If you find regular lasagna with a tomato sauce too heavy for summer meals, this is a great alternative, and it’s a real stunner on the plate. A sun-dried tomato pesto is layered between the pasta and vegetables, adding a bit of sweetness to the dish.

　　

Ingredients

6 to 8 servings

　　1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

　　9 lasagna sheets, fresh or dried

　　2 (8.5-ounce) jars sun-dried tomatoes, drained

　　1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

　　1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese

　　1/4 pound pancetta, diced

　　1 medium onion, diced

　　2 garlic cloves, minced

　　4 bunches of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

　　1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheese

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

　　

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the teaspoon of olive oil. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta or 2 to 3 minutes for fresh pasta. Drain the pasta.

　　

Step 2

In a food processor, combine the sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Pulse until the mixture is combined. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Set aside.

　　

Step 3

In a large skillet, brown the pancetta until crisp. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon. Add the tablespoon of olive oil, the onion, and garlic to the same skillet and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook until tender, about 4 minutes, then transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the ricotta, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.

　　

Step 4

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sprinkle some of the sun-dried tomato mixture over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Place a layer of lasagna sheets on top of the sun-dried tomato mixture and spread the noodles with half of the asparagus mixture. Sprinkle with a third of the mozzarella cheese and a third of the remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Make another layer in the same fashion. Top with a third layer of lasagna sheets, some sun-dried tomato mixture, and the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Dot the top with the butter. Bake until the lasagna is heated through and the cheese is melted, about 25 minutes.

　　Reprinted with permission from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2008 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.