Name: Small Batch Gluten Free Lasagna
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 55 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: Gluten Free
Ingredients: 1 batch Slow Cooker Marinara; 1-2 boxes Gluten Free No Boil Lasagna Noodles; 1 batch Vegan Ricotta; 1/2 recipe Vegan Meat Crumbles; fresh basil, for garnish

An easy gluten free vegan small batch lasagna recipe is a perfect dinner - red sauce and ricotta bring classic flavors to a lasagna for two.

recipe originally published July 25, 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Jump to any section

1. 1. Small Batch Lasagna For Two
  2. How To Make Vegan Lasagna
  3. Tips For The Best Vegan Lasagna
  4. Why Is My Lasagna Runny?
  5. Cheese Substitutes
  6. Other Ingredients For Lasagna
  7. Should Lasagna Be Covered While Baking?
  8. Make Ahead Tips: Meal Prep Lasagna
  9. How Long Does Vegan Lasagna Last?
  10. Can You Freeze Lasagna?
  11. Vegan Casserole Recipes
  12. Jump to recipe: Small Batch Lasagna

Gluten free vegan lasagna

I have been making what we call Sunday Sauce since college. Back then, the classic flavors of a meat sauce or red sauce was my go to for all things pasta.

Nowadays, my vegan meat sauce tastes just as good, and has all sorts of nutritional benefits as well. It is one of the essential components of this small batch lasagna recipe.

I am willing to bet this Vegan Lasagna recipe becomes a Sunday Supper favorite in your house, too. For my meat eater friends, I want to make this for you! The flavors of the ricotta and the sauce and the vegan meat crumbles all combine into a comfort food dish that rivals any meat and cheese version.

Small batch lasagna for two

We enjoy lasagna far more often when I make it this way! If I happen to have a batch of my vegan ricotta on hand, it is very easy to make some sauce and grab some noodles. This small batch lasagna is actually enough for three pieces - one for me, one for Jason, and one for my lunch the next day.

Or breakfast. Because the craving is real and so is my lack of patience.

Keep reading for tips on the best lasagna, and how to make a small batch or a full pan!

Twelve layer slice of gluten free Vegan Lasagna on a rustic plate, garnished with fresh basil.

How to make small batch gluten free lasagna

As we suggest in the tips below, make all of the components ahead of time. When it is time to assemble your vegan lasagna, have everything ready - make an assembly station to work on.

For this small batch lasagna, our favorite noodle fits perfectly into a glass loaf pan! Whether you are making the small batch or a larger size, the assembly is the same:

Pour sauce into the glass pan, just enough to cover the surface
Definitely try to find these noodles - they are just as good as gluten noodles and make a great gluten free lasagna
Use the back of a spoon or a spatula to spread the ricotta onto each noodle
Cover each noodle with ricotta, then get to stacking:
Ricotta Covered Noodle, Sauce, Another Noodle, Sauce... until the last noodle. Cover with sauce and bake
Meat sauce is served over the top, with fresh basil

Tips for the best lasagna

Whether making a lasagna for two or enough for tasty leftovers all week long, here are some tips for the best vegan lasagna:

Make the components ahead: I make my red sauce and the ricotta the day before, so all I need to do the day of is assemble, bake, and enjoy
Completely cover the noodles with sauce: this is for both boiled and no boil noodles - covering completely with sauce ensures the noodles don't dry out and get hard or crunchy.
Let It Rest! out of the oven, lasagna needs time - about 15 minutes or so - to rest, otherwise it might lose structure and fall apart if sliced and served too soon.
Glass baking dish, please: we prefer glass over metal because it distributes heat more evenly and will keep the heat once out of the oven and resting. Also, metal may react to acidic tomato sauce.

Why is my lasagna runny?

Overly soupy lasagna is often the result of a sauce that is too thin or vegetables that are high in water, like zucchini, tomatoes, or uncooked mushrooms. My tips for runny lasagna include:

make sure your sauce is not too thin
use no boil / no cook noodles that will absorb some of the sauce liquid
cook mushrooms if using
drain your vegan ricotta / cheeses / sauces of any excess moisture
salt, rest, then pat dry (remove salt) veggies like zucchini, eggplant
once lasagna is fully cooked, let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving

What can I substitute for cheese in lasagna?

There are plenty of dairy free cheeses that are deliciously melty and work well in lasagnas. In place of a store bought vegan cheese, you can also use a homemade vegan cheese.

This small batch lasagna recipe uses our Vegan Ricotta Cheese, while other lasagnas omit cheese altogether, or use a bechamel sauce as the rich replacement for cheese.

Other ingredients for lasagna

There are all sorts of ingredients outside the traditional meat, cheese, sauce variety of lasagna. You can add all sorts of ingredients to a traditional red sauce lasagna, or make a totally new flavor of lasagna. Whether a small batch lasagna or full pan, anything goes.

Some of our favorite ingredients include:

Fresh Spinach
Kale
Roasted Mushrooms
Butternut Squash
Eggplant
Bechamel Sauce

Should lasagna be covered while baking?

Yes and no.

There are two schools of thought on covering lasagna while baking. In the decades of my lasagna adventures, I bake the lasagna covered for most of the cooking time - a tightly wrapped in foil. This keeps the steam inside to cook the noodle completely and warm everything through.

With about 10 or 15 minutes left of cooking time, I remove the lasagna from the oven and carefully remove the foil. Use tongs or gloved hands to do this - you can imagine it is extremely hot. This last bit of uncovered baking will give the top a golden brown finish, and broil the cheesy goodness into a bubbly dish.

Perfection.

Make ahead tips: meal prep lasagna

Along with the tip of making all of the components a day ahead, you can also assemble the entire lasagna ahead of time! Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate, then remove from the fridge about a half hour before baking. Remove from refrigeration, set on the counter or cooktop, remove the foil, preheat the oven and wait.

How long does lasagna last?

This lasagna is best within 3 days. Refrigerate any leftover lasagna. Wait until it is cooled completely, and refrigerate in a glass container with a tightly fitting lid.

It reheats perfectly in an oven safe dish, and is also good by the cold forkful while standing in front of the fridge at midnight.

This is what I have heard, anyway.

Can you freeze lasagna?

If you want to save your already baked lasagna leftovers for more than 3 days, thoroughly wrap individual servings in freezer safe wrapping / containers.

If you are making the whole lasagna ahead of time, assemble the whole thing in a freezer safe container and freeze before baking. When you want to enjoy it, remove from freezer and defrost entirely before baking.

Gluten free vegan casserole recipes

- Buffalo Jackfruit Enchiladas: quick and easy comfort food with classic flavors everyone loves! perfect for a weeknight dinner, casual get together, or food delivery for a friend.
- Black Forest Skillet Crisp: a casserole isn't just for dinner anymore - crisps and cobblers welcome! this recipe has a quick stovetop method for a sweet treat in no time!
- Roasted Veggie Quinoa Casserole: a hearty dish to suit just about any diet - this is a colorful and fiber rich recipe! great for weekly meal prep and menu planning.
- Easy Bean and Rice Enchiladas: the perfect school night dinner! super quick, easy, and satisfying. you may have all of the ingredients in your pantry right now...
- Deep Dish Pizza Pot Pie: deep dish pizza just might be the ultimate casserole, no? we are counting it as one, because it is a favorite and a craving.
- Shiitake Shallot Quiche: a vegan scramble alternative, this veggie packed slice gives you all you are looking for in a satisfying and tasty breakfast.
- Cheesy Hatch Chile Enchiladas: loved by many vegans and omnivores, this recipe is my go to for food delivery, back to school nights, and comfort food potlucks.

Did you make this small batch gluten free lasagna?

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Yield: 3 servings / 1 loaf pan