Pumpkin Lasagna
Italian-Americans often serve lasagna or another pasta dish before their Thanksgiving turkey, and it got us thinking – what would happen if we cooked pumpkin, the most iconic Thanksgiving food, in lasagna. The result is a delicious blend of traditions. Made heartier with the addition of ricotta cheese, mushrooms and greens, this vitamin-A rich pumpkin lasagna can be served as a sophisticated side dish or a substantial vegetarian entrée (perfect for the vegetarians at your holiday table, too).
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 1 can (about 4 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon dried, Italian seasoning
- 1 can (15 ounces) mixed greens, drained
- 1 can (15 ounces) 100% pumpkin
- 1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese, preferably whole milk
- 3/4 cup freshly grated
- Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground, black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 cup Alfredo sauce, divided
- 15 lasagna noodles (about 3/4 pound), cooked according to package directions
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
- Add onions and sauté until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and Italian seasoning, and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the greens and heat through; set aside.
- Mix pumpkin and ricotta cheese in a large mixing bowl.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper and nutmeg until well combined.
- Grease the inside of baking dish with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil.
- Spread 1/2 cup Alfredo sauce over the bottom of the baking dish.
- Top with 3 noodles, covering the bottom of the dish.
- Spread 1/4 of the pumpkin mixture over the layer of noodles and scatter 1/4 of the green mixture over the pumpkin.
- Repeat layers of noodles, pumpkin and greens, until you have 4 layers of each.
- Top with the remaining 3 noodles; spread the remaining 1/2 cup Alfredo sauce over the top.
- Cover with a sheet of foil and bake for 45 minutes until bubbling around the edges.
- Remove foil; top with remaining Parmesan cheese and return to the oven for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned.
- Rest for 15 minutes and cut in 12 to 18 squares.
Serves: 12
Recipes provided by USDA MyPlate Kids Partner Group member: Canned Food Alliance
