Lasagna

Michael Eisenwasser

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A classic baked lasagna with gluten-free noodles, lactose-free ricotta and mozzarella, and a beef-pork meat sauce made with homemade marinara.

Prep 30 min

Cook 1 hr

Serves 8

Gluten-free

Ingredients

Meat Sauce

• 3 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
• 1/2 cup scallion greens, thinly sliced (green tops only)
• 1 medium carrot, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 small stalk celery, finely diced (about 15 g)
• 1 pound (450 g) ground beef (85/15)
• 1/2 pound (225 g) ground pork
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cups low-FODMAP marinara sauce (about 1 batch)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf

Ricotta Layer

• 2 cups (about 450 g) lactose-free ricotta
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To Assemble

• 12 gluten-free lasagna noodles (Jovial, Tinkyada, or Barilla Gluten Free)
• 2 cups (about 225 g) shredded lactose-free mozzarella
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, for the top
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, torn, to finish

Instructions

Make the Meat Sauce

1. Warm the garlic-infused oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the scallion greens, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
3. Push the vegetables to one side. Add the ground beef and pork to the open space and break them apart with a wooden spoon.
4. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the meat is browned and any liquid has cooked off.
5. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until it darkens and coats the meat.
6. Add the marinara, water, oregano, thyme, and bay leaf. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Fish out the bay leaf and adjust salt.

Mix the Ricotta Filling

1. While the sauce simmers, stir the lactose-free ricotta, egg, Parmesan, basil, salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl until smooth.

Prep the Noodles

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the gluten-free lasagna noodles according to the package directions, usually 1 to 2 minutes less than the box says. Drain, rinse with cool water to stop the cooking, and lay flat on a lightly oiled sheet pan so they don't stick.

Assemble and Bake

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. Spread 3/4 cup of meat sauce across the bottom of the dish. Lay down 4 noodles in a single layer, trimming to fit.
3. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, then top with a third of the remaining meat sauce and a third of the mozzarella.
4. Repeat: 4 noodles, remaining ricotta, another third of the meat sauce, another third of the mozzarella.
5. Finish with the last 4 noodles, the remaining meat sauce, the last of the mozzarella, and the 1/2 cup Parmesan on top.
6. Cover loosely with foil (tent it so the cheese doesn't stick) and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the top is bubbling and lightly browned.
7. Rest for 15 minutes before slicing into 8 squares. Top with torn basil.

Tips & Substitutions

• Use rice- or corn-based gluten-free lasagna noodles. Jovial (brown rice), Tinkyada, and Barilla Gluten Free work well. Skip chickpea, lentil, and bean-based pastas. Those are high-FODMAP at standard serves.
• Swap the ricotta if you can't find lactose-free. Firm tofu blended with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and a pinch of salt gives a similar texture and is low-FODMAP. Lactose-free Greek yogurt drained for 30 minutes in a cheesecloth also works.
• Regular mozzarella is fine at 40 g per serve. Monash lists mozzarella at 40 g low-FODMAP. Across 8 servings, 2 cups (about 225 g) of regular mozzarella comes in under that limit, so the lactose-free version is optional if you prefer it.
• Parmesan is low at 40 g per serve. Aged hard cheeses are very low in lactose. A generous topping is fine at this serving size.
• Keep the celery and onion substitutes in check. One small stalk of celery (about 15 g) across 8 portions is under the Monash serve size. Scallion green tops are low-FODMAP in typical serves, but don't sub in the white bulb portion.
• No-boil noodles work if you add more liquid. Increase the water in the sauce by 1/2 cup and cover the pan for the full first 30 minutes of baking so the noodles hydrate.
• Assemble ahead. You can build the lasagna up to 24 hours in advance, cover, and refrigerate. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the covered bake time if going in cold.

Why This Works

Marinara and infused oil add the onion-and-garlic flavor. The low-FODMAP marinara already uses garlic-infused olive oil and scallion greens, and the meat sauce layers the same base on top. That gives you the usual onion-and-garlic base you expect in lasagna without the fructans.

Lactose-free dairy keeps the cheese low-FODMAP. Lactose is the FODMAP issue in ricotta and fresh mozzarella. Lactose-free versions of both are widely available (Organic Valley, Green Valley, Lactaid) and behave the same in the oven. Parmesan is naturally low in lactose, so it stays as-is.

Gluten-free noodles replace the wheat noodles. Wheat lasagna noodles are high-FODMAP at normal serves because of fructans. Rice and corn gluten-free noodles are low-FODMAP and hold up well to a long bake.

Carrot and scallion greens replace the usual mirepoix. Classic ragu uses onion, carrot, and celery. Carrots and celery (in small amounts) are fine on Monash; scallion greens stand in for the onion flavor without the fructans in the white bulb.

Storage

Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days. Reheat individual squares in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or microwave with a splash of water on the plate to keep it from drying out. Freeze baked and sliced portions wrapped tightly for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Not sure about an ingredient? FODMAP Tracker includes a database of 1,000+ foods with FODMAP ratings to help you cook with confidence.