LASAGNA

Ingredients

Cheeses

  • 32 oz (907 g) ricotta cheese

  • 1 large egg

  • 226 g (8 oz) mozzarella cheese, shredded

  • 226 g (8 oz) gruyere cheese, shredded

  • 231 g (8.1 oz) gouda cheese, shredded

  • 226 g (8 oz) seriously sharp cheddar, shredded

  • 226 g (8 oz) extra sharp cheddar, shredded

  • 226 g (8 oz) parmesan cheese, shredded

Beef

  • 4 lbs (1.81 kg) ground beef

  • 1 tbsp salt

  • 2½ tbsp adobo

  • 1 tbsp black pepper

  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika

  • 1 tbsp garlic powder

  • 1 tbsp onion powder

Tomato Sauce

  • 28 oz (794 g) crushed tomatoes

  • 12 oz (340 g) tomato paste

  • 24 oz (680 g) tomato sauce or diced tomatoes (garlic, basil, oregano)

  • 1½ tbsp sugar

  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning

  • 1 tbsp white vinegar

Other

  • Oven-ready (no-boil) lasagna sheets

Method

  1. Prepare the Tomato Sauce

    • If using diced tomatoes, add them to a food processor and blend until smooth.

    • If using tomato sauce, skip the food processor entirely.
      Add the crushed tomatoes, processed diced tomatoes or tomato sauce, and tomato paste directly to a pot. Stir to combine.
      Add sugar, Italian seasoning, and white vinegar, then simmer gently.

  2. Cook the Beef
    In a large pan, cook the ground beef, breaking it up as it browns. Once fully cooked, drain excess fat. Season with salt, adobo, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder.

  3. Make the Meat Sauce
    Add the seasoned beef to the tomato sauce and stir until fully combined.

  4. Prepare the Cheeses
    Shred all cheeses by hand. In a bowl, mix the ricotta with one egg until smooth.

  5. Assemble the Lasagna
    In a baking dish, layer in this order:

    • Meat sauce

    • Oven-ready lasagna sheets

    • Meat sauce

    • Ricotta mixture

    • Shredded cheeses

    Repeat layers until the dish is filled, finishing with cheese on top.

  6. Bake
    Bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 40 minutes, until hot and bubbling.

  7. Broil
    Switch the oven to broil and cook until the top is browned to your liking. Watch closely to avoid burning.

  8. Rest and Serve
    Let the lasagna rest briefly before slicing.

Additional Notes

Most of what matters here was already mentioned in the video. This version was intentional, but next time we’re absolutely taking this to another level.

When I use diced tomatoes or tomato sauce, I specifically buy the ones with basil and oregano already included. In this case, I used diced tomatoes and blended them in the food processor to replace tomato sauce, simply because I couldn’t find tomato sauce at the store.

The oven-ready lasagna sheets did end up being quite soft. It was still extremely flavorful and I didn’t mind at all, but if texture matters more to you, you may want to boil regular lasagna sheets or soak them beforehand—whatever method you prefer—to prevent overcooking. Personally, I enjoyed how easy the oven-ready sheets made this, but that choice is completely yours.

I also forgot to add the ricotta to the second layer of meat sauce in the video—that was my mistake. Make sure you include it as written in the method.