Here's a lovely vegetarian lasagna that is perfect for any fall day and an ideal entree to serve vegetarian guests on Thanksgiving. Lasagnas freeze beautifully, so you can make this ahead of time. It has all the glorious flavors of fall in one dish. Enjoy!!
Ingredients
Ricotta Pumpkin Filling
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 t garam masala
½ t pumpkin pie spice
2 c pumpkin puree (baked and pureed or canned)
1½ c ricotta cheese
1 egg
Lasagna Layers
whole wheat lasagna noodles (uncooked, but not the no-cook variety)
1 lb mozzarella cheese, grated
¼ c Parmesan cheese, grated
Caramelized Onions
3 large sweet onions, cut in half and sliced into moons
¼ t red pepper flakes
Homemade Applesauce
3 apples, badly peeled, cored and diced
¼ c apple juice (or water)
½ t cinnamon
Autumn Herb Bechamel Sauce
3 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T flour
3 c milk
1 bay leaf
¼ t white pepper
¼ t fresh nutmeg
1 T each: fresh rosemary, parsley, thyme and sage
½ t lemon zest
Garnish
crispy sage leaves for garnish
Instructions
There is no way around it: you're going to dirty a lot of pots and pans. Each component of the lasagna must be made separately and then assembled at the end. We'll start with the pumpkin ricotta. In a large skillet, heat a few T of olive oil over a medium flame. Add the onion and a generous pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Saute for about 3 minutes. Add celery, carrot and garlic, bay leaf and spices. Saute for about 2 minutes. Add pumpkin puree. Saute for another 2 minutes, stirring to get an even mixture. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove bay leaf. Transfer mixture to a food processor and puree. Add ricotta and egg and puree again until everything is smooth and well-combined. Set aside.
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan with a lid over a medium-low flame. Add red pepper flakes. Once sizzling, add sweet onions and a generous pinch of sea salt. Stir and place a lid on the pan. After a minute, lift the lid and stir again. Keep repeating, until onions have wilted completely. Once that happens, turn up the heat a little bit, leave the lid off and stir frequently until you reach a lovely brown color. It should take about 20 minutes. Set aside.
Heat apples, juice and cinnamon in a saucepan over a medium flame. Add the smallest pinch of sea salt. Cook down for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can mash it down with an immersion blender or a potato masher. I like to have a mixed texture. Set aside.
The last sauce is the bechamel. Heat 3 T oil with minced garlic clove over a medium-high flame. Once garlic is fragrant, add flour and stir well for 1 minute. Add milk and whisk like mad. Keep stirring frequently and add the bay leaf, nutmeg, white pepper and sea salt. Once thickened add the fresh herbs and lemon zest. Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasonings, then turn of heat and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°. Butter the sides of an oblong pan. Begin assembly.
Ladle about ½ c of the herb bechamel in the bottom on the pan. Layer the uncooked noodles. Trust me on this.
Spread ½ of the pumpkin ricotta mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with cheese. Ladle 2 scoops of the herb sauce, then repeat: noodles, the rest of the pumpkin and all of the caramelized onions. Sprinkle with cheese.
Ladle 2 scoops of the herb sauce, then repeat: noodles, the rest of the pumpkin and all of the caramelized onions. More cheese, more sauce, more noodles, then layer on all of the applesauce.
Pour the remaining sauce over the applesauce. Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 1 hour, until golden and bubbly. Let sit for about 20 minutes before cutting. Garnish with crispy sage leaves!
Recipe by Mamaguru at http://mamaguru.com/thanksgiving-pumpkin-lasagna/