Corn Tortilla Lasagna

Ali Clarke and Santos Loo
Ali Clarke and Santos Loo
September 7, 2022
We love making lasagna, especially in the fall when school starts, because it's an easy make-ahead meal that cooks quickly in the Anova Precision Oven. Instead of making a classic Italian version, we looked into our pantry and put together a delicious lasagna inspired by a quesadilla, using tortillas, homemade salsa, any ground meat you have on hand, and, of course, cheese! You can make all of the components of the lasagna the day before and, when you want to serve, all you need to do is assemble and bake. The combination of steam and top and rear heat ensures the cheese is melted and gooey, the tortillas are tender, and the top is golden brown and crisp in a fraction of the cooking time of a traditional oven. You also get a bonus recipe out of this dish; the homemade salsa used in the lasagna is delicious served with tortilla chips. Make a double batch and use half for the lasagna and half for salsa and chips. You can store the salsa in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week; the recipe will make about 3 cups. Notes: The Anova sheet pan is the perfect size to roast the vegetables for the salsa. For the meat, you can use a quarter sheet pan or an oven-proof cast iron or sauté pan. If you don’t have an 8- by 8-inch baking pan you can also use a 9-inch deep dish pie plate. This recipe is meant to work with what you have in your pantry. Feel free to substitute the cheddar cheese for another melting cheese like pepper jack, colby, Monterey jack, or mozzarella. You can use any ground meat you’d like. Ground beef, pork, turkey, or a plant-based ground meat all work equally well. This recipe uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Serves
4
Prep Time
00:45
Cook Time
00:40
Corn Tortilla Lasagna
0
502
Ingredients
4
plum tomatoes (about 1 pound), halved
1 (8-oz)
red onion, cut into 2-inch wedges (about 2 heaping cups)
1 large
red bell pepper, stem, seeds and ribs removed, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
10 large cloves
garlic, peeled
1 medium
jalapeño, stemmed and halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed if desired
¼ cup
canola oil, divided
Kosher salt
2 tsp
smoked paprika, divided
1 tsp
ground cumin, divided
1 tsp
ground coriander, divided
1 tsp
freshly ground black pepper, divided
8 oz
ground beef, pork, turkey or plant-based ground meat
1 tsp
Mexican oregano, crushed, or Italian oregano
½ tsp
garlic powder
½ tsp
onion powder
1 cup
frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 cup
full-fat ricotta cheese
½ cup
sour cream
¼ cup
loosely packed cilantro leaves
½ tsp
apple cider vinegar
12 (5 ½-inch)
yellow corn tortillas
3 cups
freshly shredded extra sharp cheddar
Steps

1. Preheat the Oven

Rack
Place one oven rack in position 4 and one in position 1.
Sous Vide Mode: Off
Steam: Off
Temp: 425°F
Heat: Rear, Top

2. Prepare the Salsa

Combine the tomatoes, onion, pepper, garlic, jalapeño, 2 tablespoons of the canola oil, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 teaspoon of the smoked paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon each of the cumin, coriander, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Toss to coat. Spread in a single layer on a sheet pan. Pour any oil and spices left in the bowl over the top of the ingredients. Save the bowl without cleaning it.
Prepare the Salsa

3. Prepare the Meat

Add the meat, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, 1 tablespoon more canola oil, 1 teaspoon salt, remaining smoked paprika, remaining cumin, remaining coriander, and remaining black pepper to the reserved bowl. Use a rubber spatula or your hands to evenly combine. Crumble the mixture evenly over a second sheet pan.
Prepare the Meat

4. Cook Vegetables and Meat

Rack
Place the vegetables on the top shelf and the meat on the bottom shelf. Bake for 12 minutes and then remove the meat. The meat is done when it is cooked through and browning evenly on the top.
Cook Vegetables and Meat
Sous Vide Mode: Off
Steam: Off
Temp: 425°F
Heat: Rear, Top
00:12 Timer

5. Finish Cooking Salsa

Rack
Leave the salsa in the oven for another 8 minutes. The vegetables will have softened and become very tender and also will be charred in spots.
Sous Vide Mode: Off
Steam: Off
Temp: 425°F
Heat: Rear, Top
00:08 Timer

6. Cool Vegetables and Meat

Let the meat cool for a few minutes before using a spoon to break it up into pea size pieces. Stir to combine with any juices remaining in the pan. Let the vegetables cool for 10 minutes.

7. Adjust the Oven for the Lasagna

Rack
Adjust the oven to a lower temperature to cook the lasagna. It’ll cool down as you finish assembling.
Sous Vide Mode: Off
Steam: 15%
Temp: 350°F
Heat: Rear, Top

8. Prepare Ricotta

While the vegetables cool, use a towel to squeeze out excess water from the spinach. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the ricotta, sour cream, and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well.
Prepare Ricotta

9. Finish Salsa

Transfer the cooked vegetables to a food processor or blender, scraping reserved juices and spices in with the vegetables. Add the cilantro and vinegar. Pulse 8 to 10 times, for about 2 to 3 seconds each time, to create an even but chunky texture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed when pulsing.
Finish Salsa

10. Prepare Baking Dish

Brush an 8-by 8-inch baking dish with the remaining oil so it coats the bottom and sides. Have the prepared components at the ready: tortillas, salsa, meat, and ricotta.

11. Assemble Lasagna

Lay four tortillas in the bottom of the prepared pan so that they lay flat in the center with the edges coming up the sides of the pan. Add half of the ricotta mixture in dollops on the tortillas and spread evenly with an offset spatula or butter knife. Sprinkle half of the meat over the ricotta, then top with 1 cup of the salsa, spreading it evenly. Top with 1 cup of the cheese. Add four more tortillas and gently press down to ensure everything is even in the pan. Repeat the layering process. Add the last four tortillas, this time overlapping the tortillas in the center. Spread the remaining salsa evenly over the tortillas and top with the remaining cheese.
Assemble Lasagna

12. Bake Lasagna

Rack
Transfer to the oven and bake until you see the sauce bubbling on the edges and the top is deep golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Sous Vide Mode: Off
Steam: 15%
Temp: 350°F
Heat: Rear, Top
00:20 Timer

13. Cool and Serve

Let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting into four squares and serving.
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