Satisfy Your Craving For Pumpkin With Some Pumpkin Lasagna

Pumpkin is an American staple especially popular in the fall. That’s when we consume all sorts of sweet pumpkin confections like pumpkin muffins, pumpkin spice lattes, and of course, pumpkin pie which is typically served at Thanksgiving. But pumpkin can be used to make savory dishes as well as sweet dishes. Below is a recipe for pumpkin lasagna which can satisfy your craving for pumpkin without all the sugar and butter typically found in pumpkin desserts. Pumpkin purée and yellow squash ensure you’re getting your vegetables. A little ricotta cheese makes it creamy. A hint of nutmeg brings out the pumpkin flavor. This dish may become one of your favorites and might just make an appearance at the Thanksgiving table this year!

Serving Size: 1 (3x4”) square Number of servings: 6 Calories per serving: 208 Ingredients Calories 6 lasagna sheets 540 6 medium yellow squash (approx. 800 grams) 128 1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin purée 175 1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese 240 ½ tsp nutmeg 6 ½ cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese 160 Salt 0 Non-stick cooking spray 0

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the pumpkin purée, ricotta cheese, nutmeg and a half a teaspoon of salt. Stir until all the ingredients are well combined and the mixture is smooth. Set aside.

Using a mandolin, slice the yellow squash into 1/8th inch slices. Cook the yellow squash slices in a non-stick pan until golden brown (approximately 1 to 2 minutes on each side). Salt the yellow squash slices and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water liberally. Place the lasagna sheets into the boiling water. Cook the lasagna sheets until they are soft (approximately 10 to 12 minutes). Drain the lasagna sheets.

Spray a 9x12 inch lasagna pan with some non-stick cooking spray. Place 3 lasagna sheets on the bottom of the lasagna pan. Spread half the pumpkin mixture over the lasagna sheets. Place half the yellow squash slices over the pumpkin mixture. Repeat with another layer of lasagna sheets, remaining pumpkin mixture and the rest of the yellow squash slices.

Bake the lasagna in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the lasagna from the oven and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the lasagna. Bake the lasagna for another 10 – 15 minutes, until the cheese turns golden brown.

Remove the lasagna from the oven and let the lasagna cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Slice the lasagna into six even portions. Place one piece of lasagna on a plate. Serve.

Barbara's Tips

	To ensure that the lasagna sheets don’t stick together, make sure to cook them in a large pot of water and stir them often.
	Bring the ricotta cheese to room temperature before combining it with the pumpkin purée. This will make it easier to combine the two ingredients and yields a smoother mixture.
	A little nutmeg enhances the pumpkin flavor.
	If you don’t have a mandolin, you can slice the yellow squash with a knife. Try to get the slices as thin as possible. If they are slightly thicker than 1/8th of an inch, just cook them a little longer on each side.
	Spraying the lasagna pan with non-stick cooking spray will ensure the lasagna doesn’t stick to the pan and can easily be extracted after the lasagna has baked.

Essential Flavors

Pumpkin Purée: is simply pumpkin that has been roasted and puréed in a blender. It can be made from scratch but is readily available in canned form. For most recipes, the canned variety works fine. Pumpkin is an American staple ingredient in many fall dishes. It can be used in sweet or savory applications. It gives this lasagna a real taste of fall.