Lamb and Pancetta Lasagna

Remember Winter Storm Jonas?  Remember how everyone freaked out and ran to the store and bought all the bread and milk like the world was going to end?  I witnessed it firsthand; it was all too real.  People in Kentucky apparently go for Mountain Dew, pretzels, and Oreos because how else do you survive a snow storm than to be hyped up on sugar?

Anyway, I was at Whole Foods that night because I legitimately did not have food and would have had to go shopping on that Thursday night anyway.  Lucky for me, my venture into terrible traffic and crazed crowds was not in vain.  I found ground lamb on sale, which I knew would be perfect in lasagna.  Now before you scoff and say, "whoa, that sounds fancy," you have to try it because it is out of this world, brave the snowstorm madness good.  So please, splurge on some ground lamb and whip up this bad boy.  You will not regret it.

Lamb and Pancetta Lasagna

Serves 8
Time: 30 minutes hands-on, 1 hour 20 min total

Ingredients:

1 box of no-boil lasagna noodles

For the meat sauce,
1 batch of Fast Tomato Sauce
1 tsp olive oil
1 lb ground lamb
4 oz diced pancetta
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon rosemary

For the cheese mixture,
16 oz mozzarella, shredded
15 oz whole milk ricotta
8 oz shredded Pecorino Romano or a blend of Parmesan, Fontina, and Asiago (sold at Whole Foods)
2 large eggs
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 9 x 13" casserole dish.  In a medium saucepan, prepare the tomato sauce.

2.  In a skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil.  When hot, add the lamb and pancetta.  When cooked through, drain any fat, then add to the tomato sauce.  Add the thyme and rosemary and stir.

3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and add in 1 cup of mozzarella, the ricotta, and the shredded cheese.  Stir to combine and add salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Add a thin layer of sauce to the base of the casserole dish.  Add a layer of 4 lasagna noodles.  Add a layer of sauce, then add the first layer of cheese.  Add another layer of noodles, and repeat: sauce, cheese, and noodles until you use up the cheese mixture.  Pour the last of the sauce over the top layer of noodles, then sprinkle on the remaining shredded mozzarella.

5.  Cover the pan in aluminum foil and place in the oven for 30 minutes.  Uncover, and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is browning.  Allow to sit for 2 minutes then serve.