I admit I was skeptical. I’ve been seeing all of these pumpkin-with-pasta recipes thinking, “Isn’t pumpkin for sweeet things? Could it really work with pasta?” After cooking this Pumpkin and Sausage Lasagna, the answer to that question is now clear: “Absolutely! Yes! Where has this been all my life?”
This recipe was inspired by an episode of The Kitchen. On this particular show, a lasagna made with canned butternut squash purée was featured. The hosts of the show just raved about how tasty this dish was. So we decided to make it, but canned puréed squash was not available in our local grocery. Instead, we used pumpkin, since, as we know, most canned pumpkin is actually squash anyway. (The horror! ?) But, like the hosts of The Kitchen said, what really makes this dish special is the combination of the creamy pumpkin with the sweet sausage all nestled in layers of perfectly-cooked pasta and a touch of spinach. Yummmmm!
I think this recipe works because the pumpkin, when combined with the cheese and a little cream, provides a richness without that kind of “squash-y” flavor and truly highlights the sweetness of the sausage. The method of cooking the lasagna noodles, too, leaves them perfectly al dente so the dish is filled with a texture and heartiness perfect for those cold fall nights.
This lasagna is so beautiful and toasty coming out of the oven you will hardly want to wait the recommended 15 minutes to serve it, but you must! You will be rewarded with easy to cut portions filled with yummy delights! I promise!
Enjoy!
Pumpkin and Sausage Lasagna
This recipe is from and episode of Katie Lee, as seen on The Kitchen. We used pumpkin instead of butternut squash and used spinach instead of kale, so we would not need to pre-cook it. This dish is de-lic-ious! Although the list of ingredients is long, it is pretty easy to make.
- Prep Time: 35m
- Cook Time: 1h 15m
- Serves: 12
- Category: Good for crowd, Pasta, Recipe
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
- 2 lb Sweet Italian Sausage (remove casings if links used)
- 1 Large yellow onion
- 8 oz White mushrooms, chopped
- 3 Cloves garlic, minced
- 2 15-oz. cans puréed pumpkin (not pie filling)
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Black pepper
For the Filling:
- 2 1/2 c Ricotta Cheese (whole-milk preferred)
- 1 c Finely grated Parmesan (or Parmeggiano-Reggiano) cheese
- 1 5-oz. Bag cleaned spinach or baby spinach leaves
- 2 tbsp. Fresh sage, minced
- 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
- 2 Lg. Eggs, lightly beaten
- Pinch of Ground Nutmeg
For the pasta:
- Salt
- 1 lb Lasagna noodles
- Olive oil, for drizzling
- Non-stick cooking spray for casserole dish
- 4 c Shredded mozzarella
- 1/3 c Finely Grated Parmesan (or Parmeggiano-Reggiano)
Instructions
- Make the sauce. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 T olive oil. Add the sausage and brown, breaking it up into small bits as you go. Once the sausage is golden, (about 8 minutes), remove to paper towel lined plate. Return the pan to the heat, add the remaining 1 T olive oil. Add the chopped onion and cook, scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Deglaze with a couple Tablespoons of water and continue to cook until translucent, around 8 minutes total. Add the mushrooms. Cook until browned. Stir in garlic and a pinch of crushed red pepper and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the following to the skillet: browned sausage, pumpkin, heavy cream, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Make the filling. Combine all of filling ingredients. Stir, set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400F. Cook the lasagna. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the noodles for half the time the package recommends. Drain and toss noodles with a little olive oil to prevent them from sticking together.
- Spray 13x9 casserole dish with cooking spray. Divide the noodles into 3 equal portions. Spoon about a cup of the sauce into the bottom of the casserole dish, spreading to cover the bottom. Arrange 1 portion of the noodles to entirely cover the bottom of the dish. Top with about half of the ricotta filling, followed by a third of the sauce, then 1 1/2 c of the shredded mozzarella. Continue layering with a portion of noodles, the remaining ricotta filling, a third of the sauce, and a second 1 1/2 c of the mozzarella. Top with the final layer of noodles, the remaining third of the sauce, and remaining mozzarella. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Tap the casserole dish on the counter to force out any air bubbles.
- Bake until cheese is golden brown and lasagna is bubbly, 35-45 minutes. Let rest 15-20 minutes so it sets and can be easily sliced.
I remember seeing this on the show! You’ve adapted it beautifully, Laura:)
Thanks, Freda!
Looks delicious! I’m thinking about cooking it for Saturday’s dinner after Thanksgiving.
Debbie – what a great idea! Perfect dish for that day! Enjoy!