lasagna w/ short rib ragu

ingredients:

short rib ragu:

2 tbsps of olive oil

2 lbs of beef short ribs, patted dry

salt & pepper, to taste

2/3 cup of carrots, peeled and diced

1/2 of a yellow onion, finely diced

2/3 cup of celery, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated

3 tbsps of tomato paste

2/3 cup of red wine

28 ounces crushed tomatoes (more if you want a saucy-er sauce)

2-1/2 cups of beef broth***

1 small package of fresh poultry herbs

2-3 bay leaves

1/2 cup of heavy cream

1/4 cup of parmesan, grated

ricotta mixture:

15 oz of whole milk ricotta

1 egg, beaten

fresh parsley

salt and pepper, to taste

lasagna:

1 package of oven ready lasagna sheets

24 oz of mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup of parmesan cheese

ricotta mixture

short rib ragu sauce

directions for short rib ragu:

heat a large heavy bottom pot over medium high heat & add in the olive oil. while the oil heats up,  season the short ribs on all sides generously with salt and pepper. once the oil in the pot is hot, add in the short ribs & brown on all sides. work in batches, if needed. once the short ribs are browned, remove from the pot & set aside.  the browned short ribs to a plate and set aside.

reduce the stove temperature to medium heat & add in the carrots, onion, and celery. season w/ salt & pepper & cook for about 8 minutes, or until browned but not burned. stir as necessary. after 8 mins, add the garlic to the pot & cook until fragrant. then add the tomato paste & cook for an additional 2-3mins, stirring as necessary.

next, pour the red wine into the pot to deglaze, stirring to scrape up browned bits at the bottom of the pot. cook for 3-4 minutes, the add the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, bay leaves & poultry blend to the pot. mix well, then add the browned short ribs back to the pot, ensuring the meat is submerged into the sauce. bring to a boil, then reduce the stove to low heat. cover the pot w/ a lid & cook for 2.5-3hrs, or until the short ribs fall off the bone.

once the short ribs are tender, remove the herbs & take the short ribs out of the pot. shred as desired & return the shredded meat to the sauce. add in the heavy cream & parmesan. mix & taste for additional seasonings.

***i started with 1 cup of beef broth & after an hour of cooking added an additional 1-1/2 cups b/c the sauce was very thick. use more as needed.

directions for lasagna:

preheat your oven to 375 and grease a 9x13 inch or 11x7 inch baking dish. then start to layer the lasagna:

layer a little sauce on the bottom of the pan., top with noodles, top the noddles with the ricotta cheese mixture, then sprinkle on mozzarella cheese and grated parmesan. repeat this layer 1 more time. then, layer more sauce, then a final layer of noodles, the rest of the sauce, and top with mozzarella cheese and parmesan.

cover w/ foil & bake at 375 for 35 minutes covered & 15 minutes uncovered. let rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.