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Pumpkin and Mushroom Lasagna

17/11/2023

Here is a tasty Italian recipe for pumpkin and mushroom lasagna.

Ingredients

  • 250 grams of egg lasagna noodles (fresh or dry that require pre-cooking)
  • 500 grams of cleaned pumpkin
  • 300 grams of mixed mushrooms (porcini, champignon, or your choice)
  • 250 grams of béchamel sauce
  • 150 grams of smoked scamorza or sweet provola cheese
  • 50 grams of grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Nutmeg (optional)
  • Butter for the baking dish
  • Aromatic herbs to taste (thyme, rosemary, sage, …)

Preparation

  1. Start with preparing the pumpkin: cut it into pieces and bake in the oven at 190 °C (374 °F) for about 20 minutes or until it softens. You can also steam it or cook it in a pan with a little oil and some water until it softens.

  2. In the meantime, clean the mushrooms and cut them into slices or pieces. In a pan, sauté a clove of garlic in olive oil and then remove it. Add the mushrooms and let them cook until they turn golden. Salt and pepper them to your taste and add the aromatic herbs.

  3. Prepare the béchamel sauce if you did not buy it ready-made. Melt some butter in a saucepan, add flour and stir for a couple of minutes over medium heat. Slowly pour in cold milk, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Bring the béchamel sauce to a boil until it thickens.

  4. Mash the cooked pumpkin with a fork until it becomes a cream and mix it with some béchamel sauce to make it smoother.

  5. Slice the scamorza (or provola) into thin slices.

  6. Butter a baking dish and start composing the lasagna with a first layer of béchamel, followed by lasagna noodles, pumpkin cream, mushrooms, some scamorza, and a sprinkling of Parmesan. Continue layering until all the ingredients are used up, ending with béchamel and a generous handful of Parmesan.

  7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 °C (356 °F) for about 30-40 minutes, or until the surface of the lasagna is golden and crispy.

  8. Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes out of the oven before serving, so they set and will be easier to portion.

Note: Remember that if you use dry lasagna noodles that require pre-cooking, you will need to boil them for a few minutes in salted boiling water before using.

Curiosities

Pumpkin and mushroom lasagna is an autumn dish full of flavors. The pumpkin, in particular, is a very versatile vegetable that is excellently used in Italian cuisine, not only for sweet dishes but also for savory ones, like this recipe.