Autistic Chef Justin shares his lasagna recipe

Thank you, Jersey Italian Gravy. for gifting autistic Chef Justin some jars so he could make his favorite recipe: Chef Justin Famous Lasagna. And thank you, Justin, for sharing your wonderful recipe with our community:

Here’s what you need to make Chef Justin’s lasagna recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly crushed black pepper
• 1 jar of The Original Jersey Italian Gravy
• 12 ounces whole mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3 cups), divided
• 13 dry lasagna noodles (not no-boil, about 2/3 of a 1-pound box), divided
• 12 to 14 ounces of whole-milk ricotta cheese (about 1.5 cups), divided

Equipment: 

• Chef’s cutting knife
• Cheese grater
• Wooden cutting board
• Measuring cups and spoons
• 12-inch or larger regular or cast iron skillet
• Wooden spoons
• 9x13-inch baking dish
• Aluminum foil

Here are the steps to follow to make Chef Justin’s Lasagna

1. Carefully, with assistance, heat the oven to 400ºF. Arrange the rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.
2. Brown the beef and onion together first. Then Finely chop 1 small yellow onion. Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a 12-inch or larger regular or cast iron skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, 1 pound lean ground beef, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly crushed black pepper, and cook, breaking the beef up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the beef is cooked through 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes.
3. Prepare the baking dish and assemble the meat sauce. Open 1 (24 to 25-ounce) jar of The Original Jersey Italian Gravy (3 cups). Spread a thin layer of the sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Stir the remaining sauce into the ground beef mixture.
4. Begin layering the lasagna. Shred 12 ounces of low-moisture mozzarella cheese if needed (3 cups). Place 5 lasagna noodles in the baking dish, breaking them if needed to create a single layer (it’s OK if the noodles overlap slightly). Dollop and spread 1 cup of ricotta cheese over the noodles. Dollop and spread about 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce on the ricotta, then sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella.
5. Continue layering the lasagna. Arrange 5 more noodles over the mozzarella, followed by 1 cup of ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce, and 1 cup of mozzarella. Top with a final layer of 3 noodles long ways and the remaining sauce, spreading the sauce thin so that it almost completely covers the noodles. (Reserve the remaining .5 cup mozzarella for the end of baking.) Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.
6. Bake the lasagna for 1 hour. Bake for 1 hour. Check to make sure the noodles are done by poking the lasagna with a knife; the knife should slide easily through all the layers. If it doesn't, cover and cook for 15 minutes more.
7. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and finish baking. Uncover the lasagna and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella. Bake uncovered until the mozzarella is melted and lightly browned, and the sauce is bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes more.
8. Let cool for 15 mins.
9. Garnish. Serve. Enjoy!

Jersey Italian Gravy wants to share their famous all-natural gravy recipes with you! Preparing meals together is a wonderful way to connect with family and create lasting memories along with those nutritious new meals. And to spice things up, Jersey Italian Gravy is showing their support for the autistic community by donating $1 from every jar sold in stores and online to Autism Speaks during March, April and May.