When asked to describe a gluten free diet, one might imagine life without bread or pasta. Not so! Celiac awareness is on the rise, leading to a greater availability of gluten-free alternatives on the market. Some specialty items can be pricey, such as pre-made meals and processed baked goods. But basic grocery staples (such as dried pasta) can often be found on sale. Since g-free pasta is an indulgence for me, I stock up whenever I find a good price. I recently bought a box of no-boil lasagna noodles, made of rice flour.
Tonight’s dinner: Turkey lasagna with Omygosh Breadsticks, served with a simple salad.
Yes, we have a collection of dinosaur and Disney place mats. Because science and cartoons are awesome!
Start by browning a package of lean ground turkey meat (~1.25lb) in a bit of olive oil over medium heat. While the turkey is browning, dice an onion and a few cloves of garlic. I love garlic, so I used 5 or 6 cloves. Add this to the pan, crumbling the meat as it cooks. When the meat is cooked thru and the veggies are tender, add one 28 oz can plus one 14 oz can of diced tomatoes. I rinse the cans out with 1/2 cup of water and add that. Red wine is wonderful too, if you have it on hand. Season with salt, pepper and all the dried/ fresh Italian herbs you have. I like parsley, basil and oregano.
Lower the heat and simmer for a half hour or so, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, mix a small tub of ricotta cheese (~2 cups) with a handful of fresh Parmesan cheese, an egg, more herbs and some garlic salt. Preheat the oven to 350f.
To assemble, spread a cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of your baking dish. Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles. Top with half of the ricotta cheese, spreading evenly over the noodles. Add 1/3 of the turkey marinara sauce. Cover this with half of the remaining lasagna noodles, the rest of the ricotta cheese and 1/3 of the turkey marinara sauce. Add the last of the lasagna noodles and the last of the turkey marinara. Cover the whole shebang with a handful of shredded mozzarella.
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, and cook for 10-15 minutes more. Remove it from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing. I used this time to make a batch of fresh Ohmygosh Breadsticks.
Pasta just is not the same with breadsticks. This one is simple to make and only takes about 15 minutes in the oven. Plus, it’s garlicky and buttery! Yum!
Every bite of lasagna was a mixture of Parmesan and mozzarella- infused ricotta cheese and garlicky turkey marinara. It was wonderful, the kind of meal that feeds the sense of family togetherness as much as it feeds hungry tummies.
When asked about tonight’s dinner, SuperGeek proclaimed, “Delicious! I approve the use of all this cheese, with all this sauce!”
*M*
