Asparagus Lasagna - Giada De Laurentiis - cooking recipe

Ingredients

9 lasagna noodles (fresh or dried)
1 teaspoon olive oil, plus
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2 (8 1/2 ounce) jars sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 lb pancetta, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 bunches asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (15 ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 cups shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons butter

Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta or 2 to 3 minutes for fresh pasta. Drain pasta.
In a food processor combine the sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Pulse until the mixture is combined. Transfer to a small bowl. Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan. Set aside.
In a large skillet brown the pancetta until crisp. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, onion, and garlic and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add asparagus and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the ricotta, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, sprinkle some of the sun-dried tomato mixture on the bottom of the casserole dish. Place some lasagna sheets, then half asparagus mixture. Next sprinkle some mozzarella cheese and some of the remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan. Sprinkle with cooked pancetta. Continue for 1 more layer. Top with lasagna sheets, some sun-dried tomato mixture, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Dot the top with butter. Bake until the ingredients are warm and the cheese is melted, about 25 minutes.