Spinach and Pumpkin Lasagna

The ultimate comfort food but make it fall! This spinach and pumpkin lasagna has layers of mozzarella & gruyere cheese, creamy pumpkin alfredo sauce, and sautéed spinach. This recipe takes lasagna to a whole new level.

Nothing says comfort like a heaping serving of homemade lasagna! This pumpkin spinach lasagna is the epitome of fall comfort food.

The pumpkin alfredo sauce is savory & creamy with cheesy pumpkin flavor! It so delicious, you will want to start putting it on everything. The parmesan cheese balances out the sweet pumpkin puree, and with butter & cream it is so rich!

This pumpkin lasagna would be perfect for a cozy fall night or autumn dinner party! Everyone who tries it loves it! It will make you feel warm from the inside out.

ingredients

pumpkin alfredo sauce

Butter: You will need 3 tablespoons of salted high quality butter. My favorite is Kerrygold.

Garlic: Can't have alfredo without lots of garlic. You will need 5 cloves of fresh garlic minced.

Pumpkin puree: The base of this pumpkin alfredo sauce is real pumpkin puree. Not all pumpkin is equal when it comes to cooking and baking. My favorite pumpkin puree is Libbys or organic from Trader Joes. If you can't find these pumpkin purees, I would suggest making some pumpkin puree homemade. This can be done by blending roasted pumpkin. You will need 1 cup of pumpkin puree.

Heavy cream: 2 cups of heavy cream make this alfredo sauce so rich and luscious.

Parmesan cheese: I love the sharpness the parmesan cheese adds to this sweet pumpkin sauce. You will need 1 cup freshly grated cheese.

Nutmeg: Just a pinch of nutmeg to enhance the pumpkin flavor!

spinach and pumpkin lasagna

Lasagna noodles: You will need 1 package of no boil lasagna noodles. I prefer no boil noodles because they tend to be more delicate than regular lasagna noodles, which compliments this vegetable based lasagna better. You will know if the package of lasagna sheets you buy do not need to be boiled, if it says oven ready.

Butter: You will need just 2 tablespoons of salted high quality butter to saute the vegetables.

Onion: 1 medium yellow onion is added to the spinach for texture and taste. Make sure it is finely chopped so you don't get big chunks of onion in your lasagna bite.

Garlic: 4 cloves of minced garlic are added to the spinach mixture.

Red pepper flakes: You will need ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes. This gives the lasagna a mild but nice heat. You can also you cayenne pepper.

Spinach: The spinach is a very important aspect of this lasagna recipe since the "meaty" part of the lasagna is spinach. This recipe calls for 1 pound fresh spinach. The grocery store typically sells baby spinach in a large 1 pound containter, which would be perfect for this recipe. Don't use frozen spinach because it has too much water content and will make for a runny lasagna.

Sage: Fresh sage adds an earthy & bright flavor to the spinach mixture. You will need 1 bunch or about 10 leaves of fresh sage.

Cheese: This spinach and pumpkin lasagna has a blend of mozzarella and gruyere cheese. The meltiest cheeses! Mozzarella we all know & love and is in a traditional lasagne. I added gruyere because it is my favorite cheese! It becomes so creamy when melted and has a mild sharp flavor. Think of parmesan but melts like mozzarella! This cheese combo makes for the most ooey gooey lasagna.

variations & substitutions

Add meat! If you are not vegetarian and want this meal to have meat, simply add it as a layer! My favorite meat to add to this lasagna is hot italian sausage. Just be sure to drain the excess oils before adding it on top of the spinach layer.

Try butternut squash instead. If you're not a pumpkin lover, the pumpkin alfredo sauce can be turned into a butternut squash alfredo sauce. Simply replace the 1 cup of pumpkin puree with butternut squash puree.

tips & tricks

Assemble with care. I know after making all the components you just want to get to assembling, but be sure to thoughtfully layer the lasagna. Add that little sauce at the bottom so the noodles don't stick. Be aware of how much of each component you have so you don't have uneven layers or run out of an ingredient. Trim ends of noodles if needed to perfectly fit the baking dish. Add a lot of sauce and cheese on top to pull the lasagna all together

Do not use pre shredded cheese! Just don't do it. Cheese if the most important ingredient in this lasagna so you want it to be melty and delicious! To get the best cheesy lasagna, shred the cheese yourself. Also, purchase the good stuff! You will never regret buying the high quality ingredient!

step by step instructions

pumpkin alfredo sauce

1. Melt butter & add garlic. In a large saucepan on medium heat, melt the 2 tablespoon butter. Once the butter is melted, add the minced garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

2. Add the creams. Whisk in the pumpkin puree and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then add the freshly grated parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese melts and sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.

3. Set aside. Then remove the sauce from the heat and set aside. Taste the sauce to see if you would like to add any salt or black pepper.

spinach mixture

1. Heat & melt butter. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter.

2. Add onion & garlic. Add the diced onion and saute until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant.

3. Wilt spinach. In the large skillet with the onion and garlic, in batches, add the spinach. Cover the pan with the lid and allow the spinach to wilt for about 5 minutes until soft. Repeat this step until all of the spinach has been added and wilted. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan in between batches and add a sprinkle of olive oil if the spinach is looking dry or becoming burnt. Add the red pepper flakes.

4. Set aside. Remove from the heat and set aside.

pumpkin spinach lasagna

1. Mix the cheeses. In a large bowl combine the shredded mozzarella and shredded gruyere. Mix around until the cheeses are evenly dispersed.

2. Prep your casserole dish. The size of your lasagne dish depends on the size of your noodles. You want the noodles to touch the top and bottom of the dish. I have found an 8x11 pan works best. Rub the bottom of the baking dish in softened butter or nonstick cooking spray. This isn't mandatory, but I have found that it makes it easier when cutting and serving the lasagna.

3. Pumpkin layer. The first layer of the lasagna is the layer of pumpkin sauce. In the bottom of the baking dish, add about 1 cup pumpkin sauce. Spread around until even.

4. Noodle layer. On top of the pumpkin layer, add the long strips of pasta noodles. Be sure to not overlap the noodles. The edges of noodles should touch the edges of the baking dish. If needed, trim pasta to perfectly fit into the casserole dish both width and length wise.

5. Spinach layer. On top of the noodles, add a hearty layer of the spinach mixture. Spread it around so it is evenly dispersed.

6. Cheese layer. On top of the spinach, generously sprinkle some cheese. Try to have it be as evenly dispersed as possible.

7. Repeat all layers. Repeat all of these layers in this order until all ingredients are used up. First pour some pumpkin alfredo sauce, lay pasta sheets, place spinach, and sprinkle cheese! End the top of lasagna with the remaining pumpkin sauce and cheese.

8. Bake! Lastly, bake the pumpkin lasagna! Preheat your oven to 375F. Bake the lasagna covered for 35 minutes and uncovered for 15-20 minutes. The top of the lasagna should be bubbly and golden brown.

serving suggestions

Serve this spinach and pumpkin lasagna warm in a small bowl with extra cheese sprinkled on top.

For more fall recipes try, brie mac and cheese, butternut squash tomato soup, or fried chicken mac and cheese.

storage & reheating

For leftover lasagna, first bring to room temperature. Next cover the baking dish in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. If wanting to save just a couple servings of the lasagna, store in an airtight container. Lasagna will stay good in the fridge for 5 days.

It is best to freeze the lasagna after it it has been assembled but before it has been baked. Simply assemble, let cool down completely, wrap in plastic wrap, and then foil. Lasagna will stay good in the freeze for up to 4 months. When ready to eat, let frozen lasagna defrost in the fridge overnight. Then while the oven preheats to 375F, let the lasagna sit on the counter to come to room temperature. Remove the plastic wrap and foil. Then cover in new foil and bake covered for 60 minutes and uncovered for 10 minutes.

To reheat already baked lasagna, cover in foil and bake for 30 minutes until bubbling. Then uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes until golden brown. To heat stored lasagna that has not yet been baked, follow standard cooking instructions.

faq's

Why is my lasagna watery?

• If your lasagna is watery, this is due to excess liquid in the spinach. When wilting the spinach in batches, ensure all of the water is evaporated before adding the next batch. If you add water filled spinach to the lasagna, the lasagna could be watery or more wet than you prefer.

Why are my no boil lasagna noodles hard?

• If you are experiencing hard lasagna noodles, this is due to the noodles not being completely covered in sauce. Noodles that are not covered in sauce with crisp up and become crunchy. Be sure when you add the sauce layer you smooth it around so there is sauce all over the noodles.

Why is my alfredo sauce gritty?

• A gritty alfredo sauce can occur for two reasons. 1. Don't use pre shredded cheese. Pre shredded cheese is covered in preservatives that prevent it from fully melting. This can make the sauce texture gritty and not smooth. 2. Don't overcook the sauce. Alfredo sauce is a cream & cheese based sauce so it should just be cooked until the cheese is melted and combined. If you continue to cook the sauce past its melting point, the cheese will begin to separate from the cream and result in a separated grainy sauce.

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