Super Easy Gluten Free Lasagna

No Pasta Lasagna

It's been years since I made a Lasagna, I learnt early on that I didn't like gluten free pasta, so I've kept away from making any meal that included it. I recently saw Nigella make a Mexican Lasagna that used tortillas as the layer dividers and figured that would be a great gluten free alternative if I used my own. Problem is that I'd like this to be one of those really easy meals that you put together then have the option to put into the fridge to cook later. I'm not sure how well the tortillas would hold up on the sog factor.

So, I had a rethink and came up with the idea of using rice papers. I'm very familiar with this ingredient as we use them to make our lovely Summer Rolls, seemed like a texture that would work really well.

I'm pleased to say that it turned out better at first attempt than I could ever have imagined.


For 4 servings if you have my appetite, 2 if you're like The Glutenite or very hungry.

Ingredients For The Meat Layer:

500g Pork Mince
1 Knorr Chicken Stock Pot
1 Tin of Plum Tomatoes
1 Onion
6 Cloves of Garlic
150ml Dry White Wine
2 Tablespoons Tomato Puree
1 Level Tablespoon Dried Oregano
Generous Pinch of Salt
6 Rice Papers
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Ingredients For The Cheese Sauce:

25g Garlic Butter
25g Corn Starch
300ml Milk
110g Gruyere

Directions:

• Peel and finely chop the onion
• Peel the garlic
• Cut the rice papers to size with kitchen scissors so they'll fit in the dish
• Chop 100g of the gruyere into small cubes (grate if preferred)
• Heat the olive oil on high in a saucepan
• Once hot add the onions and cook, stirring often until soft
• Add the pork mince, stir
• Cook, stirring often for 5 minutes or until no pink pieces remain
• Add the oregano and stir
• Add the tinned tomatoes, break them down with a spoon and stir in
• Pour the white wine into the pan
• Add the stock pot
• Mince the garlic into the pan
• Add salt and stir thoroughly
• Simmer for 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and become thick
• Remove from the heat and leave to one side

Cheese Sauce Directions:

• Get a clean pan and melt the garlic butter
• Add the corn starch and stir into the butter to make a roux
• Add a quarter of the milk and stir continuously
• As the sauce thickens add more of the milk slowly and continue to stir
• Once all the milk is in the pan and there are no lumps left add the cheese
• Stir continuously until the cheese melts and you have a smooth thick consistency
• Remove from the heat and put to one side

Layering The Lasagna Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C for fan ovens 
• Put half of the meat and sauce mixture into the bottom of a baking dish
• Spoon so you have an even layer
• Place 3 cut to size sheets of rice paper on top
• Pour half of the cheese sauce onto the rice papers and spoon so it's evenly covering the rice paper
• Add the rest of the meat and sauce mix in an even layer
• Put 3 more rice papers on top
• Add the remaining cheese sauce making sure it completely covers the rice papers
• Grate the remaining cheese evenly on top of the sauce
• Put into the oven for 20 minutes

Printable Version

No photographic documentation other than the end result because I thought I may need to make this a few times to get it just right, didn't expect that on first attempt I would nail it.

So long as the rice papers are well covered with the cheese sauce they will go soft and provide a great alternative to gluten free pasta. The texture works really well.

Providing that you do all your prep first as directed and not as you go along, this is a really easy meal to make. Lots of steps but ultimately so easy, I'd be happy to put this together then into the fridge for cooking later. If you have any leftovers it's great the next day reheated in the microwave, I know because I had some for lunch!

So there you have it, Gluten Free Lasagna nailed on the first attempt :)