Pumpkin Béchamel Vegetable Lasagna
This Pumpkin Béchamel Vegetable Lasagna features roasted pumpkin puree blended into the white sauce, perfect for the whole family!
Servings 8 serves
Ingredients
- 1 packet (12 sheets) lasagna sheets, dried, fresh, or no-boil, or gluten-free sheets
Roasted Pumpkin Puree
- 600 g cubed pumpkin, butternut or Jap, (skin and seeds removed)
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Vegetable Mixture
- 1-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, extra if needed
- 1 large red or brown onion, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 large carrots, sliced into rounds
- 2 large zucchinis, trimmed and thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 (200g / 7 oz.) sliced white mushrooms
- 1 heaping cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Pumpkin Béchamel
- 113 g (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup (280g / 10 oz.) roasted pumpkin puree
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
Roasted Pumpkin Puree
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200ºC). Set aside a medium size sheet pan.
- Prep Pumpkin: Cut the pumpkin into medium-size cubes after removing the skin and seeds, ensuring the pieces are of uniform size for even roasting.
- Season: In a large bowl, toss the cubed pumpkin with the olive oil, garlic powder and salt until well coated.
- Arrange: Spread the pumpkin in a single layer on the sheet pan.
- Roast: Roast for 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender and lightly caramelized on the edges. Stir halfway through to ensure even cooking. Remove from the oven.
- Puree: Transfer the pumpkin to a bowl and mash it using a potato masher or blend it in a food processor until smooth, it will have some chunks. You should end up with approximately 280g (about 1 cup) of mashed cooked pumpkin. Set aside. Keep your oven on at 400ºF (200ºC).
Vegetable Mixture
- Prep Pan: Grease a 9x13 lasagna pan with butter and set it aside.
- Sauté Onion and Garlic: Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for a further 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Cook Carrots: Add sliced carrot and cook for 4 minutes or until the carrot has just started to soften.
- Add Zucchini: Add sliced zucchini and cook until soft, about 4 minutes, adding more oil if needed to prevent sticking.
- Stir in Mushrooms: Stir through mushrooms and allow to cook until softened and they begin to release their juices, about 5 minutes.
- Add Broccoli, Peas and Season: Add broccoli and peas, and cook until broccoli is vibrant and just tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Finish Vegetables: Once vegetables are tender/soft, turn off the heat and leave them in the pan while you prepare the white sauce.
Pumpkin Béchamel
- Melt Butter: Melt butter in a medium-large skillet over low heat.
- Add Flour: Once completely melted, increase the heat to medium-high, add the flour and whisk it through the butter while cooking for 1 minute.
- Mix in Milk: After the 1 minute, gradually add the milk, half a cup at a time, whisking continuously after each addition until the mixture begins to thicken—this will happen quickly. Once all the milk is incorporated, increase the heat to medium-high and continue whisking constantly to prevent the sauce from boiling until it thickens.
- Season Sauce: Add nutmeg and season with salt and pepper to taste, mix well.
- Add Pumpkin Puree: Incorporate the roasted pumpkin puree, gently mixing it with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Continue stirring for a few minutes as the sauce thickens further. Once done, turn off the heat and set the sauce aside.
Assemble
- First Layer: Lay one layer of lasagna sheets (4 sheets) in the bottom of the greased pan.
- Add Vegetables: Pour half of the vegetable mixture over the sheets, spreading out evenly.
- Layer White Sauce: Pour over one-third of the pumpkin sauce and spread it over the vegetables.
- Repeat Layers: Lay another layer of lasagna sheets (4 sheets), spread over the remaining half of the vegetables, and pour and spread over the second-third of the pumpkin sauce.
- Final Layer: Lay another layer of lasagna sheets (final 4 sheets), pour and spread over the remaining one-third of the sauce.
- Top with Cheese: Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the sauce on top.
- Bake: Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden and the filling is bubbling.
- Rest: Remove from the oven and allow it to rest uncovered, for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Store any leftovers still in the roasting pan, tightly wrapped in cling film, including the sides of the pan, then cover it in foil. Refrigerate for 2-3 days. Or store leftovers in individual serving sizes, wrapped in cling film and foil, or in an airtight container, refrigerated, for 2-3 days.
Freeze uncooked whole lasagna by cooling it completely, wrapping cling film tightly over the top and sides of the pan then covering with foil. Label it with the made date, freeze date, and use-by date. Freeze for up to 2-3 months.
Freeze cooked individual serving sizes by wrapping them in cling film and then covering them with foil or in a freezer-friendly container. Label it with the made date, freeze date, and use-by date. Freeze for up to 2-3 months.