The Dish | Pumpkin Lasagne

Autumn is my favorite time of year to cook. This pumpkin lasagne is a staple in my fall entertaining repertoire and always a hit. The recipe is drawn from my coveted cookbook “Cold Weather Cooking” by Sarah Leah Chase.

INGREDIENTS:

Pumpkin Filling

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 6 leeks, trimmed, rinsed well and minced
• 4 cups pumpkin puree, fresh or canned
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Bechamel

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 6 T unbleached all purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth at room temperature
• 2 cups light cream, at room temperature
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

For Assembly:

• 1 lb lasagne noodles, cooked al dente and drained
• 8 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
• 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, torn into irregular pieces
• 1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups walnut pieces, lightly toasted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 15x 10” baking pan.

Prepare pumpkin filling: melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and sauté, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and the white wine and cook, stirring constantly 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Prepare the béchamel: melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, then the light cream: cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with the nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Stir 1/2 cup of the hot sauce into the beaten eggs in a small bowl, then stir the egg mixture into the remaining sauce. Cook a couple minutes longer, stirring constantly, then remove from the heat.

To assemble the lasagne, make a layer of the lasagne noodles in the prepared pan and top with half the sliced prosciutto and one third of the béchamel. Scatter half the sage leaves evenly over the top. Cover with another layer of noodles, then all the pumpkin filling, 1 cup of the parmesan, and 1 cup of the walnuts. Make another layer of the lasagne noodles and top with the rest of the prosciutto, another third of the béchamel and the remaining sage. Make a final layer of noodles and top with the remaining béchamel, walnuts and parmesan. Bake the lasagne in the oven until lightly browned and bubbling, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before cutting and serving. Serves 12