One-pan lasagna recipe – here’s a wondrous 30 minute recipe you can make entirely in one pan! Of course, it’s gluten-free and Coeliac-friendly as always.
One-pan lasagna recipe? Yes, it’s possible! No need for a separate white sauce, ragu or another roasting dish. It can all be done in one pan. Hooray for less washing up!
In case you hadn’t noticed, I’ve dedicated a lot of my recent recipes (any many more to come!) to creating quick and easy gluten-free meals. And in most cases, these recipes are healthier (see the FAQ section for more healthy swaps) and incredibly affordable too.
And whilst adapting your average ‘muggle’ dinner recipes can be so easy that you sometimes don’t need a special ‘gluten-free’ recipe for it (ie. just swap pasta for gf pasta), I hope you’ll agree with me on one thing…
And that one thing is this: having a well of dedicated gluten-free dinner recipes that have all been tried and tested using gluten-free products is never a bad thing! And that’s exactly what you’ll find here on the blog in the dinner section.
Here’s everything you’ll need:
One-pan lasagna recipe: What you’ll need…
- Garlic-infused oil: An instant injection of wonderful garlic flavour – no chopping or pre-frying of fresh garlic required. And if your garlic oil doesn’t have any bits of actual garlic floating in it, then it’s low FODMAP too.
- Leek or onion: I can’t tolerate onion, so I always use leek (the green leafy parts only). Use whatever works for your stomach!
- Courgette: The perfect veg as it’s common in Italian dishes, but also bulks out the dish and adds a ‘mediterranean veg’ sort of feel without being too noticeable.
- Beef mince: The leaner, the better so ideally go for 5% fat beef mince. Why? Well, 15-30% fat beef mince will have a lot of liquid leak out when fried, which can make the tomato sauce very greasy looking and too wet. If using this type of mince, it’s fine, just remember to drain off the liquid before adding the chopped tomatoes.
- Chopped tomatoes: Even the cheapest tin of chopped tomatoes works wonders here, so feel free to get whatever’s cheapest.
- Tomato puree: This helps to thicken the tomato sauce so it’s velvety smooth and not too thin. It also boosts the tomato flavour a bit too.
- Gluten-free stock: Any stock cube will do, as long as it’s gluten-free! These are stocked with all the regular stock cubes and often clearly labelled as gluten-free. I used a beef stock cube for this recipe.
- Dried mixed herbs: Either use this, dried Italian herbs, dried oregano or Herbs de Provence. They all work!
- Salt and pepper: These matter more than you think, so don’t forget these!
- Gluten-free lasagna sheets: Any gluten-free lasagna sheets from the free from aisle will do just fine!
- Mascarpone or cream cheese: This adds a welcome creamy flavour to the sauce which works so well in this recipe – it’s suppose to simulate the white sauce element of the lasagna.
- Mozzarella and cheddar: When grated, these add the ultimate crispy, stringy, cheesy finish to the top layer of your lasagna. Again, it helps simulate a layer of white sauce!
- Fresh basil: This is just to scatter on top at the end. If you want extra flavour, then chop up a small handful and stir it into the tomato sauce just before the lasagna sheets are cooked.
So, what does my one-pan lasagna taste like?
Well… like one of the best lasagnas I’ve ever tasted! Though we abandon the clear layering of a traditional lasagna, we’ve still got all the elements of one in every bite.
Chunky, flavourful beef wrapped in a herby tomato sauce, juxtaposed with creamy mascarpone, al dente lasagna sheets and a layer of melty, stringy grilled cheese.
Best of all, it’s so much quicker and easier to make than an actual lasagna… with less washing up too!
One-pan lasagna recipe: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this recipe gluten-free? Is it suitable for Coeliacs?
It is gluten-free, though nobody would know just by tasting it – trust me!
Bear in mind that minimising cross-contamination is hugely important if you’re Coeliac or making this for someone who is. Here’s some tips from Coeliac UK on minimising the risk of cross contamination.
Also, make sure that all ingredients used don’t have any gluten-containing ingredients. Then make sure that they also don’t have a ‘may contain’ warning for gluten, wheat, rye, barley, oats (which aren’t gf), spelt and khorasan wheat (aka Kamut).
Here’s some more info from Coeliac UK on identifying safe gluten-free products.
Can I make your one-pan lasagna recipe dairy-free?
All you’d need to do is use a dairy-free cream cheese instead of mascarpone/cream cheese and a smoked dairy-free cheese instead of cheddar. Easy!
Can I make your one-pan lasagna recipe veggie or vegan?
Of course! If you’re vegan, follow the dairy-free advice above first, then for both veggies and vegans, simply:
- Swap the beef mince for 200g chopped mushrooms and a 400g tin of lentils (drained)
- Use gluten-free veggie stock
Is this recipe low FODMAP?
It can be – see the guidance below! With these changes made, just under one serving of the finished dish would be a safe low FODMAP serving size:
- Ensure your garlic-infused oil doesn’t have any actual bits of garlic floating in it (the one in Tesco is safe, but sadly the one in Aldi is not, for example)
- Use a low FODMAP stock cube
- Use leek (green parts only) instead of onion
- Use lactose-free cream cheese instead of mascarpone/cream cheese
- Omit the tomato puree
Can I use veg other than courgette?
Yes, this really is a recipe you can make your own! Here’s a few other veg swaps you could make:
- Red/green/yellow pepper
- Mushrooms
- Aubergine (finely chopped)
- Celery (finely chopped)
Is this a healthy recipe?
If you want to make this recipe healthier, you can always:
- Use low-fat cream cheese or mascarpone or omit it entirely
- Use light mozzarella and cheddar or just reduce the amount on top (or both!)
- Use a low-calorie garlic-flavoured spray instead of garlic infused oil
- Use 5% fat beef mince or turkey/chicken mince
Can I freeze your one-pan lasagna?
Yes! Once cooled, simply portion into airtight containers and freeze for up to 2-3 months.
To reheat from frozen, defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat in the microwave until piping hot in the middle.
You can also store this in the fridge for 3-4 days and microwave until piping hot too.
One-pan lasagna recipe: Tips for quick and easy prep + cooking
- Get all the ingredients out and ready before you start cooking. Trust me, it makes cooking feel a lot easier!
- When cooking the lasagna sheets, the sauce should thicken due to the starch in the pasta. If it’s still quite watery, then keep simmering until it’s a lovely, thickened tomato sauce.
- If using a higher % fat beef mince, drain off any excess liquid that emerges during cooking. Higher fat beef mince is fine, but we don’t want all the fat that comes off it in the sauce. It’ll make it too wet and quite greasy looking too.
- Once the pasta is done (try a bit to see if it’s hard or not) don’t cook it for any longer than you have to. Gluten-free pasta has a bad habit of easily falling apart when overcooked, so don’t leave it simmering too long once cooked. And once cooked, don’t stir everything too much after either!
- You can always roughly chop a handful of basil and stir it in with the lasagne sheets. This adds yet another flavour dimension to the sauce and in my opinion, is a little more enjoyable than leaves on top!
One-pan Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp garlic-infused oil
- 100 g leek or onion finely chopped
- 1 medium courgette finely diced
- 500 g beef mince
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 150 ml gluten-free beef stock
- 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
- pinch salt and pepper
- 6-8 dried gluten-free lasagna sheets
- 3 tbsp mascarpone or cream cheese
- 2 handfuls mozzarella and extra mature cheddar grated
Instructions
- Add the garlic-infused oil to a 30cm oven-proof pan and place over a medium heat. Add the courgette and leek and allow to soften.
- Add the mince to the pan too, break up and fry until browned. Add the chopped tomatoes, puree, stock, mixed herbs, salt and pepper. Mix until all combined.
- Break the lasagna sheets into 2-4 pieces each and push them down into the sauce. Put them in all randomly, not on top of each other.
- Allow to simmer until the lasagna sheets are cooked – as they become more flexible you can move them about a little. I like to have some bits more visible and some beneath the sauce.
- A few minutes before the lasagna sheets are fully cooked, add dollops of mascarpone (or cream cheese), then swirl it around in the sauce a little. You don't need to full mix it in.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese all over the top of the dish and then pop under a hot grill for 5 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
Nutrition
Thanks for reading all about my one-pan lasagna recipe! If you make it, I’d love to see how it turned out so don’t forget to take a snap of your creations and tag me on Instagram!
Any questions about the recipe? Please do let me know by following me on Instagram and leaving me a comment on a recent photo!
Thanks for reading,
Becky xxx
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