Make the best gluten-free lasagna with this ultimate recipe. Layers of homemade meat sauce, ricotta filling, and lots of gooey cheese make this a comforting dish with plenty of pro tips for perfectly cooked noodles that are never mushy and hold up to layering. For a completely from-scratch recipe, use the included fresh lasagna sheet option!

a slice of gluten-free lasagna being lifted from a white baking dish
The essential comfort food is back with this easy gluten-free lasagna recipe. I have some easy tips for layering and how to avoid mushy pasta layers with keeping those essential robust Italian flavors.

Want to Save This Recipe?

Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get affordable and easy gluten-free recipes delivered each week!

World’s Best Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe

Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food. Throw these doughy soft gluten-free breadsticks alongside it and you’ll have an epic, and surprisingly gluten-free, meal of your dreams. It’s a go-to in my easy gluten-free dinner ideas because whether it’s served for family weeknights, holidays, or company, the oohs and ahhs never cease.

Making a homemade gluten-free lasagna is easy to manage with a few simple tips and tricks, many of which are shared here and where the recipe first appeared in my gluten-free cookbook. We’ll avoid mushy layers by using the best taste and texture lasagna noodles (or from-scratch pasta option 😲), discover how to cook them perfectly al dente, and expert tips for layering.

This is a wonderful lasagna recipe, packed full of flavor and easy to make! Every one of Melissa’s recipes that I’ve made, have won over our family of picky eaters. Thank you Melissa for sharing your gluten free recipes with us all.

—Stacy

So good! Sauce is fantastic and I used the recommended Barilla noodles. Could never guess this was gluten free. Thank you!!

—Monique

Ingredient Tid Bits

  • Italian Sausage – I use sweet Italian sausage to keep the recipe kid-friendly, but spicy sausage may also be used. For a spicier recipe, use hot Italian sausage and add a pinch of crushed red pepper to the sauce.
  • Ground Beef – Lean ground beef works best to avoid a greasy sauce.
  • Ricotta Cheese – Use whole-milk ricotta for best flavor and part-skim to save calories. If you don’t care for ricotta, substitute 16 ounces cottage cheese. At least 4% milk fat works best.
  • Gluten-Free Lasagna Noodles – The most important aspect when making a winning gluten-free lasagna! My preferred brand is Barilla Gluten-Free Lasagne Sheets. This also works well for a shortcut lasagna recipe, 30-minute gluten-free lasagna soup. See the notes below for important cooking tips, plus how to make this recipe with fresh, homemade lasagna sheets.
  • Sauce – The recipe includes a quick homemade sauce, but you can also swap out two jars of marinara sauce.

Pro Cooking Tips for Gluten-Free Noodles

Avoid the biggest pain point when making gluten-free lasagna recipe – mushy, fall apart noodles. Follow the tips below and your dinner guests will enjoy a lasagna so good, no one will know it’s GF!

  • Use oven-ready lasagne noodles for best results. Skip the boiling before layering which prevents a mushy texture.
  • If you do use lasagna noodles that aren’t labeled “oven-ready,” skip boiling first. This lasagna recipe cooks longer covered with foil so the noodles cook to perfection while it bakes.
  • Avoid overlapping noodles as much as possible. Stacked noodles will glue themselves together during baking and become chewy, instead of tender.
  • GF Barilla noodles are rather short, so if you want to cover the whole dish, break them to fit.

Let’s Make This Together!

(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)

Start with sauciness.

Heat a little olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until sausage is browned and no longer pink.

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a low simmer and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, mix together the ricotta filling and freshly grate the mozzarella cheese.

the lasagna sauce coming together in a pan.

Let’s get layering.

In a 9X13 baking pan spread about 2 1/2 cups of the tomato sauce. Top with 4 uncooked lasagna noodles, half the ricotta mixture and 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of noodles, remaining ricotta, 1 cup cheese, and 2 cups sauce. Place on remaining lasagne sheets, sauce, and finish with remaining mozzarella cheese. Make sure all the noodles are covered in sauce so they don’t become hard during baking. 

images showing how to layer.

Time to bake.

Spray a large piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray. This prevents the cheese from sticking to the top. Cover securely and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for 15-20 minutes longer, or until noodles are soft throughout. For a nice, golden, bubbly top, finish with a quick 1-2 minutes under the broiler. Let it stand for about 15 minutes before slicing and enjoying.

overhead shot of layered lasagna unbaked

Using Fresh Lasagna Sheets

Once I created this easy gluten-free fresh pasta recipe, naturally it was time to level up my lasagna game. The experience was heaven on earth, and I seriously wish you try your hand at it because it’s so worth it!

  1. To make one lasagna recipe, you will need half a recipe of dough. Roll the dough into sheets up to setting 3.
  2. Transfer the sheets to parchment lined baking sheets, stacking layers between more parchment. If not using right away, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze.
  3. When ready to assemble, use the fresh sheets or thaw slightly. Use kitchen shears to cut the dough to pan size. Just like using store-bought noodles, you can skip the boiling ahead of time.
  4. The baking time will be a little shorter with fresh noodles. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes, remove the foil, bake for 25-30 minutes more, and finish with a quick broil, if desired.
overhead shot of lasagna in a white dish with a red towel next to it
If you love a golden, bubbly topping turn on your broiler and let the cheese work it’s magic for 1-2 minutes before pulling out of the oven.

Tips For Layering

  • Since thisrecipe doesn’t boil the lasagna sheets before layering, make sure they do not overlap. This prevents the noodles from sticking together during baking, making them chewy instead of tender.
  • A good amount of sauce on the bottom layer and top layer will create moisture to steam the noodles as the lasagna bakes.
  • The final layer of sauce should fully cover the noodles so they don’t become hard during baking.
  • To prevent the noodles moving around while spreading on the ricotta filling, first evenly distribute ricotta dollops, then gently spread.
  • When you are finished layering, spray a large sheet of foil with cooking spray to prevent cheese from sticking to it and tightly seal around the baking dish. Heavy duty foil works best, or a double layer of regular foil.
close up overhead shot of corner of lasagna dish
Homemade lasagna is the perfect idea for make-ahead gatherings. The recipe notes below include freezer tips as well.

Save this recipe to your pinterest board!

Pin Now, Bake Later!

Let’s be friends on Pinterest! I’m always sharing great recipes!

Did you make this recipe? I love hearing from you! Leave a star rating and comment below the recipe card. It helps others when searching for recipes and I appreciate feedback from our community. You will always hear back from me! -Melissa

a slice of gluten-free lasagna being lifted from a white baking dish
5 stars (19 ratings)

Gluten-Free Lasagna (Not Mushy, Foolproof!)

Melissa Erdelac of MamaGourmand headshot in patterned dress.Melissa Erdelac
Yield: 12
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Make the best gluten-free lasagna with this ultimate recipe! Layers of homemade meat sauce, ricotta filling, and lots of gooey cheese make this a comforting dish with plenty of pro tips for perfectly cooked noodles!
Print Pin Rate Remove Ads

Ingredients
 

Meat Sauce

Ricotta Filling

Assembling Lasagna

Equipment

Instructions
 

Meat Sauce

  • Heat the olive oil in a large, deep saute pan over medium heat. Add the sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until it is browned and no longer pink.
    1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage, 1 pound lean ground beef, 1 medium onion, 2 cloves garlic
  • Stir in the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a low simmer and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
    2 (28) ounce cans crushed tomatoes, 1 ½ tablespoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon light brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Ricotta Filling

  • Meanwhile, make the ricotta cheese mixture by lightly beating the egg in a medium bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, parmesan, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and set aside.
    1 large egg, , 16 ounces whole milk ricotta, ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground pepper

Layering Lasagna

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • In a 9X13 baking pan spread 2 ½ cups tomato meat sauce. Top with 4 uncooked lasagna noodles (if using Barilla, for larger noodles 3 will cover the dish). TIP: Avoid overlapping noodles as much as possible. Stacked noodles will glue themselves together during baking and become chewy, instead of tender.
    10 ounce Barilla Gluten-Free Oven-Ready Lasagne Noodles
  • Evenly dollop half the ricotta mixture over the noodles and spread evenly. Top with 1 cup grated mozzarella.
  • Repeat with another layer of noodles, remaining ricotta, 1 cup cheese, and then 2 cups sauce.
  • Place on the remaining lasagne sheets, sauce, and finish with remaining mozzarella cheese. Make sure all the noodles are covered in sauce so they don’t become hard during baking. 
  • Spray a large piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray. Cover securely and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and bake for 15-20 minutes longer, or until noodles are soft throughout.
  • If desired, broil 2-3 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and golden. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Using Fresh Noodles
  • You will need to make half a recipe of this gluten-free pasta dough. Roll the dough into sheets up to setting 3.
  • Transfer the sheets to parchment lined baking sheets, stacking layers between more parchment. If not using right away, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours or freeze.
  • When ready to assemble, use the fresh sheets or thaw slightly. Use kitchen shears to cut the dough to pan size. Just like using store-bought noodles, you can skip the boiling ahead of time.
  • The baking time will be a little shorter with fresh noodles. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes, remove the foil, bake for 25-30 minutes more, and finish with a quick broil, if desired.
Make-Ahead, Freezing, and Reheating
Make-Ahead:
Lasagna makes a great make-ahead meal for holidays, such as Christmas, or when expecting company. The sauce may be prepared up to three days ahead of time and refrigerated in an airtight container. Alternatively, freeze up to 3 months.
Assemble the lasagna up to a day ahead of time, covering securely with foil. When ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature up to an hour, then bake according to the directions.
Freezing Lasagna:
Another make-ahead option is to assemble the lasagna, and freeze it unbaked. Be sure to wrap it in several layers of plastic wrap and foil to prevent freezer burn and ice crystals forming.
Thaw the frozen lasagna overnight in the fridge and then let it sit at room temperature for one hour before baking according to directions.
Reheating:
Refrigerate leftover lasagna in an airtight container up to three days. To reheat in the microwave, heat individual slices at a time. Microwave at 50% power until almost heated through, and then finish at full power to warm completely.
Leftover lasagna may also be frozen in serving-size slices. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap and then transfer to a ziplock freezer bag. Freeze up to three months.
Thaw slices overnight in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave at 50% power until almost heated through, and then finish at full power to warm completely.
If you have a lot of leftovers to reheat at once, place in an oven-proof baking dish. Cover securely with foil and warm in a 325ºF oven until hot throughout.
Calories: 508kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 118mg, Sodium: 827mg, Potassium: 537mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 640IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 363mg, Iron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below. It helps others when searching for recipes and I LOVE feedback!