<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Thanks to the 34 wonderful people who responded to my request for help with
what, at the time, seemed the rather daunting task of making gluten-free
lasagna without precooking the pasta.

Only five of you said that it hadn't worked for them, and to precook (or at
least partially precook it).  The overwhelming response was that with the
correct ingredients, who needs the hassle, broken pasta, and burned fingers
encountered with precooking.  Many of you stressed the need to be sure that
you use enough liquid to completely cover the pasta - if necessary top up
with a bit of water before baking.  As it happened the recipe I used was
formulated for cooking raw pasta and did have enough liquid.  If you are
using a recipe designed for precooked lasagna, definitely add extra liquid
(tomato sauce, broth, whatever). Two people suggested keeping the dish
covered for most of the baking time, to keep the steam in.  Another person
suggested assembling the dish early in the day - which due to time
constraints I did actually do.

Quite a few people mentioned their favorite brands of pasta.  DeBoles - 7.
Tinkyada - 4.  Ener-G - 2.  BiAglut - 1. One person uses Asian rice pasta cut
in strips.  Another person uses plain (stress plain) poppadums.

One person sent a recipe for homemade lasagna, as follows:


"Wholemeal" Lasagna.

100 g GF flour (I use whatever is to hand)
40g buckwheat flour (beware, buckwheat is often
   contaminated with wheat - the flour I use is guaranteed GF)
1 medium egg
1 Tbs oil (in our house this is always virgin olive oil but
   most cooking oils are fine.

Mix all these ingredients in a bowl with your fingers until
you have a sort of moist crumbly well mixed material, the
add a little water and mix in carefully (try adding by the
teaspoon - I do this by eye these days).  Once the mix will
stick together without being too sticky, try rolling it out
on a well floured cloth to see if it breaks up or whether
it will roll thin.  If it rolls thin without sticking to
everything is sight, it's ready to use, otherwise add
either a little more water or a little more flour until
it's just right.

You can also make taglitelli with this by cutting it in
strips.  Don't boil for too long.  Here (at virtually sea
level) it cooks in about 3 minutes.

I roll out to about 1 - 1.5 mm (about one twentieth of an
inch according to my calculator) thick.

One person sent a lasagna recipe that I will definitely be trying in the
future:

The trick is to use plenty of moist ingredients.  I prepare it like this:

1. lightly oil the pan
2. put down a layer of sauce, then sprinkle on herbs
3. put down a layer of noodles
4. more sauce and herbs
5. alternate noodles with layers of sliced squash, ricotta, mozarella, tofu,
   green onions, purple onions, spinach (fresh), feta, etc.
6. cover with foil and bake at 250 or so, for two hours. cooking time depends
   on the moisture level of the fillings and how much sauce you used. check it
   frequently.
7. remove the foil, add a layer of grated cheese, and bake uncovered the last
   15 minutes.

We change the fillings for variety in overall taste. I've always wanted to
try one with a Caesar dressing sauce and capers, purple onion, and lox. My
kids aren't there, yet.

Quite a few people asked for my recipe.  Rather than take up the space,
follow the directions: Go to www.abcnews.com then to GMA, and look in the
recipe archives.  The dish is "Terrific Low-Fat Lasagna".

And now, drum roll, for the results.  I made it just as the recipe stated and
it was absolutely superb.  It took about an hour to prepare and assemble, an
hour to cook.  Can be prepared early in the day, feeds ten, and is definitely
on my list of regulars from now on.   As to that awful question "Could you
tell the difference?"   My test is that if it "tastes gluten-free" something
is very wrong.  I am not the family celiac (my husband is), and I absolutely
refuse to eat food that is not delicious.  I am also far too lazy to cook
twice!

To save anyone who decides to try this a little time, the following were the
brand names I used for the ingredients where gluten could be a problem.  With
the exception of the pasta, it was just that my mainstream grocery store had
these brands (checked with CSA/USA's newest Product List).  Five Brothers
spaghetti sauce, Health Valley chicken stock, Frigo ricotta, Frigo mozzarella
(bought in block and grated myself), San-J Tamari, Tinkyada pasta.

Betty in Arlington Heights, IL