Pumpkin & ricotta lasagne
Ingredients
For the lasagne:
500gr gluten-free lasagne sheets
For the roasted pumpkin:
2.3kg cooking pumpkin cleaned and cubed
8tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 tbsps honey (or maple syrup, if vegan)
2tsps dried rosemary
2tsps dried sage
2tsps garlic granules
1/2tsp dried chili flakes (can be increased to 1tsp, if preferred)
Salt to taste
For the pumpkin purée:
2tbsps Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 large bay leaf
1 large white onion, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, finely chopped
3 small celery sticks, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
8 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
2 Parmesan (or Grana Padano) rinds (optional) or 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast (if vegan)
400ml chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
For the ricotta and spinach cream:
480gr baby spinach
500gr ricotta (the closest vegan replacement is mashed silken tofu)
200ml milk (if using non-dairy, gluten-free oat milk works well)
2 medium eggs (replace with 1 tsp of tapioca starch for a vegan alternative)
2tsps garlic granules
25gr grated Parmesan (or Grana Padano/ nutritional yeast)
Salt to taste
For the béchamel:
700ml milk simmered down to 600ml (if using non-dairy, gluten-free oat milk works well)
1 round shallot
15 whole cloves
1 medium bay leaf
60gr butter (or dairy-free equivalent)
60gr gluten-free flour
25gr grated Parmesan (or Grana Padano/ nutritional yeast)
1/2tsp nutmeg
Salt to taste
For the topping:
15gr grated Parmesan (or Grana Padano) (the best vegan alternative is gluten-free breadcrumbs mixed in with nutritional yeast, Italian herb seasoning and salt sprinkled on top)
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Method
I recommend reading the full recipe first, before starting. There are quite a few steps to this recipe, but I promise that persevering will be entirely worthwhile!
The first step can be made the night before. I start by mixing the cleaned and cubed pumpkin with the rest of the ingredients, spread onto 2 lined baking trays, and roast in the oven for 45 minutes at 180ºC. Once softened and slightly caramelised around the edges, I leave the roasted pumpkin to cool down and then store it in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. This step is really important to allow all the flavours to develop and the juice and sugars from the pumpkin to mix.
The next day I make a start on the pumpkin purée. To a large pot, I add the EVOO, bay leaf, and freshly ground pepper. Once it starts sizzling, I add the onion and let it soften and become translucent. Then, I add the carrots, celery, crushed garlic, and finely chopped fresh sage leaves. I stir the vegetables occassionally and add a generous pinch of salt. As the vegetables start to lightly catch the bottom of the pot, the roasted pumpkin is added to the large pot and stirred together with the stock. I allow it to bubble and boil, and using a wooden spoon I stir vigorously and start breaking down the pumpkin, until it resembles a chunky purée. I leave it to simmer for 25-30 minutes until the purée holds its form when I pass the back of a spoon through it. I set aside to use later.
As the purée simmers away, I turn my attention to the ricotta and spinach cream. I start by emptying the baby spinach leaves into a colander and I pour boiling water from a kettle over it and cover with a plate to allow the leaves to wilt. In a large bowl, I mix the rest of the ingredients, including the eggs, until a luscious cream forms. As soon as the wilted spinach cools down enough to handle, I squeeze all the excess water out and chop it up as finely as possible. I add the spinach to the ricotta cream and ensure that it’s fully and evenly incorporated. I also set this aside to use later.
Time for the béchamel. For this, I start by peeling the shallot and leaving it whole, I secure the bay leaf into the shallot using the whole cloves as ‘pins’. Don’t worry if the bulbs of the cloves are crushed in the process, this is normal. Into a small pot, I pour in the milk, add the shallot, and leave to gently simmer on low heat, keeping an eye on it at all times. I expect about 100ml of the milk to evaporate and be left with about 600ml. If you end up with less, once you discard the onion, add some more milk to bring it up to 600ml.
Into a medium pot, I melt the butter on low heat, carefully add the flour, and stir for about 5mins, until the flour starts lightly browning. This is especially important for gluten-free flour so that it doesn’t remain grainy. I, then, add the warm, spiced milk, one ladle full at a time, whilst vigorously whisking to avoid any lumps (it may seem like it is getting lumpy but if you continue energetically stirring as you add the milk, the lumps will disappear). Once the béchamel is smooth and creamy, I take the mixture off the heat, add the grated cheese and nutmeg, and stir to incorporate.
At this point, I turn the oven on to 200ºC. I use the time for the oven to reach the temperature to assemble the lasagne. Into a large oven-proof ceramic dish, I spread some of the pumpkin purée first (this will help the pasta not stick to the bottom of the dish and give the lasagne good structure), followed by the first layer of pasta. It’s important to note which way you lay down the pasta (for example, horizontally) because the next layer will have to be laid down the other way (for example, vertically). The ricotta and spinach cream is spread over next, then a layer of pasta, and pumpkin purée once again. If your oven dish is quite deep, keep going until you have about half an inch left at the top. The last layer should be pumpkin purée. On top of it (yes purée not pasta), I carefully pour over a generous layer of glorious béchamel. The lasagne is then topped with the remaining cheese and a generous sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.
I bake it in the oven for 30 minutes at 200ºC and then at 180ºC for another 25 minutes. If the top starts to brown too quickly, I cover it with tin foil for the rest of the time to stop it from burning. The lasagne will be done when a knife goes through it with ease and the top is golden and dreamy. I allow it to cool and compose for a good 15 minutes before serving as this will ensure the structure is held as I serve it. In terms of servings, this recipe will serve 6 people as a main, especially if a starter precedes it, and 8 people if smaller portions are served as a starter or ‘primo’. I am confident your family or guests will keep talking about this dish for a while - it’s the autumnal twist a lasagne deserves. Enjoy!