Pumpkin Veggie Lasagna

I am hurtin’ for pumpkins. I guess I didn’t realize how plentiful they were in Brazil, all kinds of varieties. I’d gotten so used roasting them on my own it is hard to get back into using the canned stuff.

I know. What kind of crazy person with over-abundant free time am I?!! Seriously though, I have learned there is nothing quite like the flavor of a slow roasted pumpkin.

I’ve only seen a few pumpkins around since I’ve been home, but luckily early last week I used up the last of what I had in Brazil. I was so happy with the result.

My mom has made vegetable lasagna for as long as I can remember. She shreds various veggies, sautés them up and uses a basic white sauce. I love pumpkin with pastas and I had a great one at a restaurant in Brazil a few months ago so I decided to incorporate the pumpkin into the lasagna. I already can’t wait to make it again.

I made a small pan so we wouldn’t have a ton of leftovers. This will fit in roughly an 8 x 8 inch baking dish. You can use whatever cheese you like, but I think a smoked variety really compliments the flavor of the pumpkin.

Pumpkin Veggie Lasagna

12 to 15 lasagna noodles, cooked or no-boil (whatever you like)
1 head of garlic, roasted for about 1 hour, cool enough to handle
1 medium zucchini, shredded or thinly sliced
2 medium carrots, shredded
2 cups fresh spinach (frozen would work too, just cut down on the amount)
½ medium onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 ½ cups skim milk (a stock would work too)
¾ cup roasted pumpkin, pureed
Dash of pumpkin pie spice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ½ cups shredded cheese (I used a combo of smoked provolone and mozzarella)

Veggies:
Combine veggies in a skillet coated with olive oil. Cook until reduced and tender. Squeeze in 1 to 2 cloves of the garlic and combine. Set aside.

Sauce:
Melt butter in a sauce pan and add flour. Whisk, cooking the flour until combined into a paste. Slowly add the milk as you continue to whisk. Allow to bubble and thicken as you continue to stir. Whisk in the rest of the garlic, then the pumpkin and spices.

I’ll never claim to be a lasagna expert so just layer it your favorite way. This is what I do. Spread a tiny amount of sauce in the baking pan, top with noodles. Next comes the veggies, sauce, then cheese. Repeat and I end with noodles and top it with more cheese. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes or until bubbly and golden on the top.