Spinach, Ricotta and Pumpkin Lasagna

Name: Spinach, Ricotta and Pumpkin Lasagna
Prep time: 1 h 45 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 15
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Italian, European
Ingredients: 283 grams baby spinach; 2 bay leaves; 2 Tbsps butter; 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced; 2 Tbsps all-purpose flour; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg; 12 dry lasagna noodles; 227 grams lean ground beef; 454 grams low-fat ricotta cheese; 237 milliliters milk; 1 Tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, thinly sliced; 79 milliliters freshly grated Parmesan; 454 grams peeled and seeded pumpkin, cut into pieces; 15 servings sea salt and ground black pepper to taste; 2 Tbsps tomato paste; 404 grams tomato puree

You can never have too many Mediterranean recipes, so give Spinach, Ricottan and Pumpkin Lasagnan a try. This recipe serves 15. This main course has 224 calories, 13g of protein, and 7g of fat per serving. Head to the store and pick up flour, fennel bulb, butter, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the pumpkin you could follow this main course with the Pumpkin Desserts: Pumpkin Cream Puffs as a dessert. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Instructions

Fill a saucepan with 1/2 inch of water, then add pumpkin pieces. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and steam until the pumpkin is very tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Pumpkin

Water

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

Drain pumpkin, then mash with 1 tablespoon butter, cinnamon; salt and pepper to taste, then set aside.

Ingredients you will need

Salt And Pepper

Cinnamon

Pumpkin

Butter

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Ingredients you will need

Butter

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste just begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

All Purpose Flour

Equipment you will use

Whisk

Whisk in milk gradually so that no lumps form. Bring to a gentle boil.

Ingredients you will need

Milk

Equipment you will use

Whisk

Add the bay leaves, and reduce heat to low or warm. Allow to gently cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, then remove from heat.

Ingredients you will need

Bay Leaves

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, fennel, and garlic; cook until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Olive Oil

Fennel

Garlic

Onion

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Add spinach and cook until wilted. Scrape mixture into a large bowl, and mix well with ricotta cheese and nutmeg.

Ingredients you will need

Ricotta Cheese

Spinach

Nutmeg

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Using the same skillet, heat another 1 tablespoon olive oil over high heat. Brown ground beef in oil, mixing thoroughly to break into small pieces. Once browned, reduce heat to medium-low and pour off excess grease. Stir in tomato paste and tomato puree. Gently simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Tomato Puree

Ground Beef

Olive Oil

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch lasagna dish.

Equipment you will use

Oven

Line the bottom of the lasagna dish with 4 noodles, do not overlap.

Ingredients you will need

Pasta

Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over noodles, then sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients you will need

Parmesan

Pasta

Ricotta Cheese

Spread

Place another 4 noodles on top of the ricotta, then spread with evenly with the mashed pumpkin.

Ingredients you will need

Pasta

Pumpkin

Ricotta Cheese

Spread

Place the remaining 4 noodles on top of the pumpkin and top with the tomato sauce; sprinkle with another 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Stir the white sauce until smooth, then discard the bay leaves; pour the sauce over top of the lasagna.

Ingredients you will need

Parmesan

Tomato Sauce

Bay Leaves

Pasta

Pumpkin

Sauce

Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients you will need

Parmesan

Place lasagna dish onto a foil-lined baking sheet (to catch any spills).

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Aluminum Foil

Bake in preheated oven until the noodles have softened, and the white sauce has turned bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Pasta

Sauce

Equipment you will use

Oven

Equipment

Ingredients

Servings:

fennel bulb, thinly sliced 2Tbsps

all-purpose flour 4cloves

garlic, minced 1teaspoon

ground cinnamon 2teaspoons

ground nutmeg 12

dry lasagna noodles 227grams

lean ground beef 454grams

low-fat ricotta cheese 237milliliters

milk 1Tbsp

olive oil 1

onion, thinly sliced 79milliliters

freshly grated Parmesan 454grams

peeled and seeded pumpkin, cut into pieces 15servings

sea salt and ground black pepper to taste 2Tbsps

tomato paste 404grams

tomato puree

Recommended wine: Chianti, Trebbiano, Verdicchio

Chianti, Trebbiano, and Verdicchio are my top picks for Italian. Italians know food and they know wine. Trebbiano and Verdicchio are Italian white wines that pair well with fish and white meat, while Chianti is a great Italian red for heavier, bolder dishes. The Castellani Chianti Annata with a 4.6 out of 5 star rating seems like a good match. It costs about 14 dollars per bottle.