Gluten-Free Lasagna

A creamy and flavorful lasagna that everyone can enjoy, as it’s suitable for celiacs. The trick is to make chickpea flour crepes and cut them into lasagna sheets. The advantage, apart from being gluten-free, is that the sheets are already cooked when assembling the lasagna, significantly reducing cooking time compared to dried pasta sheets. Win-win!

In this recipe, we also prepare the white sauce without wheat flour or milk. (For a vegan version, simply skip the cheese or replace it with vegan cheese—there are plenty of options!)

Ingredients (serves four)

• 200g chickpea flour + 2 tablespoons for the sauce
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds (or flaxseeds)
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
• 100g mushrooms
• 1 large leek
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 can of peeled tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
• 3 garlic cloves
• Thyme, oregano
• Emmental cheese (optional)
• Salt, pepper, 1 bay leaf

Instructions

Prepare the crepes
Soak the chia seeds in half a cup of water. Mix the chickpea flour with a large cup of water in a bowl until you get a pancake batter consistency. Add the chopped cilantro, chia seeds, salt, and pepper, mix well, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Prepare the leek sauce
Cook the chopped leek in a hot pot with 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Add salt, cover, and let it “sweat” over low heat. Once golden, increase the heat slightly, add two tablespoons of chickpea flour, and mix well. Gradually add two cups of water while stirring continuously. Once the sauce is thick and bubbling, remove from heat and set aside.

For the tomato and vegetable sauce
In another pot, sauté the chopped celery in oil. Once golden, add the bell peppers sliced into strips. When well browned, add the mushrooms, thinly sliced garlic cloves, and sauté. Add the coconut sugar to slightly caramelize the vegetables. Incorporate the peeled tomatoes with their juice, salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf. Mix well, reduce the heat, and let the sauce simmer for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the crepes
In a large, non-stick skillet, pour a little batter, spread it evenly, and cook on one side. Flip it and cook the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter. Cut the crepes to fit your lasagna dish.

Assemble the lasagna
Spread a little leek sauce at the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of crepes, tomato sauce, a bit of cheese (optional), another layer of white sauce, and repeat until all ingredients are used.
Top with grated cheese (optional), sprinkle with oregano, and bake for 20 minutes at 200°C (390°F).

Veggie+ Tip

Legumes, rich in protein and with a low glycemic index, provide slow-releasing carbs that keep you satisfied for longer and stabilize insulin levels. Another reason to embrace this refined pasta-free lasagna!