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
- 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.
- 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.
- Deglaze. Pour in the red wine. Scrape every browned bit off the bottom. Let it reduce by half, about 3 minutes.
- 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.
- 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
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes.
- Add warm milk gradually, whisking constantly until sauce thickens and coats a spoon, about 8-10 minutes.
- Season. Add nutmeg, UNU, and salt.
Part 3: Assemble and Bake
- Cook noodles according to package directions.
- Layer in a 9x13 baking dish: thin sauce base, pasta sheets, short rib sauce, bechamel, Parmesan. Repeat, finishing with bechamel and mozzarella on top.
- Bake covered at 375F (190C) for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 15-20 more minutes until golden and bubbling.
- Rest 15 minutes before cutting. This sets the layers.
- 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.