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Victoria Haneveer

Roasted Pumpkin Lasagna - Vegetarian Friendly

This wonderful lasagna is great for vegetarians and one of the sweetest recipes for lasagna. If you usually use your fresh pumpkin for making pumpkin pie recipes and pumpkin cake, you will love this savory recipe with pumpkin. Try adding a cup of finely chopped fresh parsley and a pinch of ground cinnamon to the sauce for even more flavor. Instant noodles are used in this roasted pumpkin lasagna recipe because they are faster and more convenient than using the ones you have to boil first, although you can use those if you have them. Just boil them until they are slightly undercooked and then assemble your roasted pumpkin lasagna. There are all kinds of vegetarian lasagna recipes but the best ones have something full-flavored to replace the ground beef which is not being used. In this case, the pumpkin adds a sweet yet savory edge to the lasagna and the nutmeg helps to flavor the dish. The parmesan and ricotta add creamy richness. If you only have sweet onions you can use one of those but a strong onion is better for this recipe, to balance out the sweetness from the pumpkin. If you are using a sweet one, make sure you use plenty of salt and pepper to fortify the lasagna's savory flavor.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
 

  • 4 oz (115g) instant lasagna noodles
  • 1 ounce (28g) butter
  • ½ a pumpkin, peeled and cut into big wedges
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 peeled, quartered yellow onion
  • 2 ounces (60g) grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 ounce (30g) all-purpose flour (plain flour)
  • ½ pound (225g) ricotta cheese
  • 1 pint (500ml) whole milk
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method
 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  2. Put the pumpkin on a roasting tray with the onion, oil and water.
  3. Mix well and sprinkle salt and pepper over it.
  4. Roast for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are golden.
  5. Melt the butter in a pan, stir in the flour and cook for 1 or 2 minutes over a moderate heat.
  6. Add the milk gradually, stirring sometimes.
  7. Simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce is thick.
  8. Break the ricotta into pieces and add it to the sauce.
  9. Add the nutmeg too then stir well and season to taste.
  10. Spoon the pumpkin mixture into a dish, then cover it with some of the sauce and a layer of lasagna sheets.
  11. Repeat these layers until you have used everything, finishing with a layer of lasagna noodles.
  12. Sprinkle the parmesan on top.
  13. Bake for 30 minutes or until the lasagna noodles are tender and the topping is golden.

Notes

This lasagna might look like a traditional lasagna recipe until you take a bite and discover the juicy nutmeg-spiced pumpkin and onion, and the creamy ricotta sauce layers.
If you are fond of lasagna and similar pasta recipes but you don’t eat meat (or even if you are simply looking for an alternative to meat lasagna recipes) this one is well worth making.
It is easy to put together and you can make a tasty side dish while it bakes to perfection.
What about a simple green salad or some homemade garlic bread? Those sides go with all recipes for lasagna.