I know pumpkin is usually reserved as a fall ingredient but I find it so irresistibly comforting. I was inspired by a lasagna I had somewhere in Tuscany a while ago that still sticks in my brain. It was the first time I’d had a lasagna that didn’t consist of a red sauce and it kinda blew my mind. It’s always nice to try different versions of a classic dish. My version will definitely take you on a new lasagna adventure. Happy layering!

Serves 4-6, Prep 30mins, Bake 40mins + 45 mins to roast pumpkin

Ingredients:

1 medium sized roasting pumpkin or squash (enough to get about 3 cups/400g out of it) You can use pre-made mash to conserve time!

1/3 c. (75g) butter

12 fresh sage leaves, cut into ribbons

1 Tbsp olive oil + extra for oiling the baking dish

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 large handfuls fresh spinach

2 c. (450g) Cottage cheese

1/4 c. (60g) Grated Parmesan

1 large egg

12 sheets lasagna, partially cooked according to package and reserved in cool water

1 c. (230g) Shredded mozzarella

Instructions:

1/ Preheat oven time 400f (200c). Cut pumpkin in half and scrape out seeds. Place cut side down on a foil lined baking sheet with one edge resting on the rim of the sheet (see below). Pour a little water into the pan, this will help steam the pumpkin and keep it moist. Roast for 45 mins.

2/ Meanwhile, heat a skillet on medium and melt the butter down. Add the sage and sauté till butter is nicely browned. Pour all into a small bowl and set aside.

3/ Heat a large pan and add 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Sauté the garlic for 30 seconds then add the spinach one handful at a time. Cook spinach down till just soft then transfer to a plate to cool slightly. In a food processor, blend the cottage cheese, Parmesan and cooked spinach, add the egg and season with s&p about halfway through. Transfer to a bowl and chill. Clean processor basin.

4/ After removing the roasted pumpkin, turn the oven down to 375f (190c). Once pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh into the food processor with the reserved brown butter, sage and season to taste. Blend till smooth then transfer to a bowl. (Do not chill)

5/ Oil a 9x12” casserole dish with olive oil and start to build your layers starting with the pasta first on top of plenty of oil to keep from sticking to the bottom of the dish. Spread 1/2 the pumpkin mix, top with another layer of pasta, then 1/2 the spinach mix, then pasta and repeat. If you start running low on pasta you can add the last of the fillings together in the last layer then top with the final sheets of pasta, drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle all the mozzarella on top. I used extra sage leaves tossed in olive oil to make a design ☺️.

6/ Bake uncovered on a lower rack for 40 minutes. If the top starts to get too brown you can loosely cover with foil for the remaining cook time. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving!

See the sides of the Kabocha pumpkin resting on the edge, leaving a little gap underneath. Really helps with roasting.

Gorgeous smooth pumpkin purée. Keep it at room temp for easy spreading.

I had some extra sage to make a crispy design on top. Just toss the leaves in olive oil and a little salt first.

Pumpkin, brown butter and sage lasagna.