I started planning this meal when it was still the height of winter. Ed’s cousin and his wife (John and Karol I) spent an overnight with us on their way to their daughter’s soccer tournament. The next morning we accompanied them on a trip to Philadelphia’s Italian Market before they headed to New Jersey to see some soccer. John and Ed had the same mission – to find the cheese (Caciocavallo) they used to grate on their pasta along with the super flavorful Sicilian olive oil (Madre Sicilia) they had as children. My mission was to find some special gluten-free pasta. I picked lasagnone rusticone sheets made by La Fabbrica Della Pasta from Napoli, Italy and decided when I next hosted Gourmet Dinner Club (GDC) in the spring that I would make a gluten-free lasagna. We all had culinary success at Claudio Specialty Food!
When I was looking for inspiration I liked this recipe as it indicated that it was a lighter version of the more traditional lasagna. Instead of tomato sauce you use a sun dried tomato pesto. I used sun dried tomatoes that were not packed in oil (think ‘dried fruit’) but you could also use ones packed in oil and drain them (see Notes in recipe). Pair this with fresh asparagus and three types of cheeses and you have wonderful layers of flavor in every bite.
I hadn’t made lasagna in over 15 years and I was reminded that it’s a labor of (food) love as it does take time (and just a few dirty dishes) to get it right. That’s why it’s key to use the best ingredients you can find. I procured fresh asparagus from Frecon Farms (from Boyertown, PA) at the Growing Roots’ Farmers Market in Malvern and both fresh local ricotta and mozzarella at our local grocery store (Wegmans). Having tried many gluten-free pastas this one had good flavor and held up well when baked. Dare I say you might not even know that it was gluten-free.
The lasagna was well-received by the GDC ladies and even enjoyed the next day by Moira B’s husband, Matt, for breakfast. Of course, you could use regular lasagna in this recipe.
Make Ahead: I made this in advance, wrapped it well and froze it. I took it from the freezer to the refrigerator the day before I served it so it could defrost. You could also make it a day in advance and refrigerate it.
| Asparagus-Sun Dried Tomato Lasagna (Gluten-Free) | Print |
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
- 9 regular or gluten-free lasagna sheets, fresh or dried (see Notes)
- 12 ounces sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil) (see Notes)
- 1-1/2 packed cups fresh basil leaves
- 1-1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
- ¼ pound pancetta, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (preferably thin stalks)
- 1 pound whole milk ricotta cheese
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- ½ pound whole milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (2 cups shredded)
- Bring a large pot (at least 7 quarts so the sheets don’t break) of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta or 2 to 3 minutes for fresh pasta. Drain pasta sheets and lay flat on parchment paper to avoid sticking to each other.
- In a food processor add sun dried tomatoes, basil and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Pulse until the mixture is combined. The consistency should be more chunky than smooth. Add more oil if needed to achieve the right consistency. Add ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano and pulse to combine. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- In a 12” to 14” skillet cook pancetta until crispy over medium-high heat. Remove from pan using a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Cook onion and garlic until tender, about 8 minutes. Add asparagus and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add pancetta and ricotta to bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9” x 13” glass baking with olive oil. In baking dish layer ½ sun dried pesto mixture >> 3 lasagna sheets (cutting them to fit, if needed) >> ½ asparagus-pancetta mixture >> ⅓ mozzarella cheese (~ ⅔ cups) >> ⅓ Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (~ ¼ cup) >> 3 lasagna sheets (cutting them to fit, if needed) >> ½ asparagus-pancetta mixture >> ⅓ mozzarella cheese (~ ⅔ cups) >> ⅓ Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (~ ¼ cup) >> 3 lasagna sheets (cutting them to fit, if needed) >> ½ sun dried pesto mixture >> ⅓ mozzarella cheese (~ ⅔ cups) >> ⅓ Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (~ ¼ cup).
- Bake until lasagna is heated through and the cheese is melted, about 30 minutes.
* You can use two 8.5-ounce jars sun dried tomatoes (drained) in place of 12 ounces of sun dried tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
* You can make this in advance, wrap it well and freeze it. Transfer it from the freezer to the refrigerator a day in advance so it can defrost. Alternatively you can make it a day in advance and refrigerate it. Cover pan with aluminum foil (this avoids too much browning on the top) and bake for 30 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake another 30 minutes or until heated through. Note that it takes longer to cook since it’s been refrigerated.
Source: Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis’ Giada’s Kitchen: New Italian Favorites (2008)
What an interesting combination! I would never have thought to put those two together! Sounds fun…
David – I must give Giada credit for the combination in the lasagna, although I have done them together in risotto before as they’re two of my favorites.
Whoops! I made a big boo-boo on this one. When the recipe said sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), I bought 12 ounces of the dried ones in packets (like dried fruit). As I was assembling the whole thing, I realized at that point that I must have bought the wrong thing, but I was too far into the project to stop. The lasagne turned out dry with way too many sun dried tomatoes. None of the other flavors came through. Nicole, could you please clarify what you like to use for this? I’d love to try again.
Susie – Oh, I’m sorry to hear this! You should have a balance of flavors that isn’t overpowered by the sun dried tomatoes. The asparagus and cheeses flavors should come through, too. Did you add the olive oil to the sun dried tomatoes? Assuming you did, then you followed the recipe correctly. I, too, used the not packed in oil variety (as you so aptly put it – like dried fruit) and added oil. Instead you could use sun dried tomatoes packed in oil and not add any more oil (you actually drain the oil before using them. See the notes section of the recipe – I mention that there. I also updated the recipe to talk a bit more about the consistency of the sun dried tomatoes and that you may need some more oil.
Thanks, Nicole. Yes, I did add oil to the tomatoes and even added a little more because it seemed dry. I think I’ll try this again using less tomatoes. My guess is that brands vary.
Susie – If you do make it again, please let me know how it turns out! I appreciate your feedback.