef provides.
Italian sausage instead of beef
Try replacing the ground beef with 1 pound of bulk ground Italian sausage (or just remove the casings). Break the sausage into small pieces that resemble ground beef as you saute it over medium-low heat in 1 tablespoon olive oil (since the sausage will render its own fat). Allow the cooked sausage to sit until it has reabsorbed some of its own juices and drain off any remaining fat.
Vegetarian lasagna
Try replacing the ground beef with 1 pound chopped baby portabella mushrooms, 1 small peeled and chopped yellow onion, and 1 small green or red chopped and seeded bell pepper. Saute the vegetables over medium-low heat in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, stirring occasionally, until tender. Drain any excess liquid from the vegetables and proceed with the recipe as written.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can use fresh noodles and it makes an amazing lasagna! No, you don't boil them first. Capello brand makes fresh gluten free lasagna noodles, and you can use our gluten free pasta recipe to make fresh lasagna pasta. I recommend making them into 8-inch long noodles. You'll need 12 to 16 of them, depending on whether or not you want a 4th layer of noodles on the lasagna.
It depends! I use the shorter noodles, which are about 8-inches long and a single layer requires 4 noodles. You can create 3 layer of 4, for 12 noodles total, or 4 layers of 4, for 16 total—if your package of noodles has enough. Barilla no boil noodles are 10 ounces a package, and there is enough for 4 layers. Whole Foods are 8.8 ounces, and there's only enough for 3 layers.
Yes! Wrap leftover slices in freezer-safe wrap, and freeze it for busy days. If possible, defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat in the toaster oven. It will be just as delicious as fresh from the oven.
Make Ahead, Freezing & Reheating Instructions
You can easily make this dish ahead of time. Up to 1 day ahead of time, follow the recipe instructions to prepare the sauce, meat, and cheese mixture, and assemble the lasagna layers. Instead of baking the lasagna, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator. Let it sit at room temperature, if possible, for about 30 minutes before baking.
You can store leftover prepared and fully baked lasagna for up to 2 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. If you haven't already, cut the lasagna into slices that you would like to serve individually. It's easiest to stack them side by side, rather on top of one another, in a container.
For longer storage, 2 to 3 months, freeze the leftovers. Wrap each individual leftover slice tightly in freezer-safe wrap, and place the wrapped slices on a flat surface in the freezer. Once they are frozen, you can combine the slices into a freezer-safe zip-top bag and store for 2 to 3 months.
For frozen leftover slices, allow them to defrost in the refrigerator overnight. For refrigerated leftovers, sprinkle them lightly with water, place on greased aluminum foil, and reheat at 325°F in the toaster oven for about 15 minutes. It will be just as delicious as fresh from the oven. For faster reheating, microwave on low power for 1 minute 30 seconds.
Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
For the sauce (See Recipe Notes)
- 28 ounces pure tomato puree, or whole peeled tomatoes in their juices, blended until smooth
- 5 ounces tomato paste
- 24 ounces jarred tomato basil marinara sauce, Rao's brand is my favorite (if I can find it on sale!)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the meat
- 1 pound 85-90% lean ground beef
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
For the cheese mixture
- 16 ounces container ricotta cheese
- 4 ½ cups (16 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 ¼ cups (120 g) grated Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano, divided
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 12 gluten free no-boil lasagna noodles, (enough for 3 layers of noodles) (See Recipe Notes)
Instructions
- If you are using traditional dried lasagna noodles that must be boiled, first boil them to an al-dente texture and lay them out on tea towels to dry slightly before proceeding with the recipe as directed.
Prepare the sauce.
- In a large mixing bowl, place the tomato puree, tomato paste, marinara sauce and salt, and whisk to combine well. Set the tomato sauce aside.
- If you'd prefer a completely homemade sauce, please the recipe notes for instructions.
Prepare the meat.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the ground beef. Break up the meat, stir, and cook until browned, stirring occasionally.
- As it cooks, sprinkle the salt, pepper and Italian seasoning over the top, and mix to combine.
- Allow the beef to sit for about 5 minutes to absorb the rendered juice. Drain any remaining fat and set the meat aside.
Prepare the cheese mixture.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the ricotta, 3 cups shredded mozzarella, 1 cup Parmesan, the egg, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Mix together the remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan in a small bowl. Set aside for topping the lasagna.
- Preheat your oven to 350° F. Grease a 9-inch x 13-inch x 3-inch casserole dish.
Assemble the lasagna layers.
- Spread slightly more than 1 cup of tomato sauce in an even layer over the bottom of the prepared casserole dish.
- Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles, overlapping them just by a little bit.
- Add another 1 cup sauce, then 1/3 of the meat, followed by 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Break up the cheese mixture into small clumps and scatter it as evenly as possible across the dish.
- Add another layer of lasagna noodles and gently press down to compact the first layer. Follow with 1 cup of sauce, covering the noodles completely. Add another 1/3 of the total meat, another 1/3 of the total cheese mixture.
- Repeat with a third layer of noodles, gently pressing down each layer, and finish with a final cup of sauce, and the remaining meat and ricotta cheese mixture in the same manner as before.
- If you have enough for a third layer of lasagna noodles, top the mixture with them.
- Top with the remaining tomato sauce and reserved mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Be sure to cover the whole dish with these cheeses, especially around the perimeter. They will help hold the whole dish together and absorb any excess moisture.
Bake the lasagna
- Cover the dish completely with nonstick or greased aluminum foil.
- Place the dish in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- Increase the oven temperature to 375°F, uncover the dish and continue to bake until the edges are bubbling and the cheese has browned, another 10 to 15 minutes. For a very browned top, turn on your oven's broiler.
- Remove the lasagna from the oven and let the lasagna sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife and serving.
Notes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 ½ cups diced white onion
- 1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ⅔ cup (5 ⅓ fluid ounces) red wine
- 18 ounce can diced tomatoes undrained
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes undrained
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve had trouble finding G-Free lasagna noodles. Any suggestions? I do plan to make some homemade ones eventually but would love to find some store-bought ones too. This recipe looks delicious!
Hi, Jenny,
Of course! In the U.S., I usually purchase Tinkyada dried lasagna noodles as they seem to be the most widely available, but have also purchased DeBoles brand. There is also a more premium gluten free lasagna noodle from an Italian company called La Rosa that looks really lovely, but I haven’t tried it myself. Target also seems to have its own line of gluten free pastas, and they make an ‘oven-ready’ lasagna noodle that I would really like to try!
Yes Barilla make very nice GF lasagna and other pastas
thank you for that recipe – I have always put my meat directly in the sauce and it soaks up the sauce and my lasagne seems to be too dry – i will try your method next time.