I’m back with the perfect fall dinner for you! This Pumpkin Sausage Lasagna has sweet, earthy pumpkin, savory Italian sausage, and plenty of creamy, gooey cheese! It’s a great weeknight meal, especially if you assemble it ahead of time, or perfect for those lazy fall weekends when you want to spend a little time in the kitchen.
If you’ve never made homemade lasagna, don’t be intimidated. There are a number of steps, but each one is very easy. You can spread it out over two days if that’s easier for you, or go for it all at once. Just organize yourself from the beginning, and it’s really an easy dish to make.
This lasagna starts with an easy pumpkin and sausage sauce, instead of the typical marinara. As always, there are substitutions you can make. For the pumpkin, feel free to use cooked and pureed butternut squash, acorn squash, or even sweet potatoes. Each of them has a different level of sweetness, so use something you’ll enjoy in a savory dish. I used mild Italian sausage, but you can certainly use a hot sausage, or even half mild and half hot. Again, use the sausage that you enjoy.
The cheese mixture is a simple mixture of ricotta and Parmesan, with a sprinkle of mozzarella. If you prefer cottage cheese instead of ricotta, or maybe that’s what you have on hand, that’s a great substitution. Parmesan can be replaced with Romano, Asiago, or any other hard, sharp cheese that you enjoy. And Provolone, Swiss, or other good melting cheeses can take the place of the mozzarella.
Just a few more tips and notes. I like to use the flat, no boil lasagna noodles, but use the ones you’re most comfortable with. If you use regular lasagna noodles, make sure to pre-boil them though. The fresh sage really is a must. I wouldn’t substitute with dried. Fresh parsley would work, but the sage really brings a great fall flavor that marries so well with the pumpkin. Finally, a made a smaller batch because there are only two of us, but you can easily double this recipe and make it in a 9×13 or lasagna pan.
I really hope you try this! It’s such a fun recipe – warm and cozy, cheesy and creamy. It’s everything you want on a cool fall night. If you make it, be sure to let me know what you think, and if you made any substitutions.
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- 8 ounces Italian sausage mild, hot, or a combination
- 1/2 small yellow or white onion diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
- pinch nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 package no-boil lasagna noodles (I used 6 sheets, which is less than half a pack)
Ingredients
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- Add sausage and onions to a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until sausage is browned and cooked through and onions are soft. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant.
- Stir in broth, pumpkin, nutmeg, and sage. Bring to a simmer and cook until heated through. Taste and season with salt and/or pepper as needed.
- Set sauce aside to cool slightly. Meanwhile, combine ricotta, 3 tablespoons Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon each). If desired, refrigerate sauce and cheese at this point and assemble lasagna the next day.
- Assemble the lasagna in an 8x8-inch greased baking pan. Place 1/2 cup pumpkin sauce in the bottom of the pan and top with a layer of noodles. Add 1/3 of the ricotta mixture and spread evenly. Top with 1/3 of the remaining pumpkin sauce, and sprinkle with 1/3 cup (slightly less than a third of the total) mozzarella. Repeat the layers twice, ending with the rest of the mozzarella and the remaining tablespoon of Parmesan.
- You can refrigerate or freeze the lasagna at this point before baking. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or add a layer of foil and freeze up to a month.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If baking immediately, bake for 30-45 minutes until bubbly and browned. If cheese begins to brown too quickly, cover loosely with foil. If refrigerating overnight, remove from refrigerator while preheating oven. Remove plastic wrap and cover loosely with foil. Bake 30-45 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes until bubbly and cheese is browned. If lasagna has been frozen, thaw in refrigerator overnight, then follow directions for baking refrigerated version.
- Cooked and pureed butternut squash, acorn squash, or sweet potatoes can be substituted for the pumpkin. The sweetness level will vary, so use something you enjoy.
- Cottage cheese can be swapped for the ricotta.
- Any hard, sharp cheese can be used in place of the Parmesan.
- Any good, melting cheese like Provolone or Swiss, can be used instead of or in combination with the mozzarella.
- Use regular lasagna noodles if desired, but boil them first.
- Double the recipe and assemble in a 9x13 or lasagna pan.