Classic Homemade Lasagna (gluten-free, whole wheat options)

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• Prep Time: 40 min
• Cook Time: 1:10 h
• Ready in: 1:50 h
• Yield: 8-10

Ingredients

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups (200 grams) diced onion
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (15 grams) minced garlic
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2/3 cup (158 milliliters) red wine
• 1 28-ounce (794-gram) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 14.5-ounce (411-gram) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 6-ounce (170-gram) can tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 tablespoons (7 grams) chopped fresh basil
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

For the meat:

• 1 1/2 pounds (680 grams) ground beef
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

For the cheese mixture:

• 1 15-ounce (425-gram or 1 3/4 cups) container ricotta cheese or homemade ricotta
• 4 cups (453 grams) shredded mozzarella, divided
• 1 1/4 cups (120 grams) grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 egg (50 grams, weighed out of shell)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 12-16 no-boil lasagna sheets (enough for 4 layers of noodles)¹

Directions

Prepare the sauce:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, cook the onion in the olive oil until the onion is softened, about 6-9 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the red pepper flakes and red wine and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until most of the wine has been absorbed. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and simmer over low heat for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more salt to taste. Remove from the heat and let cool while preparing the rest of the lasagna.

Prepare the meat:

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the ground beef and sprinkle the salt, pepper and Italian seasoning over the top. Break up the meat, stir, and cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Drain the fat and set the meat aside.

Prepare the cheese mixture:

3. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the ricotta, 3 cups (340 grams) shredded mozzarella, 1 cup (96 grams) Pecorino Romano, egg, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined. Set aside. Mix together the remaining 1 cup (113 grams) mozzarella and 1/4 cup (24 grams) Pecorino Romano in a small bowl. Set aside for topping the lasagna. Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C).

Assemble and bake the lasagna:

4. Spread slightly more than 1 cup of tomato sauce over the bottom of a 9″x 13″ x 3″ baking 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. Add another layer of lasagna noodles and gently press down to compact the first layer. Repeat two more layers, gently pressing down each layer, and top off with the remaining sauce and reserved cheese. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the edges are bubbling and the cheese has browned. If you don’t want the cheese thoroughly browned, cover the lasagna before baking and remove the foil for the last 10 minutes.
5. Let the lasagna sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

1. 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.

Source: My post on Gluten-free on a Shoestring – Gluten-free Lasagna