This seasonal lasagna features tender noodles layered with goat cheese and pumpkin puree, caramelized onions, mozzarella, and Parmesan. It makes a beautiful and satisfying vegetarian entrée (add it to your Thanksgiving spread to please your vegetarian guests). Using unseasoned pumpkin puree from a can is a great time saver, although you could roast and puree your own if you prefer.
The best part about this recipe is that it uses uncooked lasagna noodles (not the no-boil type), which get tender as they cook in the moisture from the other ingredients, so you save time!
Pumpkin and sage lasagna with goat cheese
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Total time: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
¾ teaspoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups vegetable broth (or water, if desired)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
10 lasagna noodles (uncooked)
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
6 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cayenne (optional)
¼ cup finely chopped pine nuts
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
Directions1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, until they are very soft and lightly browned. Stir in 1 minced clove of the garlic, ½ teaspoon of the salt, ¼ teaspoon of the pepper, and the flour. Stir well and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the vinegar and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth or water and simmer until the liquid thickens a bit. Remove from the heat.
2. While the onions are cooking, combine the pureed pumpkin, goat cheese, eggs, pine nuts, the remaining minced clove of garlic, the sage, nutmeg, cayenne, if using, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of pepper and stir to mix well.
3. Coat the inside of a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking oil. Cover the bottom of the pot with a single layer of noodles (you’ll need to break them to fit in order to cover the entire bottom of the pot.
4. Spread ⅓ of the onion mixture, including broth, over the layer of noodles. Top with ½ of the pumpkin mixture, then 1/3 of the mozzarella and 1/3 of the parmesan. Repeat this process once more (noodles, onion mixture, pumpkin mixture, mozzarella, parmesan). Top with the remaining noodles, then the remaining onion mixture, then the remaining mozzarella, and the remaining parmesan. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours, until the noodles are tender.
5. Turn off the slow cooker, remove the lid, and let the lasagna stand for about 10 minutes before serving. To serve, cut into wedges and serve warm.
Pro tip: If you want to cut down the prep time of this recipe, swap out the caramelized onion mixture for a jar of your favorite tomato-based pasta sauce.
