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1
Make the sauce: Pour the olive oil into a large pot, add the pancetta and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
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2
Add the onion, season generously with salt and cook until soft but not browned, 6 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently.
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3
Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring.
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4
Pass the tomatoes through a food mill (or puree in a food processor) and add to the pot.
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5
Fill one of the empty tomato cans with about 2 1/2 cups water, add to the pot and season generously with salt.
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6
Simmer 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
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7
Taste frequently and season with salt as the sauce simmers-tomatoes take a lot of salt.
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8
Make the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 375.
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9
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil (the water should taste like the ocean).
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10
Add the lasagna noodles and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
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11
Fill a bowl with salted ice water.
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12
Remove the pasta from the boiling water and transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking.
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13
Mix the ricotta, pecorino, 1/4 cup parmesan, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, eggs, thyme and 2 teaspoons salt in a bowl.
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14
Drain the pasta and place on a clean towel in a single layer.
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15
Coat the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with a ladle or two of sauce.
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16
Spread 3 heaping tablespoonfuls of the cheese filling down the center of each lasagna sheet; roll up the sheet (but not too tightly or the filling might ooze out).
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17
Place seam-side down in the baking dish, leaving a little room between each roll.
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18
Cover with 3 to 4 cups sauce and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella.
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19
Bake, uncovered, until the lasagna bubbles around the edges and the cheese melts, about 1 hour.
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20
Let rest 10 minutes, then serve with extra sauce.
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21
Photograph by Ngoc Minh Ngo
