Short Rib Lasagna with UNU: The Weekend Recipe Worth Every Minute

Short rib lasagna with UNU seasoning on a white plate

Some recipes are weeknight meals. This is not one of them.

Short rib lasagna is the kind of dish you make on a Sunday afternoon when you have time, a good playlist, and a reason to feed people well. It's built in layers — braised short rib falling off the bone, a glossy red wine sauce, silky bechamel, pasta sheets — and it tastes like you've been cooking all day because you have.

The secret? UNU.

Our all-purpose seasoning blend brings the garlic, the paprika, the oregano, the turmeric — the full aromatic base you need for a braising liquid with real depth. Used twice — once into the braise, once into the bechamel — it threads through every layer of the lasagna.

Why Short Rib Lasagna Works

Standard lasagna uses ground beef. Short rib lasagna is something else entirely. Bone-in short ribs braise low and slow until the collagen breaks down into the liquid, making the sauce naturally rich and silky. UNU pulls the whole thing together — oregano and garlic bloom into the braising liquid, sweet paprika colours the sauce, turmeric adds a warmth you can taste but cannot identify.

UNU Short Rib Lasagna Recipe

Macros (per serving): ~680 cal | 38g protein | 44g carbs | 36g fat
Prep time: 30 min | Braise time: 3 hrs | Assembly and bake: 45 min | Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

For the short rib braise:

  • 1.5 kg bone-in beef short ribs
  • 3 tbsp UNU all-purpose seasoning
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 cup dry red wine (Cabernet or Merlot)
  • 1 can (796ml) crushed San Marzano tomatoes
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the bechamel:

  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups whole milk, warm
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp UNU all-purpose seasoning
  • Salt to taste

For assembly:

  • 12-15 lasagna noodles (dry or fresh)
  • 1 cup Parmesan, grated
  • 1 cup mozzarella, shredded
  • Fresh basil to finish

Instructions

Part 1: Braise the Short Ribs

  1. Season and sear. Pat short ribs completely dry. Season all sides generously with UNU and salt. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear ribs in batches — 3-4 minutes per side — until deeply browned. Remove and set aside.
  2. Build the base. In the same pot, add onion and garlic. Cook 3-4 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir for 1 minute until it darkens slightly.
  3. Deglaze. Pour in the red wine. Scrape every browned bit off the bottom. Let it reduce by half, about 3 minutes.
  4. Braise low and slow. Add crushed tomatoes, beef broth, and 1 tbsp UNU. Return the short ribs to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on lowest heat for 2.5-3 hours until the meat falls off the bone.
  5. Shred and finish the sauce. Remove ribs. Shred meat with two forks, discard bones. Return meat to sauce. Taste and adjust salt.

Part 2: Make the Bechamel

  1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes.
  2. Add warm milk gradually, whisking constantly until sauce thickens and coats a spoon, about 8-10 minutes.
  3. Season. Add nutmeg, UNU, and salt.

Part 3: Assemble and Bake

  1. Cook noodles according to package directions.
  2. Layer in a 9x13 baking dish: thin sauce base, pasta sheets, short rib sauce, bechamel, Parmesan. Repeat, finishing with bechamel and mozzarella on top.
  3. Bake covered at 375F (190C) for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 15-20 more minutes until golden and bubbling.
  4. Rest 15 minutes before cutting. This sets the layers.
  5. Serve with fresh basil.

Tips for Perfect Lasagna

  • Dry your ribs before searing. Moisture means steam, and steam means no crust.
  • Do not skip the rest. 15 minutes of patience gives you clean, stacked slices.
  • Season every layer. The sauce, the bechamel, the pasta water — everything needs seasoning.
  • UNU in the bechamel. A teaspoon of UNU in the white sauce ties every layer together.
  • Make it ahead. The braised sauce keeps 2 days in the fridge. Assembled lasagna keeps unbaked for 24 hours.
  • Freeze it. Portion and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen at 350F covered for 45 minutes.

Get UNU

Ready to make this weekend? Shop UNU all-purpose seasoning

Made in Canada. Small-batch. Zero fillers. 100% flavour.

Made this recipe? Tag us on Instagram @spicoandsauco — we want to see your lasagna.

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