Pumpkin Lasagna

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 9 lasagna sheets, green (approx. 150 g)
• 500 g pumpkin(s), peeled and cleaned
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 50 g Parmesan
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• salt and pepper
• 6 sage leaves or 1/2 tsp sage powder
• ½ cup vegetable broth or hot water
• 50 g butter
• 50 g flour
• ¾ liter of milk

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Green zucchini lasagna. A recipe from Emilia Romagna.

Cut the pumpkin into small cubes. Sauté in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with 1 pinch of nutmeg, 6 finely chopped sage leaves, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 pinch of pepper. After a few minutes, add 1/2 cup of broth or hot water and simmer covered for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to create a thick, even sauce. Meanwhile, prepare the béchamel sauce. Melt 50g of butter in a saucepan. Add 50g of flour and stir for a few minutes until the flour has absorbed the butter. Then gradually add 3/4 liter of milk, whisking vigorously. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Turn off the heat and cover the pan, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming. Finely grate 50g of Parmesan cheese. Oil a baking dish approximately 30 x 20 cm. Spread 1/4 of the pumpkin sauce evenly over the bottom. Sprinkle 1/4 of the Parmesan cheese over the top and spread 1/4 of the béchamel sauce over the top. Cover with 3 lasagna sheets. Then layer the sauce and pasta sheets twice more in the dish. Finish with a layer of sauce. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 25-35 minutes, until the surface is lightly browned.