Gluten-free Meat Lasagna

Gluten-free Meat Lasagna

Ingredients:

For the Pasta Sheets:

1/4 cup buckwheat flour

1 cup rice flour

2 cup tapioca flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1¼ cups water

1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for brushing

• For the Sauce:
  • 8 cloves fresh garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 5-6 whole tomatoes 
  • 1 jar of tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves (or 1/4 cup fresh, finely chopped)
  • 2 bay leaves (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the Lasagna:

• 200 gm ground meat
• 250 gm cheese grated
• 200gm sauteed capsicum
• Instructions:

• For the sauce:

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a medium-size pot over medium heat. 

Step 2
Add garlic and saute for one minute.
Step 3

Then, add tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, bay leaves, thyme and salt/pepper.
Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer.Simmer for 10-15 minutes to let flavors meld. (Can simmer longer if desired for a thicker sauce with a deeper flavor).
Step 4

Sauce is ready

For the Pasta Sheets:

Step 1
Add the rice flour, tapioca, starch, eggs (or cornstarch), salt and water to a mixing bowl. Mix and dissolve everything together well. You can also do it rice soaked in water for two hours grind it and then add the rest ingredients to make a uniform fine batter and make sure no lumps are there.
Step 2
Add 1 teaspoon of oil. Cover the liquid and let rest for 30 minutes.
Step 3

Warm a skillet add some oil pour 1 ladle of the liquid and spread the batter/liquid out evenly with no lumps.Cook it on low flame for two minutes until the upper portion is just done with no stickiness.
Step 4
Remove it and one can cut it into fine sheets or let it be as it is.Your lasagna sheets are done.Don't forget to brush some oil on them.

Alternative method:

Step 1
In a mixing bowl add all the dry ingredients mix well and then add all the other knead it into a nice firm dough.Leave it aside for half hour.
Step 2
Now make small balls of equal quantity. Don't try to make too small balls then on flat surface flatten them into rectangular shapes and either you cut them into thin strips or you can use it as it is since rice ones tend to break up easily I suggest let them be big sheets only.

For the Lasagna:

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Step 2
Place the ground meat into a skillet over medium heat, add the garlic, oregano, salt, and black pepper to the skillet. Cook the meat, chopping it into small chunks as it cooks, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. 

Step 3
Place 2 noodles(if cut into strips) otherwise put two strips across each other side by side into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan; top with a layer of the tomato-basil (pizza-pasta) sauce, a layer of ground meat and veg mixture, and a layer of the cheese. Repeat layers twice more, ending with a layer of sauce.

Step 4
Cover the dish with aluminum foil.In case, the sheets which are cooked(first method) cooking time 20 mins is sufficient and need not cover with aluminium foil.

Step 5
Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is bubbling and the cheese has melted about 40 minutes. Remove foil sprinkle top with the mozzarella cheese and bake until cheese has begun to brown, about 10 more minutes. Allow it to stand at least 10 minutes before serving.