Easy Pumpkin Lasagna Recipe

Easy pumpkin lasagna is a baked pasta of no-boil noodles, pumpkin sauce, ricotta, roasted red peppers and fontina, ready in about 1 hour 15 minutes. It feeds 8 to 10, and the sage leaves on top turn crisp in the oven.

Why This Recipe Works

The pumpkin sauce is just pumpkin purée whisked with milk, dried herbs, nutmeg and a little red pepper. It needs no cooking, and the no-boil noodles soak up its moisture in the oven. That is why you can skip the pot of boiling water.

The ricotta mix does the work a white sauce would do. Grated garlic, chopped sage and parsley go straight into the cheese. Grating the garlic spreads it evenly, so nobody bites into a raw chunk.

Baking covered for 45 minutes lets the noodles soften fully without the top drying out. Then the foil comes off and the oven goes up to 425°F (220°C). That last 10 minutes browns the cheese and crisps the sage.

Easy Pumpkin Lasagna Ingredients

For the pumpkin sauce

• 1 can (14 ounces / 400 g) pumpkin purée
• 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and black pepper

For the ricotta mix

• 16 ounces (450 g) whole-milk ricotta
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, plus 8 whole sage leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

For the lasagna

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing
• 1 box (12 ounces / 340 g) no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1 jar (12 ounces / 340 g) roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• 3 cups (340 g) shredded fontina
• 1 cup (100 g) grated Parmesan
• 12 to 16 thin slices pepperoni, optional

How To Make Easy Pumpkin Lasagna

Make the sauce and filling

1. Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with a little olive oil, so the edges release cleanly later.
2. Whisk the pumpkin sauce: In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin purée with the milk, oregano, basil, nutmeg, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk until no streaks of pumpkin are left.
3. Mix the ricotta: In a second bowl, stir the ricotta with the grated garlic, the chopped sage and the parsley. Season it with salt and pepper.

Layer the lasagna

4. Build the first layer: Spread 1/4 of the pumpkin sauce over the bottom of the dish. Lay 3 to 4 noodles on top, breaking them to fit the corners. Add half the ricotta mix, half the roasted red peppers and 1 cup of fontina.
5. Build the second layer: Spoon on another 1/4 of the sauce and 3 to 4 more noodles. Cover them with the remaining ricotta mix and red peppers, then scatter 1 more cup of fontina over the top.
6. Finish the top: Add another 1/4 of the sauce, then the remaining noodles and the last of the sauce. Make sure every noodle is covered, so none dry out. Sprinkle on the last cup of fontina and the Parmesan, then add the pepperoni if you’re using it.
7. Add the sage: Toss the 8 whole sage leaves in 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Arrange them on top. The oil keeps them from burning before they crisp.

Bake and rest

8. Bake covered: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. The foil traps steam, which softens the noodles.
9. Bake uncovered: Raise the oven to 425°F (220°C). Remove the foil and bake for about 10 minutes more, until the cheese is bubbly and browned in spots.
10. Rest: Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes before you cut it. The layers set as it cools a little, so the squares hold their shape.

Recipe Tips

• Cover every noodle: No-boil noodles need sauce on all sides to soften. Push any noodle edge that pokes out under the sauce before you cover the dish.
• Use plain pumpkin purée: Check the can says pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling is sweetened and spiced and will change the whole dish.
• Blot the red peppers: After draining the jar, press the chopped peppers between paper towels. Extra liquid makes the layers wet.
• Keep the foil off the cheese: If the foil touches the top layer, the cheese sticks to it. Tent the foil loosely, or spray the underside with oil.

What To Serve With Easy Pumpkin Lasagna

Serve squares of this lasagna with a sharp green salad, such as arugula with lemon and olive oil, to cut through the creamy cheese. A glass of dry white wine goes well with the sage and pumpkin.

How To Store

• Fridge: Cover leftovers and keep them in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
• Freezer: Cut the cooled lasagna into portions, wrap them well and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, never on the counter.
• Reheat: Reheat covered in a 350°F (175°C) oven until hot all the way through. A microwave works for single portions.

FAQs

Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned purée?

Yes. Roast or steam the pumpkin until soft, then purée it until smooth. You need about 1 3/4 cups, and fresh purée is often wetter, so let it drain in a sieve for 10 minutes first.

Can I make pumpkin lasagna without the pepperoni?

Yes. The pepperoni is optional, and the lasagna works well without it. Parmesan is made with animal rennet, so look for a vegetarian-labeled hard cheese if you want to skip meat products completely.

Can I make it ahead of time?

Yes. Build the lasagna, cover it and keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the covered bake, since it goes into the oven cold.

Why is my lasagna watery?

Extra liquid usually comes from the roasted red peppers or from skipping the rest time. Blot the peppers dry and let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Nutrition

Estimated per serving (1 of 8), worked out from the ingredients.

• Calories: about 480 kcal
• Total Fat: 26g
• Total Carbohydrate: 37g
• Dietary Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 26g

Easy Pumpkin Lasagna

Recipe by Paula

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

55

minutes

Total time

75

minutes

Pumpkin lasagna with no-boil noodles, ricotta, roasted red peppers and fontina under a golden cheese top with crisp sage. A make-ahead baked pasta for 8 to 10.

Ingredients

• For the pumpkin sauce

• 1 can (14 ounces / 400 g) pumpkin purée

• 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk

• 2 teaspoons dried oregano

• 2 teaspoons dried basil

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• For the ricotta mix

• 16 ounces (450 g) whole-milk ricotta

• 2 garlic cloves, grated

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, plus 8 whole sage leaves

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• For the lasagna

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing

• 1 box (12 ounces / 340 g) no-boil lasagna noodles

• 1 jar (12 ounces / 340 g) roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

• 3 cups (340 g) shredded fontina

• 1 cup (100 g) grated Parmesan

• 12 to 16 thin slices pepperoni, optional

Directions

• Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with a little olive oil, so the edges release cleanly later.
• Whisk the pumpkin sauce: In a large bowl, whisk the pumpkin purée with the milk, oregano, basil, nutmeg, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk until no streaks of pumpkin are left.
• Mix the ricotta: In a second bowl, stir the ricotta with the grated garlic, the chopped sage and the parsley. Season it with salt and pepper.
• Build the first layer: Spread 1/4 of the pumpkin sauce over the bottom of the dish. Lay 3 to 4 noodles on top, breaking them to fit the corners. Add half the ricotta mix, half the roasted red peppers and 1 cup of fontina.
• Build the second layer: Spoon on another 1/4 of the sauce and 3 to 4 more noodles. Cover them with the remaining ricotta mix and red peppers, then scatter 1 more cup of fontina over the top.
• Finish the top: Add another 1/4 of the sauce, then the remaining noodles and the last of the sauce. Make sure every noodle is covered, so none dry out. Sprinkle on the last cup of fontina and the Parmesan, then add the pepperoni if you’re using it.
• Add the sage: Toss the 8 whole sage leaves in 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Arrange them on top. The oil keeps them from burning before they crisp.
• Bake covered: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. The foil traps steam, which softens the noodles.
• Bake uncovered: Raise the oven to 425°F (220°C). Remove the foil and bake for about 10 minutes more, until the cheese is bubbly and browned in spots.
• Rest: Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes before you cut it. The layers set as it cools a little, so the squares hold their shape.