Coming up with new ways to embrace your favorite dishes is so fun and we think we found a real star in this recipe. Lasagna is a favorite of ours, with it’s creamy, molten cheeses and rich Bechamel sauce. While we love it in its classic form, we tried making this pumpkin onion version and were blown away — it’s amazing!
Roasting the pumpkin extends the prep time of this dish, but you can hang out while it cooks or set up the rest of your ingredients so you can hit the ground running when the pumpkin’s finished. The rest is a breeze! Do yourself a favor and make this dish; it’s a great spin on the classic lasagna and it’s a great way to squeeze more pumpkin into your autumnal routine (and into your belly).
Pumpkin Lasagna
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
Filling:
- 1 (9 oz.) box oven ready, rolled flat Lasagna noodles
- 4 cups pumpkin, diced (about 1 small pumpkin)
- 2 large white onions (Vidalias), diced
- 3 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 1 pinch cayenne
- salt and pepper, to taste
Bechamel:
- 1 stick butter
- 6-8 tablespoons flour
- 6 cups milk
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400º F and set aside a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Toss diced pumpkin with pinch of cayenne and nutmeg, salt and pepper. Then spread out on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender.
- In a medium pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat and saute onions until translucent. Remove from heat and add to seasoned pumpkin. Mix together.
- In a medium saucepan, melt 1 stick butter over medium heat. Once bubbly, whisk in flour to create a roux. Stir continuously until thick, pasty, and a dark, golden color.
- Slowly, but steadily pour in milk, until sauce is smooth. Bring to a boil for 30 seconds.
- Mix in Parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and stir until completely smooth and slightly thickened.
- Take your baking dish and spread 3 tablespoons of Bechamel sauce on the bottom.
- Cover with a lasagna noodle, spread another 1/4 cup sauce over the noodle, then top with pumpkin and onion mixture. Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese.
- Continue with at least another layer of noodles, sauce, filling and Mozzarella, before finishing your final layer with remaining Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Place baking dish in oven and bake for 45 minutes. Remove and let cool 15 minutes, and then serve hot.
Recipe adapted from Love Food Hate Waste