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Easy Gluten-Free Lasagna (Dairy-Free!)

AMAZING Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free Lasagna! Made with a hearty sauce, easy nut cheese, and no-boil noodles. Just 10 ingredients required!
Author Minimalist Baker
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Top view of a slice of Dairy-Free Gluten-Free Lasagna topped with fresh basil
5 from 33 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 12 (Servings)
Course Entrée
Cuisine Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Italian-Inspired
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 4-5 Days

Ingredients

SAUCE

  • 1 Tbsp avocado or olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flake (optional)
  • 1 lb grass-fed ground beef
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 25-oz jars favorite marinara sauce (or DIY* // we like Organico Bella brand)
  • 1-2 tsp dried Italian herbs (basil and oregano // optional)
  • 1-2 tsp sweetener of choice (such as maple syrup, cane sugar, or stevia // optional)

CHEESE

  • 2 ¼ cups raw macadamia nuts (or sub slivered blanched almonds or raw cashews soaked for 1 hour in hot water, then drained)
  • 3 ½ Tbsp lemon juice
  • 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast (plus more to taste)
  • 3/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/3 scant tsp sea salt
  • 2/3 - 1 cup water (if using soaked cashews, add 1 Tbsp / 15 ml water at a time)

NOODLES

  • 1 9-oz box gluten-free lasagna noodles (we like Capello’s brand)

FOR SERVING optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). Set out a large baking dish (9x13 inch or similar size) and lightly grease.
  • Begin by preparing sauce. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, garlic, red pepper flake (optional), beef, and salt and begin sautéing, stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes, or until meat is browned. Use spoon to break meat into small pieces.
  • In the meantime, if using noodles that require boiling, bring a large pot of water to a boil (if using no-boil noodles, skip this step). Once boiling, add a healthy pinch of salt and your lasagna noodles (or other pasta shape). Cook according to package instructions to achieve an al dente texture — tender with a little bite. Then drain and set aside. Optional: Drizzle pasta with a little oil to prevent sticking.
  • To the pot, add your marinara sauce and stir to combine. Cook on low for about 10 minutes to marry the flavors. Then taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding salt to taste or red pepper flake for heat. You could also add dried Italian spices and/or sweetener of choice to balance the flavors at this time (optional). Turn off heat and set aside.
  • Next, make your "cheese." Add macadamia nuts (or sub soaked cashews) to a food processor or a high-speed blender along with lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and sea salt and mix/blend into a loose paste.
  • Add lesser amount of water (2/3 cup or 120 ml as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Continue mixing, scraping down sides as needed. Then add more water — 1 Tbsp (15 ml) at a time — until a thick paste forms. I find I get the best texture results with a food processor, but a blender can work, too. It just generally requires more scraping and more liquid. For texture, you’re looking for a spreadable soft “cheese.”
  • Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor, salt for saltiness, lemon juice for acidity/brightness, or garlic powder for garlic flavor. Blend again to combine.
  • To begin assembly, add a thin layer of marinara sauce to your baking dish. Spread to ensure even distribution. Then add a layer of the cooked pasta noodles (or uncooked noodles if using no-boil). Top with a thin layer (roughly 1/3 of the mixture) of your nut cheese and spread into an even layer.
  • Add another thin layer of marinara sauce and use a spoon to spread over the cheese layer to coat. Then add another layer of noodles. Top with another 1/3 of the cheese and spread into an even layer.
  • Add another layer of marinara sauce and spread into an even layer. Then top with another layer of noodles and remaining 1/3 of the cheese, and spread into an even layer. Top with another layer of marinara sauce and spread into an even layer.
  • Top with another layer of noodles and, finally, remaining sauce. Optional: Top with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese.
  • Cook on the middle rack of your preheated oven for 40-45 minutes uncovered, or until the sauce is bubbly and/or the edges are browned.
  • Carefully remove from the oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Then slice, serve, and enjoy. We recommend garnishing with additional vegan parmesan cheese and fresh chopped basil or parsley. See notes for freezing instructions.*

Video

Notes

*To make this recipe freezer friendly, prepare sauce, cheese, and noodles and layer as instructed. Once assembled, cover well and freeze up to 1 month. To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C), cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes (if thawed) or up to 45 minutes - 1 hour (if frozen). Then remove foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and hot.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with Capello’s lasagna noodles and without optional ingredients.

Nutrition (1 of 12 servings)

Serving: 1 servings Calories: 422 Carbohydrates: 49.6 g Protein: 14.9 g Fat: 31.6 g Saturated Fat: 5.9 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.06 g Monounsaturated Fat: 17.93 g Trans Fat: 0.3 g Cholesterol: 49.6 mg Sodium: 655 mg Potassium: 676 mg Fiber: 6.2 g Sugar: 10.7 g Vitamin A: 908 IU Vitamin C: 16 mg Calcium: 79.06 mg Iron: 3.41 mg