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Pumpkin Lasagna from Mantua (Lasagne alla Zucca)

Pumpkin Lasagna

This is the white lasagna of Lombardy, with no tomato anywhere near it. Pumpkin cooks slowly with garlic and sage until its water is gone and its sugar concentrates, then folds into silky besciamella. Layered with fresh egg pasta, drained mozzarella and Parmigiano, it bakes into something gentle, nutty and deeply autumnal. The reserved pumpkin chunks on top give it texture and a proper roasted edge.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8 People
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 lb pumpkin or winter squash butternut, kabocha or buttercup, peeled and seeded weight about 2.25 lb
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled and left whole
  • 12 leaves fresh sage 8 for the pumpkin, 4 for the top
  • 1.5 tsp salt plus more to taste
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups whole milk warmed
  • 0.5 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 12 sheets fresh egg lasagne sheets sfoglia, or oven-ready dried sheets
  • 12 oz mozzarella torn and drained in a sieve for 30 minutes
  • 1.5 cups Parmigiano Reggiano finely grated
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper freshly ground

Equipment

  • 1 9x13 inch baking dish
  • 1 large skillet with lid wide enough to spread the pumpkin thin
  • 1 Medium saucepan for the besciamella
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 potato masher or a fork
  • 1 fine sieve for draining the mozzarella

Method
 

  1. Peel and seed the pumpkin and cut it into 3/4 inch cubes. You want about 2.25 lb of prepared flesh.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the whole garlic cloves and 8 sage leaves and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Add the pumpkin cubes and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring, then lower the heat, cover partially and cook 15 to 20 minutes more until the pumpkin is completely soft and the pan looks dry. If liquid is pooling, uncover and raise the heat until it evaporates. This step decides whether the lasagna is silky or watery.
  4. Remove and discard the garlic and sage leaves. Scoop out about one third of the pumpkin and set it aside in chunks for the top. Mash the remaining two thirds to a smooth puree and let it cool.
  5. Make the besciamella. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until you have a smooth pale roux that smells faintly of biscuits.
  6. Pour in the warm milk a little at a time, whisking after each addition so no lumps form. Cook over low heat 10 to 15 minutes, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickly coats the back of a wooden spoon. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, the nutmeg and the black pepper.
  7. Set aside 1 cup of besciamella for the top. Fold the cooled pumpkin puree into the remaining besciamella until evenly orange. Taste and adjust the salt.
  8. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spread a thin film of the reserved plain besciamella over the bottom of the 9x13 inch dish.
  9. Lay down a layer of pasta sheets. Spread over about a quarter of the pumpkin besciamella, scatter a quarter of the drained mozzarella and a handful of Parmigiano. Repeat for four layers, finishing with pasta.
  10. Spoon the remaining plain besciamella over the top layer and spread it to the edges. Scatter the reserved pumpkin chunks, the last of the Parmigiano and the 4 remaining sage leaves.
  11. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the edges are bubbling. If it browns too fast, tent loosely with foil.
  12. Rest the lasagna 10 to 15 minutes before cutting. It needs that time to set, and the slices will hold their shape instead of sliding apart.

Notes

  • The single most important step is cooking the pumpkin until the pan looks dry. Wet squash means a watery lasagna, every time.
  • Tear the mozzarella and leave it in a sieve for 30 minutes before layering. Drained cheese is the other half of the watery-lasagna problem.
  • For the true Mantuan version, crush 4 to 5 amaretti biscuits and fold them into the pumpkin filling with a spoonful of chopped mostarda di mele. It is a historic sweet-savoury pairing, not a modern novelty.
  • Butternut, kabocha or buttercup squash all work. Avoid watery field pumpkins sold for carving.
  • Assemble a day ahead and refrigerate, then add 10 minutes to the bake. Leftovers keep 3 days and reheat well, covered, at 325 F.
  • Serve it on its own with a glass of Lambrusco or a dry white from the Oltrepo Pavese.