Hearty Weeknight Meal: Pumpkin Lasagna

A few weeks ago, I found a can of pumpkin sauce at a trip to World Market and picked it up. As one does in the fall when everything is pumpkin. I’m not a huge fan of pasta dishes because gluten makes me feel heavy and sluggish, though Trader Joe’s has a great selection of lentil and black bean dry pasta noodles when I’m feeling in the mood for something hearty. This week, I also scored a package of gluten free lasagna sheets. Now I was headed somewhere. I began to check the interwebs for pumpkin lasagna and found. . . dessert. Eww. Apparently, someone thought it would be cute to throw together layers of pumpkin, caramel, pudding, and whipped cream and label it lasagna. I call foul. Finally, I found a recipe I wanted to try, and modified it using my pumpkin sauce and a few more veggies than usual to sneak in some healthiness for my fam. The results were great! The no-boil lasagna sheets held up well in the oven, and the pumpkin was subtle but recognizable.

The best part? Leftovers for days! If you’re looking to swap out your typical lasagna recipe this fall, try this pumpkin variety. And whether your pasta is gluten free or not, your belly will thank you.

Pumpkin Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 to 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup red wine (I used a cabernet)
• 1 28-ounce can pumpkin sauce (or tomato sauce will work)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 16-ounce box lasagna noodles
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 large zucchini, very thinly sliced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent.. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 2 more minutes. Add the sausage and ground beef and cook until brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Pour in the wine and cook until reduced by half. Stir in the pumpkin or tomato sauce and herbs and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles as directed (or not at all for no-boil noodles).

Mix the pumpkin puree with the egg in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella and the parmesan.

Build your lasagna in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish: Start with a layer of meat sauce, then top with a layer of noodles. Evenly spread half of the pumpkin filling, then half of the zucchini and mushrooms, over the noodles. Top with half of the cheese mixture and cover with some of the meat sauce. Repeat the layers, finishing with noodles and sauce; sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly. Let cool 15 minutes before slicing.