The BEST Gluten-Free Lasagna

White plate of a large slice of gluten-free lasagna with the casserole dish of lasagna in the background.

5 from 2 votes

Amazing gluten-free lasagna recipe with a hearty meat sauce and delicious gooey mozzarella cheese and ricotta. A family favorite for busy weeknights or special occasions alike!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 20

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: Servings

Calories: 403kcal

Author: Julia

Ingredients

1 Tbsp avocado oil
1 small yellow onion diced
1 lb ground beef*
3 cloves garlic minced
1 (28-oz) jar delicious tomato sauce
1 (14-oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
⅓ cup red wine
2 Tbsp sugar**
9 to 12 large gluten-free lasagna noodles***
15 ounces ricotta cheese
16 ounces mozzarella cheese grated
1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Make the Hearty Meat Sauce:

Heat the avocado oil (or olive oil) over medium-high heat in a large thick bottomed pot (I use a Dutch oven) or a very large skillet. Add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes (to speed up this process, I sprinkle the onion with salt and cover the pot).
Add the garlic and ground beef, and break it into smaller chunks with a spatula.
Stir in the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, red wine and sugar. Cover and bring the sauce to a full boil.
Reduce the heat and continue cooking at a gentle (but full) boil for at least 10 to 15 minutes. If you have more time and can let the sauce cook longer, let it gently simmer for 1 hour for the best result. Taste the sauce for flavor and add sea salt, pepper, or sugar to taste.
Note: You can prepare the sauce up to three days ahead of time to make this recipe in parts and for a more flavorful sauce.

Prepare the Lasagna:

If your noodles need to be cooked, boil noodles in a pot of hot water according to the package instructions. If you're using oven-ready noodles that don't need to be cooked, skip the cooking process and go straight to layering your lasagna.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pour 1 cup of the meat sauce into the bottom of a large 13” x 9” casserole dish and spread it evenly over the bottom.
Add one layer of noodles (for me, this requires 4 noodles).
Spread ⅓ of the meat sauce over the noodles, followed by half of the ricotta cheese (I simply dollop large spoonfuls on) and ⅓ of the grated mozzarella cheese (as well as 1/3 of the parmesan if using).
Layer on a second layer of noodles over the first layer, followed by ⅓ of the sauce on top of the noodles, the rest of the ricotta and ⅓ of the grated mozzarella (and parmesan).
Add a third layer of noodles then spread the remaining sauce and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil, leaving it tented so that it doesn’t stick to the top layer of cheese.
Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 45 minutes. The foil prevents the top from getting too brown or over-cooking the top layer of noodles. Remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes, or until the cheese is golden-brown.
Allow the lasagna to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

*Use ½ pound of ground beef and ½ pound of ground pork or ground Italian sausage if you prefer. For less greasy lasagna, use lean ground beef that has 90/10 meat to fat ratio.

**Use regular cane sugar, coconut sugar, or pure maple syrup

***The amount of noodles you need will depend on the size of the noodles you use as well as the size of your casserole dish.

To store leftover lasagna, tightly cover the casserole dish in plastic wrap or transfer the leftovers to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 1 week. Freeze lasagna in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

This yummy lasagna is even more flavorful the next day! If you have the time to make it ahead of time, you'll be impressed by the development of flavors.

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