Gluten-Free Lasagne

This Gluten-Free Lasagne is unbeatable. Rich beef ragu is layered between gluten-free pasta and a creamy cheesy sauce. Topped with mountains of grated gruyere and mozzarella then baked until golden.

Prep Time20

Cook Time1

Total Time1 20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 814kcal

Author: Georgina Hartley

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion finely diced
2 sticks celery finely diced
2 carrots peeled and finely diced
1 kg beef mince
50 g chicken livers finely chopped
2 garlic cloves crushed
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
125 ml red wine
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 fresh bay leaves
400 g passata
9 sheets gluten-free lasagne
1 portion of Gluten-Free Cheese Sauce see notes
75 g mature cheddar or gruyère cheese
150 g mozzarella torn

Instructions

Heat the olive oil for a couple of minutes in a large wide bottomed saucepan.
Add in the onion, celery and carrots and fry on a medium heat until the onions are translucent.
Add the beef mince, chicken livers, the crushed garlic, salt and pepper. Fry together until the mince has browned.
Pour in the red wine and stir together until the red wine begins to bubble.
Add the tomato puree, thyme and bay leaves. Stir in the passata and bring to a gentle boil.
Turn the heat down and simmer with a lid on for 30 minutes whilst you prepare the cheese sauce.

Cheese Sauce

For detailed instructions on the cheese sauce see notes.

Blanching the Pasta

Fill saucepan, wide enough to fit a lasagna sheet, up to a third with water and a pinch of salt.
Whilst you are bringing the water up to boil spread a large sheet of baking parchment on your work surface ready for the pasta to rest on.
Once the water is boiling place in one lasagna sheet with a pair of tongs. Boil the pasta for 1 minute then remove with the tongs and place on the baking parchment to rest whilst you blanch the remaining sheets.
Repeat with 9 sheets of lasagne, blanching one at a time.

Assembly

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan / gas mark 4.
Choose a 30cm x 20cm x 7cm baking dish and begin to assemble the lasagne.
Spread a third of the ragu at the bottom of the dish.
Then arrange 3 pre-blanched pasta sheets on top.
Spread a third of the cheese sauce over the pasta sheets, making sure to totally cover them right to the edges of the pasta.
Layer the ragu, then the pasta then the cheese sauce again.
Assemble a final layer of ragu, pasta and cheese sauce. Sprinkle over the torn mozzarella and grated gruyère.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes

Chicken Livers - If you are really averse to including chicken livers then change for 50g diced smoked streaky bacon which also adds a good depth of flavour.

Blanching the Pasta - I recommend using dried pasta for this recipe. Even if the pasta packet says you don’t need to pre-cook I advise blanching the pasta sheets before adding into the lasagna for better texture.

The Best Gluten-Free Cheese Sauce - see the detailed recipe here

More cheese? For a more saucy lasagne then you just need to increase the amount of cheese sauce, by even as much as half again.

Topping the lasagne - Make sure you top your lasagne generously with the cheese sauce. Pay particular attention to the top layer. The pasta sheets need to be well covered with sauce and then cheese to stop the pasta from drying out.

Rest the lasagne for at least 15 minutes before serving – it will hold its shape better and you won’t scorch your tongue on the cheese.

Serve with a simple green salad.

Make Ahead – You can make the lasagne up to three days ahead and keep in the fridge. To heat cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes at 180°C/ 160°C fan / gas mark 4.

Freeze – You can freeze the finished lasagne. Wrap the lasagne up well in cling film and tin foil to freeze for up to two months. Remove from the freezer to defrost overnight. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes at 180°C/ 160°C fan / gas mark 4.

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