Lasagna Bolognese

If you are newly diagnosed with celiac, or just discovered that gluten is not your friend, never fret, dollfaces. There is still lasagna in your future. This past New Year's Eve, a gorgeous friend made me a gluten free lasagna, and I was beside myself with appreciation since it had been at least 9 years since lasagna was in my life. It was time to make my own lasagna. I wish my camera sucked less because these crappy pictures don't do the eye-talian masterpiece any justice.

This bolognese lasagna was adapted from The Silver Spoon
cookbook, the bible of Italian cooking. I used Tinkyada Lasagna Noodles, Authentic Foods' & Bette's Featherlight Rice Flour Blend for the bechamel sauce, added some flavorings here and there, and voila...a perfect gluten free lasagna!!

Unless you like putting on 10 lasagna pounds, invite some people over so you can have help eating it.

Lasagna Bolognese

2 tablespoons olive oil
10 baby carrots, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 pk grass-fed ground beef
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 14.5 oz can chopped tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
2 tablespoons butter, plus extra to grease pan
1 package Tinkyada GF Lasagna Noodles
Bechamel Sauce (see recipe below)
1 cup grated parmesan
salt and pepper for seasoning

Heat the olive oil to medium high heat in a large fry pan, add the carrot and onion and saute until soft, about 5-8 minutes. And the ground beef, breaking it up into chunks, and cook until browned through. Pour in wine and cook until evaporated. Season with a pinch of salt. Add the can of tomatoes, basil, oregano, and the tomato paste (optional). Turn down the heat to medium low and let simmer for 30 minutes. Season with pepper (and more salt if necessary).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil your lasagna noodles per the instructions on the box. Drain and rinse in cool water. Lay out noodles individually on damp towels to let them dry off. Make your bechamel sauce.

Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish with butter. Place three noodles on the bottom of the casserole dish, spoon some meat mixture over the noodles, then some of the bechamel and parmesan, dotting with some butter. Repeat with 3 more layers, making sure the top layer is bechamel/parmesan/butter. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Let stand at least 20 minutes before serving.

Basic Bechamel Sauce

1/2 stick salted butter
1/4 cup GF flour blend (I use Bette's Featherlight 4 Flour Blend)
2 and 1/4 cups of milk
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Melt the butter in the pan over medium heat. Whisk in the GF flour. Pour in all the milk, whisking constantly and making sure all clumps are whisked out. When it starts to boil, lower the heat, season with a pinch of salt, cover, and let simmer gently. Whisk the mixture every 3-5 minutes. If your sauce gets too thick, add in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove from heat, add pinch of nutmeg, a twist or two of fresh pepper, and more salt if necessary.