This is literally the BEST Gluten-Free Lasagna recipe and it requires no noodle pre-boiling! It's layered with a hearty, flavorful sauce, all the good cheeses (ricotta, mozzarella, Parmigiano), and a gluten-free lasagna noodle that could fool even those who aren't gluten-free. Serious comfort food that is ultra delicious!
Get out your fork because it's time to eat some AMAZING lasagna...and it's gluten-free.
Will the gluten-eaters know you served them gluten-free lasagna? I've got my bets placed that they won't (unless you tell them). Will they ask you for the recipe? Yes, yes they will.
Get ready to be amazed.
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🌟 Why you'll love this recipe
- No noodle pre-boiling! We want to eat lasagna but we don't want it to take all day. And we definitely don't want to end up with a pile of soggy noodles as we layer them with the sauce and cheese. For this lasagna, we don't need to pre-boil the noodles, and that my friend, is a glorious thing.
- The perfect meal for a large group. Hosting a family gathering? Is your kid's whole baseball team coming over for dinner after practice? Need something tasty for the company potluck? Make this lasagna!
- Serious comfort food (that also makes for awesome leftovers). There's a reason why a popular comic strip feline character centered his whole life around obtaining and eating lasagna. Layers of pasta intertwined with the best meat sauce you'll ever taste. And the cheeeeese...three different types holding the beautiful mess together is the ultimate Italian comfort food.
🍅 Recipe ingredients for the lasagna sauce
For a truly crowd-pleasing lasagna, it's all about quality ingredients. If you want to make the best gluten-free lasagna, you've got to use amazing, quality ingredients. And it all starts with the lasagna sauce. Too many processed pasta sauces are loaded with mediocre ingredients and then sweetened with refined sugar. So for this lasagna, we're making the sauce from scratch. Don't be scared, it's super simple.
- Diced fire-roasted tomatoes - I love using fire-roasted tomatoes in lasagna for their sweet but subtle smoky flavor. Muir Glen organic canned tomatoes are my favorite brand for fire-roasted tomatoes. They produce great tasting tomatoes without the use of synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers. You can find them in most grocery stores.
- Crushed tomatoes with basil - Provides a flavorful base for the sauce.
- Tomato paste - Adds a concentrated depth of flavor to the sauce.
- Ground beef - I use a mix of 85% lean to 15% fat. If you opt for ground beef with a higher fat content just keep in mind that it will produce a lasagna that is more greasy.
- Mild sweet Italian ground sausage - Because my kids will be eating this lasagna I stick to using mild sausage, but if you'd like to kick up the heat use medium or hot.
- Mushrooms - They add an extra layer of umami and texture to the sauce. I pulse the mushrooms in my food processor until they are very small so that my kids don't freak out. I suggest doing the same versus leaving them out if you have any mushroom-haters in your household too.
This lasagna sauce is so incredibly tasty and easy to make. It would also be an amazing sauce for just about any other pasta dish you can think of...spaghetti, penne, manicotti...I ♡ ALL of the pasta.
🧀 Additional ingredients needed #allthecheese
- Don't skimp on quality cheese. Get the good stuff. We're talking quality whole milk ricotta, REAL Parmigiano Reggiano (no parmesan in a can plz), and FRESH mozzarella. The most economic place I have found to buy fresh mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano is at Costco. I purchase ricotta at my regular grocery store.
- Gluten-free lasagna noodles - There are two brands of gluten-free lasagna noodles that I believe make the cut for this recipe. Be sure to check out either Tinkyada Brown Rice Lasagna or Jovial Gluten-Free Brown Rice Lasagna. These two gluten-free pasta brands have each developed a great tasting gluten-free noodle that requires NO PRE-BOILING!! This saves a TON of prep time and mess, plus they taste awesome! A gluten-eater probably wouldn't even know they were gluten-free. In fact, they may end up liking them more than the non-gf lasagna noodles!
For a full list of ingredients and quantities see the recipe card at the end of this post.
🔪 Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Let's make the lasagna sauce! Cook ground beef, sausage, and garlic.
Step 2: Add onion, mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Season with basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and parsley.
Step 3: Allow the sauce to simmer.
Step 4: Meanwhile, in a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, parsley, and salt.
Step 5: Once the lasagna sauce has finished cooking, spread 3 cups of the sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish.
Step 6: Arrange 1 layer of the gluten-free lasagna noodles on top of the sauce.
Step 7: Spread one half of the ricotta cheese mixture on the lasagna noodles.
Step 8: Top the ricotta with half of the mozzarella cheese slices.
Step 9: Spread 2 cups meat sauce evenly over mozzarella, and sprinkle with ½ cup Parmigiano.
Step 10: Repeat layers: noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, sauce, and top with remaining Parmigiano.
Step 11: Tent the lasagna with foil and bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes.
Step 12: Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes, or until the lasagna is hot and bubbling, the noodles are tender, and you get those cheesy, crispy lasagna corners! Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Now who's ready to dig in to the BEST lasagna ever?!
👩🍳 Recipe tips
- Use a baking pan that is deep enough and large enough to hold it all in while baking. I recommend using a baking dish that is at least 3 inches deep so that when the lasagna begins to bubble it doesn't bubble right over the side of your dish to the bottom of your oven. Here's the dish I use. Save the lasagna mess cleanup for your kids' faces (or maybe yours 😉).
- Allow the lasagna to rest for at least 10 minutes after baking before slicing into it. It's so hard to not just dig in, but it you give the lasagna that extra bit of time to rest before cutting into it this will allow the lasagna to firm up a bit helping to keep those dreamy cheesy noodle layers intact.
- Quality ingredients matter! I know I've already mentioned this but I need to say it one more time. If you want a fantastic tasting lasagna you've got to use high-quality ingredients. It really does make ALL the difference if you want to make the best lasagna ever versus a mediocre lasagna.
- Use ample lasagna sauce on the bottom and on the top. Make sure you have fully and evenly spread the lasagna sauce on the bottom of the baking dish and also fully covered the final layer of noodles on the top with sauce. The lasagna sauce on the bottom keeps the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the dish while the sauce that covers the final layer of noodles will keep the top layer of noodles from becoming hard and brittle while baking.
💭 Frequently asked questions
It's debatable. But consider the components of lasagna for a moment. We need sauce on the bottom to help cook and soften the noodle while also preventing the noodle from sticking to the pan. Then we need some cheese in the middle because cheese and pasta are an amazing and very necessary marriage, plus that extra cheesy layer in the middle is just plain awesome. And of course lasagna isn't lasagna without layers, hence the repetition of sauce, noodle, and cheese.
Yes, you can. The flavor will be similar to ricotta but the texture will be slightly different unless you blend it slightly. You may also need to drain off some of the liquid from the cottage cheese in order to avoid a watery lasagna.
The egg combined with the ricotta cheese acts a binder helping to hold the lasagna together while also adding a bit of creaminess. However, if you need to omit the egg you can. Your lasagna may just not hold together as well.
Now go share this amazing lasagna with your family, with your friends, with your co-workers. Make it for the parents who just welcomed a new baby into their family. Make it for the family that just needs a comforting meal. Or make it for yourself and plan on eating it every day for at least a week. You could even eat some now and freeze some for later but I'm personally thinking lunch, dinner, and maybe even fourth meal...
Who loves lasagna?!?!
(Me!) ♡
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Print📖 Recipe
The Best Gluten-Free Lasagna
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 35 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Yield: 12-15 servings 1x
Description
This AMAZING Gluten-Free Lasagna requires no noodle pre-boiling! Layered with a hearty, flavorful lasagna sauce, all the good cheeses (ricotta, mozzarella, Parmigiano), and a gluten-free lasagna noodle that could fool even those who aren't gluten-free. Serious comfort food that is ultra delicious!
Ingredients
Lasagna Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- ¾ lb ground mild sweet Italian sausage
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- ½ cup mushrooms, minced*
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes with basil
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Additional ingredients needed
- 15 oz. ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 16 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced (about 24 slices)
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
- 10 oz. gluten-free lasagna noodles*
Instructions
- Make the sauce: Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot and cook ground beef, ground sausage, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in onion, mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Season with basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Prepare the ricotta: In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, parsley, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Assemble: Spread 3 cups of the lasagna sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish (see notes). Arrange 1 layer of lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Spread one half of the ricotta cheese mixture on top of the noodles. Top with half of the mozzarella cheese slices. Spread 2 cups meat sauce evenly over mozzarella, and sprinkle with ½ cup Parmigiano. Repeat layers (noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, sauce) and top with remaining Parmigiano.
- Bake: Cover lasagna with foil (to prevent sticking, slightly crease the foil to create a tent over the lasagna) and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes, or until the lasagna is hot and bubbling, the noodles are tender, and you get those cheesy, crispy lasagna corners! Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
The equipment section above contains affiliate links to products I use or recommend.
To help my kids with eating the mushrooms in this lasagna I pulsed them in a food processor until they were small enough that when cooked in the sauce they wouldn't really notice them. #momhack
For this recipe, I specifically recommend using either Tinkyada Brown Rice Lasagna or Jovial Gluten-Free Brown Rice Lasagna for both their excellent texture and taste. You can find these two brands in most grocery stores but I have also linked them for you on Amazon.
To avoid your lasagna from bubbling over the sides while baking use an extra-large baking dish that is at least 3 inches deep. The baking dish I use measures 16" x 10.5" x 3.5" and I've never had an issue with my lasagna bubbling over.
If you'd like to make the lasagna ahead of time or would like to freeze it for later, check out this great resource for how to do so.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Keywords: lasagna, gluten-free lasagna, dinner, gluten-free, holiday recipe
Update Notes: This post was originally published in July 2016, but was re-published with updated step-by-step instructions, pictures, tips, and FAQs in November 2020.
Disclaimer: All brand recommendations are purely my own opinion. I am in no way sponsored by the brands mentioned or compensated by the brand for my recommendations. This post may also contain affiliate links which I may receive a small commission from (without any additional costs to you). The money earned from these commissions helps me to maintain this website. Thank you for your support!
A Gough
I have been told “this is the best lasagna I’ve ever had.” I’ve made it with GF noodles, regular noodles, and I now use the lasagna sauce part of this recipe as my spaghetti sauce. Try it, you won’t be disappointed!
Shannon Emery
Love hearing this! Thanks for taking the time to leave your review! And I agree, the sauce is perfect for spaghetti! 🙌
Nancy
Stupid question I know but do I need to cook the lasagna noodles first?
Shannon Emery
Hi Nancy! One of the beauties of this lasagna is that you don’t pre-boil the noodles. Assemble the lasagna with uncooked noodles and they will cook to perfection when you bake the whole lasagna. Enjoy!
Steve C
How can I reheat the full pan if I’m making it a day ahead of time?
Shannon Emery
Hi Steve, if assembling the lasagna one day ahead of time, one option is to wait until the following day to fully bake it. If the lasagna has already been fully baked, the best option for reheating is to reheat it in the oven. Remove the lasagna from the refrigerator and allow it to sit on the counter while you preheat the oven to 350°F. Add a few tablespoons of water or broth to the lasagna (this helps to prevent it from drying out), cover with foil taking care to not let the foil touch the top of the lasagna, and bake for 30 minutes, or until it reaches 165°F in the center. I hope you enjoy your lasagna!
Kassi
This was so amazing! And the sauce was on point!
Shannon Emery
Awesome Kassi! I love hearing this! Thanks for your review!
Connie Archibald
Made this tonight and it was awesome. Will definitely make again
Shannon Emery
Hurray! I'm so happy to hear Connie! Thank you for your comment. 🙂
Craig
This is the recipe of choice for the BEST GF Lasagna - EVER!!!!
I agree with much of the recipe shown. My wife (and many family members) suffer from Celiac disease. To give an extra flavor "boost" I use only San Marino imported diced tomato's. When preparing the "base" I puree the diced tomato's, and place in a pot to start simmering. I only use pork - "hot" Italian sausages - skins removed, sautéed like the recipe recommends. When all ingredients are combined in the pot with the tomato's, I leet them cook VERY slowly in an uncovered pot - for two to three hours - MINIMUM. While it does add to the prep time, the gentle smell of everything cooking permeates our home. Later the lasagna when it emerges from the oven has deep, flavorful tastes that defy description!!!
Shannon Emery
Thank you Craig! I'm so glad to hear that you and your family enjoyed this lasgana! And thanks for sharing your tips for how you make it as well!
Rhishikesh Gaikwad
Wow Superr!! looks absolutely amazing.. beautiful pictures too.. 🙂 thanks for sharing..
Peter G
Absolutely wonderful recipe. I agree: the ingredients do matter. My wife must be gluten conscious so I surprised her with one of her favorite meals!
Shannon Emery
I'm so happy to hear Peter! Such a tasty meal to surprise your wife with. Well done!
Amy
My husband made this for Valentine's day. It was so delicious, one of the best lasagnas I've ever had.
Shannon Emery
I'm so happy to hear Amy! Thank you for sharing and pass on a big high-5 to your hubby!
Timothy
Outstanding!
Shannon Emery
Thank you! 🙂
Regina
My GF 7 year old asked me today what Lasagna was because Garfield loves it lol We found this recipe and he will be attempting it himself (with supervision). We got aluminum loaf pans to make smaller portions. Do you know if/how we would need to adjust the cooking time or temp?
Shannon
Lol, that's awesome! Garfield does plow through a lot of lasagna! I love that your kiddo is getting in the kitchen to cook this! Give him a high five for me!
I haven't tried this lasagna in aluminum loaf pans before so I really can't say how that would affect the cooking time. I would leave the baking temp the same though. The key is to make sure the noodle has the opportunity to cook all the way through since you don't cook the noodles prior to placing them in the lasagna. I would probably go ahead and try baking it with the aluminum foil on top for 25 minutes and then take the foil off so you can get that cheesy, crispy top and corners. You may not need to cook it the full additional 25 minutes though since the pans are so small. I would just keep on eye on it during the last half of cooking and poke the lasagna with a fork to see if the noodles feel like they have cooked all the way through and are tender. Sorry I can't give you a more specific answer. Let me know how it goes!
Lori
Thank you so much for this recipe! It is a go-to for our family.
Shannon Emery
I'm so happy to hear! Thank you for sharing!
Debbie
Meant to give this 5 stars...wish I could give it 10!
Debbie
I made this Lasagna for a group of couples who get together periodically for week-end getaways. We each prepare a meal or two and this was a huge hit! I made the sauce the day before and then simply assembled it in about 10 minutes and baked it for 50 minutes as instructed. (I did reheat the sauce prior to assembling to make sure it would be nice and hot all the way through once baked.) There were three couples so I sliced it into 12 big squares, which was perfect for our group who were super hungry after hiking all afternoon. I served it with a green salad and everyone raved and asked for the recipe, so I directed them to your site. We still had half of the lasagna left for lunch the next day which was awesome! So easy to make this delicious meal and loved that I could prep it ahead of time! Thank you for the recipe Shannon...it's already a family favorite!
Shannon
Thanks so much! Glad this was a hit with your group! And lasagna leftovers the next day are always a win in my book!
Sue
Shannon, Going to attempt with ' non dairy cheese.'
I will let you know how it turns out.
May I repost on my Facebook wall.
Shannon
As always feel free to share the tastiness. I'm happy to have the links to any of my recipes shared on social media. : ) Hope the non dairy cheese lasagna turns out fabulous!
Sue
Best Lasagna I have tasted in years.
Shannon
I'm so glad you to hear you loved it! Thank you!
B
This was so good. Don't know what it was but the best I've ever made. I used my own fresh made noodles.
Shannon
Awesome B! And fresh made noodles sounds amazing!!
Marty Meiser
Lasagna was fantastic! Great recipe.
Shannon
Thank you Marty!