PUMPKIN LASAGNA: A CLASSIC DISH WITH A TWIST
The leaves have turned, the sweaters are officially out of the drawer, and the premature winter holiday decorations are everywhere: everyone, it’s fall. With Thanksgiving coming up in a few short weeks, autumn-inspired cooking has been on my mind. Pumpkin/pumpkin-related foods (pumpkin spice, duh) in particular have been a favorite ingredient of mine to try and incorporate into as many dishes as possible. When I hear “pumpkin” I usually think pie or PSL, both sweet treats, which made me want to try and make something savory with pumpkin as the star ingredient. My brain immediately went to pasta, so I played around with that idea and came up with this lasagna. I love that this classic Italian dish gets a bit of a twist with the addition of just one simple ingredient! It was also quite a crowd-pleaser at the dinner table, so that means that is dish is a definite contender for all future autumn potlucks. Find out how to whip up this easy and delicious dish below!
Gather all your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
In a medium-sized pan heat up some olive oil to sauté a whole box of onions and shallots. Season them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Turn off the heat once the onions and shallots look golden. After this, place your dried mushrooms in a bowl of hot water with some sherry (optional for flavor) and let all of that soak.
In a large bowl combine extra virgin olive oil with a whole container of ricotta cheese.
Next add a whole can of pumpkin purée to the ricotta mixture and then add in the sautéed onions, as well as the hydrated mushrooms. Whisk all of this together. Optional: Add 2 eggs to the pumpkin/cheese mixture to bind everything after whisking. Then add salt and herbs to the entire mixture.
Now onto the assembly! Start by placing 1 sheet of no boil lasagna pasta into a 9 inch pan. Then spread a nice layer of the pumpkin/cheese mixture on top. Finish off the layer by sprinkling on some cheese. Repeat this twice more or until your pan is filled to the top.
Place your lasagna in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Once it's done, take it out of the oven and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. I like to eat this lasagna best at room temperature because then you can really taste all the flavors inside, but it's completely up to you and your tastebuds.
Ahh doesn't that make your mouth water?? I LOVE pasta, and lasagna is definitely one of my favorite forms to eat it as. The best thing about it to me is how you can pick apart the separate layers or just eat everything in one bite, either way it's delicious. Now here's the recipe.
Ingredients:
For the onions and shallots-
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
7 oz. box of diced yellow onions
2 shallots diced up
1/4 teaspoon of salt (measurement I used, to taste)
1/4 teaspoon of pepper (measurement I used, to taste)
Garlic powder to taste
For mushrooms-
1 bag of dehydrated porcini mushrooms
Hot water
1 tablespoon of sherry (optional)
For the ricotta mixture-
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 container of ricotta cheese
1 can of pumpkin purée
2 eggs (optional)
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of garlic powder (fresh minced if you want is another option)
1/2 teaspoon of cardamon
1/2 teaspoon of fine herbes
Pasta assembly-
1 package of no boil lasagna pasta
1 16 oz. bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and find a 9 inch baking sheet.
2. In a medium sized pan sauté a whole box of onions with 2 shallots and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Season them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.
3. Soak your dried mushrooms in a bowl of hot water with a tablespoon of sherry.
4. In a large bowl combine 2 tablespoons of olive oil with a whole container of ricotta cheese and seasonings to taste.
5. Then add 1 can of pumpkin purée to the ricotta mixture along with the onion/shallot mixture and the drained mushrooms. Whisk everything together and add 2 eggs into the whole mixture at this point if you choose to.
6. Place 1 sheet of no boil lasagna pasta into a 9 inch pan. Spread a nice layer of the pumpkin/cheese mixture on top and finish off the layer by generously sprinkling on some mozzarella cheese. Repeat this step twice more or until your pan is filled to the top.
7. Bake your lasagna for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. You want it to look golden brown on the top layer. Let the pan cool for about 30 minutes and serve at room temperature.
Lasagna is such a laid back dish to make because it doesn't need to look perfect. Personally, I don't believe a dish has to look nice to taste good. If the flavor is there, then I'm sold. Yet, there is a kind of beauty in the layering of this lasagna. Who am I kidding? It looks a bit messy, but trust me when I say it tastes heavenly. Everyone at the table will be super impressed and eager to get seconds, and that's when you know that you've made something good. :)
xoxo,
Emma