Non-Gluten Lasagna

Making your own homemade pasta can be a bit messy, but is worth the effort, especially if you follow a gluten free diet. Although there are many gluten free varieties out there, nothing beats the taste of a freshly made pasta. This deliciously creamy lasagna is made with mushroom and white sauces, but you may use Bolognese sauce or another favorite sauce instead.

Preparing the pasta dough is quite simple – all you have to do is mix Japanese Non-Gluten Rice Flour with your choice of another gluten -free flour (buckwheat or quinoa flours work well), then add eggs, salt and a little olive oil and knead until the dough is smooth and firm, but easy to handle. Different flours absorb liquids differently so you may need to adjust the consistency with additional rice flour or water if necessary. A little xanthan gum improves the texture, but this dough recipe works without it too.

Fun fact: Lasagna (or lasagne) originated in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna and there is also a National Lasagna Day on July 29th.

YIELD: 8-12 servings
PREP TIME: 45 minutes
BAKE TIME: 30 minutes
RECIPE TYPE: Italian | Main | Gluten -free

Ingredients

FRESH LASAGNA SHEETS

1 3/4 cup Japanese Non-Gluten Rice Flour
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup cornstarch or tapioca starch
1 tablespoon xanthan gum or carob seed flour (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

MUSHROOM SAUCE

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
2 packed cups fresh baby kale or spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded fresh mozzarella

WHITE SAUCE

1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup Japanese Non-Gluten Rice Flour
1/3 cup cream cheese or ricotta
2 tablespoons cornstarch or tapioca starch
4 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (or to taste)

Directions

Step 1

Combine Japanese Non-Gluten Rice Flour, almond flour, cornstarch, xanthan gum, if using, and salt; add eggs and olive oil and stir with a spatula or a wooden spoon to form a dough. Knead, dusting lightly with rice flour as needed, to a smooth and firm dough. Divide the dough into 4 to 6 equal pieces and cover individually with plastic food wrap.

Step 2

Flatten one of the dough pieces, dust with Japanese Non-Gluten Rice Flour and run though the widest setting on a pasta machine (on most machines it is setting 9 or 10) two to three times. Continue running the dough through the narrower setting until you reach the desired thickness (for thicker sheets, setting 4; for thinner 2 or 3 work well).

Step 3

Place the rolled dough onto a kitchen towel, cut into squares and cover with another towel. Repeat he process with the remaining dough.

Step 4

To prepare the mushroom sauce, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan until shimmering; add onion, garlic, and mushrooms, and sauté for about 7 to 8 minutes until tender and most liquid has evaporated. Add the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and baby kale and cook for 5 minutes longer. Season to taste and set aside.

Step 5

For the white sauce, melt the butter into a large saucepan and add, stirring constantly, the Japanese Non-Gluten Rice Flour, cream cheese, and cornstarch until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour in the milk and bring the mixture to a boil; reduce the heat and cook until thickened, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 6

Heat the oven to 375°F/180°C/Gas 5 and lightly grease a 9-in x 13-in baking pan.

Step 7

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a teaspoon of salt and cook the lasagna sheets in batches for about 1to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, quickly transfer the sheets to a large platter and let to cool slightly before assembling the lasagna.

Step 8

Spread some white sauce onto the bottom of the prepared pan; cover with a layer of lasagna sheets, then spoon half of the mushroom sauce on top and sprinkle a 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella. Drizzle over a third of the white sauce and repeat the process, finishing with white sauce. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling.

Cook’s Notes

When rolling gluten-free dough, handle carefully as it breaks easier than regular dough.
If you don’t have a pasta machine, use a rolling pin to get it to the desired thickness.
You may cut the rolled dough into other pasta shapes.