One of the perks of going gluten free is getting crafty in the kitchen. When you have all but eliminated bread from your diet, you have to think harder – and smarter – about what you’re going to eat. Granted, it’s not as if you have to change up your diet in order to think twice about just heating up a TV dinner or ordering a pizza, but it sure has helped me.
I’ve been wanting to make lasagna for a long time. Perhaps it was the distinct omission of wheat that instilled the desire in me – but I couldn’t just find any old lasagna noodles to make mine. My search for a gluten free noodle prolonged my wait, but it also gave me more time to find the perfect recipe for when I did have the supplies I needed.
Enter Granoro il Primo. I found it one day at a local market called Valley Produce – it’s imported from Italy and 100% gluten free. I audibly squeaked with excitement as I lifted the box from the shelf. I scurried towards Sohrab, waving the box in the air, doing a jig, still squeaking. He definitely gave me the “I married a crazy lady” look. But I couldn’t help it…. I could finally make my lasagna!
By this time I had already decided on the perfect recipe – Turkey Spinach Lasagna. I could have gone with beef, but we’ve been trying to use turkey where we might use beef in order to reduce our red meat intake – another one of those “thinking smarter” things. So, without any further ado, here is the ticket to making a dish so delicious your dining companion will love you forever.
- 9 gluten free (or whole wheat, or whatever) lasagna noodles
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 3 cups tomato sauce (I made my own! Recipe here.)
- 1/2 cups mushroom (If you’re like Sohrab. If you’re like me, you can keep this far away from your dish.)
- 3 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 6 cups chopped fresh spinach (Ladies and gentlemen, start up your food processors!)
- 2 cups fat free ricotta cheese
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (Yes… nutmeg. Trust me.)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
So! Now that your shopping cart is filled with these goodies, let’s get to work. Preheat your oven to 375° F. Boil slightly salted water in a large pot, and cook your lasagna noodles for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain your noodles, then rinse them with cold water. It’s very important to separate your noodles once they’re done – don’t do what I did, or you’ll end up with a ripped up noodle-y mess! If this happens though, don’t worry. It will still taste just as delicious.
Grab a high-walled skillet and heat the olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the onion and cook until it’s soft and translucent, which should be about 2 minutes. Add the ground turkey and cook for 5 to 7 minutes more, stirring frequently. Stir in your tomato sauce, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and garlic powder. Simmer and take in the intoxicating smells for 2 minutes.
Get out a medium mixing bowl and combine the ricotta, chopped spinach, and nutmeg. Bask in the beauty of your handiwork.
Avengers… it’s time to assemble. Grease your fave 9×13 baking dish with butter (or coconut oil!), and place 3 of your (hopefully not stuck together) noodles lengthwise along the bottom. Spread a third of the ricotta mixture across the noodles, followed by the turkey, and a healthy sprinkle of the mozzarella. Keep it going in that order until you’ve finished the noodles and topped it off with the last bit of mozzarella. Bake for 25 minutes, wait impatiently, then cool for 5 minutes before devouring.
P.S. – Sohrab didn’t think I was crazy once he had a bite. Let me know what you think once you’ve tried it!
