Healthy pumpkin lasagna is deceptively subtle, holding a rich creamy and slightly spicy flavor that will make you swoon for more pumpkin sauce!
Do you have any leftover canned pumpkin in your pantry? If so you're in luck because you already have an excuse to make this! Serve it with my Sweet And Spicy Brussels Sprouts for a fall dinner.
Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 40 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 40 minutes at 375 degrees F, plus 20 minutes roasting the vegetables
- ⏳ Total Time: about 1 hour 20 minutes, plus 20 minutes to rest
- 🍽️ Serving: 8
- ⚡ Calories: 418kcal per serving, per the recipe card
- 🥣 Ingredients: gluten free lasagna noodles, pumpkin puree, butternut squash, onion, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan, cream or coconut or cashew milk, egg, ricotta, butter, fresh sage, chicken stock, oregano, corn starch, mozzarella and fresh spinach
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Rich, creamy, slightly sweet pumpkin with nutty Parmesan and buttered sage
- ✋ Difficulty: Roast, puree, layer, bake
Quick Answer
Roast 1 cup diced butternut squash, ½ onion and 2 garlic cloves with olive oil at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes, then puree with ½ cup cream and ½ cup Parmesan. Simmer that with a 15 ounce can of pumpkin, ½ cup chicken stock, salt and pepper, whisk in ¼ cup corn starch and stir in butter sauteed with sage. Mix 1 cup ricotta, ½ cup Parmesan, an egg, oregano and the remaining ½ cup cream. Layer sauce, cooked gluten free noodles, the ricotta mixture and chopped spinach three times in a greased 9 x 13 dish, finish with noodles, sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella, and bake at 375 degrees F for about 40 minutes. Rest 20 minutes. It serves 8.
Jump to:
About a week before my mom visited us, just before Christmas, Chase and I were strolling through Williams-Sonoma and we tried their pumpkin lasagna samples they were giving out. I was thrilled that Chase loved it so much he went back for seconds. So.... I decided to make my own similar vegetarian lasagna to serve for dinner when my mom was staying with us.
Why Pumpkin Works in Lasagna
Click to see why it works
- Roasting, not boiling. How you cook squash makes the difference. Roasting the butternut squash, onion and garlic brings out their flavor.
- Sharp cheese balances sweet. True Parmigiano-Reggiano is sharp, complex and nutty, a great complement to sweet pumpkin and squash.
- Buttered sage adds a fragrant finish to the sauce.
- Corn starch thickens the sauce so the layers hold.
- It rests well. The longer it sets, the better the flavors come together.
Why You'll Love This Pumpkin Lasagna
- A vegetarian dinner with no Italian red sauce, and my whole family was quite pleased.
- Make ahead. Assemble it in the morning or the night before and bake at dinnertime.
- Uses canned pumpkin, which is much quicker than roasting and scraping out a pumpkin.
- Gluten free option with brown rice lasagna noodles.
- The dishes are done before dinner... wink, wink!
Key Ingredients
- Gluten free lasagna noodles - we like to use this Tinkyada Brown Rice Lasagne w/ Rice Bran, 10 oz, but use whatever pasta you choose.
- Canned pumpkin puree - unseasoned.
- Butternut squash, onion and garlic - roasted for the sauce.
- Parmesan and mozzarella - freshly grated Parmesan.
- Ricotta, egg and oregano - the creamy filling.
- Cream - or plain coconut or cashew milk.
- Butter and fresh sage, chicken stock and corn starch - for the sauce.
- Fresh spinach - chopped, between the layers.
See recipe card for quantities.
A New Year Staycation
I took some much needed time away from my computer to spend time with family over the holidays. My mom visited for 2 weeks and my sister, her husband and friends visited for New Years weekend.
We enjoyed a staycation in a rented (amazing) house in the Santa Barbara hills that roomed all 9 of us plus anyone that wanted to stay the night of New Years Eve or after:-). Staycations are always the best! You feel like you are away even though your house is within range if you forget anything!
Pumpkin lasagna is packed with fiber, potassium and vitamin C which all support heart health! My hubby and mom at first were slightly skeptical about trying Pumpkin Lasagna since there is no "Italian red sauce" involved. Gladly, my whole family was quite pleased with this mouthwatering vegetarian healthy dinner recipe.
How to Make Pumpkin Lasagna
1Roast the vegetables. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. On a parchment lined baking pan toss the butternut squash, onion and garlic with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper. Cover lightly with foil and roast for about 20 minutes. Let cool, then puree in a food processor or blender with ½ cup cream (or cashew milk) and ½ cup Parmesan until smooth. Turn the oven down to 375 degrees F.
2Make the pumpkin sauce. In a saucepan on low heat combine the roasted vegetable puree, canned pumpkin, ½ cup chicken stock, salt and pepper. Slowly add the corn starch and whisk until thickened. In a small saucepan saute 1 tablespoon butter and the sage leaves until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes, and stir them into the sauce.
3Make the ricotta filling. In a large bowl cream together the ricotta, ½ cup Parmesan, egg, oregano and the remaining ½ cup of cream (or coconut cream).
4Cook the noodles. Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions, then strain, run cold water over them and let drain.
5Layer. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread a layer of pumpkin sauce, then noodles, the ricotta mixture and spinach. Repeat 2 more times. Top the fourth layer of noodles with pumpkin sauce, the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan and ¼ cup mozzarella.
6Bake and rest. Bake for about 40 minutes until the top is brown and bubbly. If the sides start to burn, cover with foil and remove it for the last 5 minutes. Rest at least 20 minutes before serving.
As always, be sure to check out the full recipe details in the recipe card below.
Expert Tips
- Assemble ahead. I usually make this in the morning, then just pop it in the oven an hour before dinner. Makes dinnertime so much less stressful!
- Use canned pumpkin. It is much quicker than roasting and scraping out a pumpkin, and it works just fine.
- Pick real Parmigiano-Reggiano. Inferior versions are slightly bitter.
- Add a little heat. Adding heat to sweet dishes provides a satisfying blend.
- Let it rest 20 minutes so the layers hold when you slice.
More Lasagna and Healthy Pumpkin Recipes
More lasagna: Vegetable Lasagna and Skinny Zucchini Lasagna Rolls.
More pumpkin recipes: Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Bread, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes and Healthy Pumpkin Oat Breakfast Cookies.
For dessert, make my Gingerbread Pumpkin Trifle, or browse all my gluten-free pumpkin recipes. Still have pumpkin left? Stir up my Pumpkin Hummus.
Pumpkin Lasagna FAQs
Yes. Assemble it in the morning or the night before and bake it at dinnertime. The longer it sets, the better the flavors come together.
Yes. Canned unseasoned pumpkin puree is much quicker than roasting a pumpkin and works just fine.
Yes. Use gluten free brown rice lasagna noodles, or any pasta you choose.
Bake at 375 degrees F for about 40 minutes until brown and bubbly, then rest at least 20 minutes before serving.
Plain coconut milk or cashew milk work in place of the cream.
The lasagna is meatless. The sauce uses chicken stock, so swap in vegetable stock for a fully vegetarian version.
More Pumpkin Recipes
Keep cooking with pumpkin: Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Pancakes and Gingerbread Pumpkin Trifle. Cheers to a new year and healthier all of us! Follow along with me on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for a feature and more recipe inspiration! And don't forget to leave a comment below!
Pumpkin Lasagna with Spinach Ricotta Filling
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Ingredients
- 10 ounces gluten free lasagna noodles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 15 ounce Pumpkin puree 1 can
- 1 cup butternut squash diced into ½ inch chunks
- ½ onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¾ cup Parmesan cheese separated, freshly grated
- 1 cup cream or plain coconut or cashew milk
- 1 egg
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon sage leaves fresh and chopped
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ cup corn starch
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups fresh spinach chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven 400 degrees F. In a baking pan lined with parchment paper add butternut squash, onion and garlic. Drizzle 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper on the vegetables and toss to coat. Cover lightly with foil and roast for about 20 minutes. Let cool.
- Remove from baking pan and transfer to a food processor or a blender and puree the vegetables with ½ cup of cream (or cashew milk) and ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese until smooth.
- Turn the oven down to 375 to preheat.
- Make the roasted pureed vegetable mixture: In a sauce pan on low heat combine the roasted pureed vegetable mixture, canned pumpkin, ½ cup of chicken stock, salt and pepper to taste. Slowly add corn starch and whisk until thickened.
- In a small saucepan on low heat saute 1 tablespoon of butter and 6 sage leaves until fragrant about 2-3 minutes. Add the buttered sage to the sauce mixture. Mix sauce well and set aside until ready to layer the lasagna.
- In a large bowl cream together ricotta cheese, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, egg, oregano, and remaining ½ cup of cream (or coconut cream). Set aside.
- Cook lasagna pasta noodles according to package directions. Put one package of lasagna pasta into 4 qt (3.78 lt) of boiling water and add a tablespoon of salt. Stir occasionally and cook for 16-17 minutes until desired tenderness is reached. Strain and run cold water over the pasta. Let drain.
- Grease a large 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread a layer of pumpkin sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. Place a single layer of noodles over the sauce. Then add your creamed cheese mixture, then sprinkle spinach on top. Repeat 2 more times starting with pumpkin sauce, then noodles, creamed cheese, spinach. On the fourth layer of noodles, top with pumpkin sauce and remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese and ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Place in the oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is brown and bubbly. If the sides seem to burn, cover with foil, and remove foil for last 5 minutes of cooking. Rest at least 20 minutes before serving.
Cherilyn N Barrett says
I don't see any instruction on when to add pumpkin puree? Is that added onto the squash that was just blended?
Danielle Fahrenkrug says
Hi Cherilyn, thank you for your comment. Add the pumpkin puree in the pot with pureed vegetables and chicken stock. Then mix it together to form and warm the sauce.
Cherilyn N Barrett says
Thank you! 🙂
Megan - The Emotional Baker says
I love this lasagna - the addition of pumpkin and butternut squash must make for an awesome meal!
Danielle @ Delightful Mom Food says
Thank you Megan!