Pumpkin Sage Lasagna W Fontina Recipes

PUMPKIN LOVERS LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Bring a few inches water to a boil in a large pot and add salt. Cook the escarole for 5 minutes, then drain.
• Cover the garlic cloves with water in a saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and let cool. Squish the garlic pulp from the jackets into a bowl and mash with a fork.
• Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the sage and stir. Add the squash, stir and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken stock and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. All the stock should be absorbed and the squash should be lightly browned and tender. Remove from the heat.
• Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in another medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and mashed garlic and season with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. Cook until slightly thickened (the sauce should just coat the back of the spoon evenly without breaking up on the spoon's surface).
• Whisk together the pumpkin puree, 2 eggs and some salt and pepper in a small bowl.
• In another bowl, whisk together the ricotta, half the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the remaining egg.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Soak the lasagna sheets in water for 5 minutes.
• Pour about half the garlic sauce into the bottom of a 9 by 11-inch baking dish. Add a layer of lasagna sheets and then half the pumpkin mixture. Make another layer of lasagna sheets and spread with all of the ricotta mixture, followed by the squash and then escarole. Top with half the Fontina, another layer of lasagna sheets, the remaining pumpkin and another layer of lasagna sheets. Finish with the remaining garlic sauce and sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano and Fontina.
• Bake the lasagna, covered, for 45 minutes. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F and continue to bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes more. Let rest for 15 minutes, then cut and serve.

PUMPKIN SAUSAGE LASAGNA

Steps:

• preheat oven to 375°F.
• heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons EVOO, about two turns of the pan. Add the sausage and cook until golden brown, breaking the meat up as it cooks with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Push the meat to one side of the pan and add the eggplant, onion and garlic. Cook 7-8 minutes, until tender, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• While the veggies are cooking, place a medium-size sauté pan over medium-high heat and melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook the mixture for about 1 minute. Whisk the milk into roux, breaking up any clumps. Bring the mixture to a bubble and add the pumpkin puree and nutmeg. Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper, reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes, until slightly thickened.
• Spread about 1 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 13 x 9" casserole dish. Layer three lasagna noodles over the sauce, then top them with about 1 cup of the meat mixture, a cup or so of the sauce and a palmful of cheese. Repeat these layers two times, topping the casserole with a layer of lasagna noodles. Spoon the remaining sauce over the noodles, sprinkle the remaining grated cheese over top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake the lasagna until the sauce is bubbling and pasta is baked through, about 45 minutes.
• During the last ten minutes of baking, remove the aluminum foil to brown the cheese. Once out of the oven, allow the dish to rest a few minutes before serving.

ROASTED PUMPKIN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Peel pumpkin; cut in half lengthwise; discard seeds or save for toasting. Cut into 1/4-in. thick slices. Place in a single layer on two greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt nutmeg. Roast until tender, 30-35 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°., Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions for al dente. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender, 6-7 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in flour and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt until smooth; gradually whisk in milk and sage. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in Parmesan cheese. Drain noodles., Place 3 noodles in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with 1/3 of the pumpkin, 1-1/3 cups sauce and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and mozzarella cheese., Bake, covered, 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden brown bubbly 30-35 minutes longer. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving. If desired, sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

VEGETABLE LASAGNA W/ FONTINA CHEESE & CREAMY PARMESAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat 2 Tbs. butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
• Add onion; cook until soft and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Mix 1 1/2 Tbs. salt and 2 quarts very hot tap water in a 13-by-9-inch lasagna pan.
• Add noodles and soak until soft and pliable, 10 minutes.
• Drain and stack loosely. (Noodles tend to stick together as they dry, but pull apart easily.).
• Make Creamy Parmesan Sauce: Microwave milk, broth and garlic in a 1 quart microwave-safe container on high power until steaming hot, about 8 minutes. (Or slowly heat in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.)
• Fish out garlic; discard.
• Melt 2 1/2 Tbs. butter over medium heat in a large saucepan; when foaming subsides, whisk in flour and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until well blended.
• Pour in milk mixture all at once and whisk vigorously until sauce is smooth and starts to bubble and thicken.
• Stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoons salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove from heat; place plastic wrap directly on the sauce's surface.
• Adjust rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
• Smear 1/4 cup of the sauce over bottom of baking dish.
• Assemble the next 4 layers in the following order: 3 noodles, 2/3 cup sauce, 1/4 of the onions, 1/2 of one of the cooked vegetables (alternating each layer), 1/2 cup fontina and 2 Tbs. Parmesan.
• Assemble final layer with remaining noodles, sauce and cheeses.
• Seal with foil and bake until bubbly, about 35 minutes.
• Remove foil, then broil until cheese is spotty brown, 5-7 minutes longer.
• Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

PUMPKIN & SAGE LASAGNA W/ FONTINA

Steps:

• Heat Oven to 375-degF. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.
• In medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, milk, oregano, basil, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
• In a separate medium bowl, combine the ricotta, garlic, chopped sage and parsley, and season with salt and pepper.
• Spread a quarter of the pumpkin sauce (bout 1 cup) in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Add 3 or 4 lasagna sheets, breaking them as needed to fit. It is OK if the sheets do not fully cover the sauce.
• Layer on half the ricotta mixture, half the red peppers, then 1 cup of fontina. Add another cup of the pumpkin sauce and place 3 or 4 lasagna noodles on top.
• Layer on the remaining ricotta mixture and the red peppers, 1 cup fontina and another cup of the pumpkin sauce. Add the remaining lasagna noodles and the remaining pumpkin sauce.
• Sprinkle the remaining fontina on top, followed by the Parmesan cheese. Top with the pepperoni if desired.
• In a small bowl, toss the whole sage leaves in the 2 teaspoons olive oil. Arrange on top of the lasagna.
• Cover the lasagna with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Increase the heat to 425 degF, remove the foil, and bake until the cheese is bubbling, about 10 minutes more. Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.