• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Hummingbird Thyme

Easy Recipes. Real Ingredients. Tasty Food!

  • Home
  • Search / Recipes
  • Here are some things about Me…
  • Contact Me!
  • Privacy
Home » Pasta » Pumpkin and Sausage Lasagna

Pumpkin and Sausage Lasagna

11/15/2016 By Laura 4 Comments

Thank you for Sharing!

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?”

Pumpkin Sausage Lasagna

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!

Pumpkin and Sausage Lasagna

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.

Lasagna

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!

Lasagna with Sausage and Pumpkin

Enjoy!

Pumpkin and Sausage Lasagna

Created by Laura on 11/11/2016

Pumpkin 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

  1. 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.
  2. Make the filling. Combine all of filling ingredients. Stir, set aside.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  • Print


Pumpkin Sausage Lasagna

Filed Under: Main Dish, Pasta, Pork, Recipe Tagged With: lasagna, main dish, pasta recipes, Pumpkin and Sausage Lasagna, recipes

Previous Post: « Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Next Post: Chocolate Pie with Orange Essence and Gingerbread Cookie Crust »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Freda @ Aromatic essence says

    11/16/2016 at 4:57 pm

    I remember seeing this on the show! You’ve adapted it beautifully, Laura:)

    Reply
    • Laura says

      11/16/2016 at 6:03 pm

      Thanks, Freda!

      Reply
  2. dajacobsen says

    11/15/2016 at 2:12 pm

    Looks delicious! I’m thinking about cooking it for Saturday’s dinner after Thanksgiving.

    Reply
    • Laura says

      11/16/2016 at 12:00 pm

      Debbie – what a great idea! Perfect dish for that day! Enjoy!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Follow Hummingbird Thyme!

Search Hummingbird Thyme

Most Popular Posts

  • Featured Image Seared Salmon in Spring Roll Wrap (or, in Rice Paper)
  • Turkey Burgers Special Sauce Turkey Burgers with Special Sauce
  • Irish Soda Bread with Currants Irish Soda Bread with Currants
  • Pork Burger and fries on a green plate, a bowl of burger/fry sauce in all-white background Asian Style Ginger Pork Burgers
  • Steak with Persillade Sauce Persillade Sauce
  • Everything Cookies
  • Crispy Tofu bowl Featured Image Crispy Tofu Bowl
  • Search / Recipes
  • German Apple Cake with Caramel Glaze German Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce
  • Cacio e Pepe with lemon arugula pancetta Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti with Lemon, Arugula and Pancetta (Chrissy Teigen)
  • Peanut Butter Marshmallow Blondies with Chocolate Chips
  • Pavlova with mascarpone cream and filled with lemon curd, sprinkled with blueberries on a white cake plate. Bowl of blueberries at bottom left. Pavlova With Mascarpone Whipped Cream
  • Featured Image Honeycrisp Apple Crumble Cake
  • Big bowl of healthier Shrimp and Andouille Gumbo - made with Kevin Belton's dry roux Healthier Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo Recipe
  • Sheet Pan Roasted Root Vegetables Sheet Pan Roasted Root Vegetables
  • Goat Cheese and Sweet Cherries combine to make the most delicious, tangy/sweet, flavorful ice cream! And, it's no-churn! Goat Cheese Sweet Cherry Ice Cream (No-Churn!)
Food Advertising by logo
logo
Food Advertisements by
logo
Food Advertisements by

Copyright © 2023 Laura Driscoll for Hummingbird Thyme