Pumpkin lasagna recipe?

[sisack]

I've had pumpkin lasagna on my mind for a week now and need to just make it already! Any great recipes out there? My vision includes sage. Maybe hazelnuts? I may just wing it, but would love to hear if anyone has an out-of-this-world recipe. Thanks!!

[spm]

Love the squash/pumpkin idea and cream (of course!), too. We need to keep the cholesterol down in my family so how about a combo of half and half and yogurt? Would the yogurt curdle? Anyone have experience with this?

[opinionatedchef]

yes, i think it would.

[4Snisl]

Hi spm....To lighten it up, consider using evaporated skim milk in place of the cream.

[chicgail]

This one always draws raves. I use winter squash, but pumpkin is an option. It's totally free-form (you don't have to you a "proper" lasagna pan) and takes to all kinds of adaptions and variations.

1½ - 2 lbs fresh any kind of winter squash (except spaghetti squash)
salt
4T butter (divided)
1 medium yellow onion, minced
2T chopped fresh sage or oregano
12 oz fresh lasagna pasta
½ C cream
1 lb fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
½ lb prosciutto, sliced thin
salt and pepper

Cut the squash in half, put both sides on a plate, cover it with plastic wrap and and cook it in the microwave for 5 minutes. Alternately, you can put it in a baking dish, cut side down, add enough water to come up about 1-in. in pan. Cover it with foil and bake it at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.

Remove the seeds and scoop the pulp into a bowl where I mashed it with 2 T butter and about a teaspoon of salt.

Saute the onion with the chopped fresh sage (or oregano) in the rest of butter until it is soft and translucent.

Spray a large ovenproof platter or lasagne dish with cooking spray and spread the bottom with a little squash. Then layer the pasta, mozzarella, prosciutto, squash, and onions, and drizzle it with cream and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Repeat this layer three times.

Bake 10-15 minutes or until the mozzarella melts.

More here: http://foodbeest.com/?p=4001

[opinionatedchef]

this is a terrific recipe. me being me, i would sub bacon or cooked and sliced duck sausage for the prociutto; maybe include a layer of sauteed swiss chard with some chopped toasted walnuts; and add a very parmy beschamel on top.
thank you for the inspiration!

[carbonaraboy]

I don't know much about pumpkins, but I do know that some varieties are better than others for cooking. If you find one you like, substitute it for the butternut in the following lasagne layers:

pasta
butternut mixed with a little ricotta, fresh sage, and nutmeg
bresaola, sliced thinly
grated fontina cheese
bechamel
pasta...

You can substitute a good Vermont cheddar for the fontina and add a little cooked and strained tomatoes to the bechamel

[nomadchowwoman]

I wish I had a real recipe for this, but I can tell you what ingredients I use in (very rough) proportions and what I do:

Process the following in a food processor, or mix thoroughly:

2 1/2 - 3 c pumpkin or butternut squash puree
Small log of goat cheese (3-4 oz.), softened
roasted garlic cloves (optional)
freshly ground pepper

Make a sauce by reducing:

2 c. chicken (or vegetable) stock
1 c.heavy cream
salt to taste

with several fresh sage leaves (they'll flavor the sauce as it reduces)

Pasta sheets (thin work best)--spinach pasta looks especially lovely in this dish
Lots of fresh grated parmigiano
Sauteed sliced mushrooms, preferably wild (I use chanterelles) (optional)

Spoon a film of sauce on the bottom of dish; then place a layer of pasta on top. Spread w/ puree. Spoon some of the mushrooms over that. Sprinkle a generous amount of the grated cheese over that. Pour some of the sauce over that. Repeat. End w/a third pasta sheet. Pour remaining sauce over that, and sprinkle generously w/more cheese.
Bake at 350F for about 25 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and top is beginning to brown.

If you want to get fancy, garnish the finished dish w/fried sage leaves. (Or some chopped, toasted hazelnuts, per your idea.)

[opinionatedchef]

ah nomad, we meet again! terrific recipe. OP's haz. idea is great. Other possible tweaks: Bacon or layer of sauteed kale or swiss chard.

[opinionatedchef]

nomad, just wanted to offer this>>Similar flavor profiles to your lasagna suggestion, so i thought you might like it. My most requested recipe in 30 yrs of catering! and wonderful with turkey, goose, duck:

BUTTERNUT SQUASH GRATIN x1= 6-8 servings

X1 X2

2 lbs 4 lbs Peeled and seeded Butternut Squash

1 ½ C 3 C Heavy Cream

½ C 1 C Half & Half

2 4 Bay Leaves

3 sprigs 6 sprigs Fresh Thyme

Or

1/8 tsp 1/4 tsp Dry Thyme

1/8 ts 1/4 tsp Ground Mace

1 3/4 tsp 2 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt

½ tsp 1 tsp Pepper

3 T 6 T Unsalted Butter

1 med 2 med Yellow Onions

1 tsp 2 tsp Minced Garlic

1/4 C ½ C Parmesan Cheese

Slice squash in 1/4" slices. In large heavy- bottomed sauce pan combine the squash, cream, half and half, bay leaves, thyme, mace and 1 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of the pepper. Simmer over moderate heat until squash is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid , stirring occasionally, approximately 30 minutes. Meanwhile slice the onions 3/8" thick. Melt half the butter in large skillet and saute onions until they caramelize and turn deep golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute . Season with the remaining salt and pepper. Spread some of the onions on the bottom of a medium gratin dish or other shallow oven proof dish. Fill the gratin dish with squash, sprinkle with onions and parmesan cheese and dot with the remaining butter. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake for 15 minutes or until browned lightly and bubbling.

* For advance prep, can be prepared up until topping; cooled, wrapped and refrig for 3-4 days. Bring to room temp, sprinkle w/parm and dot w/butter and bake.

* Aso can chop onions and layer w/ squash if preferred.

NOTE: doing X4 and above use less liquid or will get too soupy.

X5 uses approximately 2 cups less liquid
** Freezes well. Also, leftovers can be used as a pasta sauce, optionally adding toasted hazelnuts, sliced cooked duck sausage and crumbled fried sage leaves.

[nomadchowwoman]

I just saw this. Looks delicious, OC. I will definitely try this one, prob. this T-giving. Thanks!

[opinionatedchef]

cool! strangely enough, it's tweaked from a recipe in Chocolatier mag (RIP) from 1987 or so!

[HillJ]

I'm making this version on Sunday
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pu...

I also enjoy lasagna rollups from time to time.

And there's a delish recipe for a dessert lasagna that uses sweetened ricotta cheese and pumpkin pie spices that's seved room temp with a chocolate drizzle....the hazelnuts play well in a dessert lasagna.

[bushwickgirl]

Did you make it? I want to try this coming weekend. I might sub kale for the chard.

[4Snisl]

One of my favorite lasagna recipes is a tomato-less lasagna, which involves layering noodles with:
-rosemary-infused bechamel sauce
-ricotta mixed with tons of thawed, squeezed spinach and fresh grated parmesan
-cooked mashed butternut squash/pumpkin (canned pumpkin works fine here), seasoned with rosemary, salt and pepper
-mozzarella cheese

Sage actually sounds like a lovely substitution for (or addition to) the rosemary....and I think the idea to top with hazelnuts that can toast up and get crunchy on top at the end is BRILLIANT. :)

[biondanonima]

Not exactly a lasagne, but this gratin of butternut squash and leeks from Epi is DELICIOUS: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

You could easily make it into a lasagne by layering the vegetables with pasta and bechamel instead of using the cream. Maybe add some mozzarella in addition to the goat cheese for extra gooeyness too.

[Liz K]

I've made this version fron Epicurious, it's terrific! I'm sure you could use pumpkin, too, although I like butternut better in things like this.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[mscoffee1]

This recipe is very similar to Liz K (no hazelnuts, although I think that is a great idea) and from Gourmet too. I have made this for many dinner parties and love it. Roast the squash until it is sweet (without burning of course). Pumpkin will work well.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[Berheenia]

This recipe is actually in the November COTM so if you made it maybe you will post to that thread when it goes up Tuesday. ! If I could smuggle a hazelnut into my kitchen I would try this recipe..

[Liz K]

Sorry Bertheenia, I don't know what COMT stands for? The Squash and Hazelnut recipe I posted a link to is from 2001!

[Berheenia]

Sorry - we all seem to follow our own chowhound threads! Cookbook of the Month is COTM like Whats For Dinner is WFD Next month's Cookbook of the Month is The Gourmet Cookbook from 2004 and includes this recipe. I'm sure others will cook that lasagna and comment on it. It's helpful feedback if you aren't sure if you want to actually make a recipe to read others experiences.

[falconress]

Yes, yes, yes. I made it when that issue arrived. It was an instant hit.

It was very rich, and smaller than suggested servings sufficed even for hearty eaters. The magazine says six servings, I think it's at least eight. As I grow older, I think about trying to make it with "light" ingredients, but haven't tried that yet. Instead, I just don't make it often.

It benefits from being made a day in advance, and resting. I also learned that I can make it in stages over a couple of days, and assemble and bake the day of or the day before serving.

The squash somehow has enough "body" (if that's the word) that even meat-eaters don't feel deprived.

Over the years, I've made it with butternut, or whatever was available, even pumpkin. I've substituted walnuts for the hazelnuts, and dried sage when I had no fresh. Always came out great.

[todao]

I like Robert Irvine's' recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ro...