Sausage, Kale and Pumpkin Lasagna
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This Sausage, Kale and Pumpkin Lasagna recipe also features three cheeses and pine nuts. It’s packed with flavor, nutrition, and is positively drool-worthy!
Lasagna is one of my all-time favorite dishes. In fact, whenever asked the proverbial “if you could only eat one dish every day the rest of your life…” lasagna is always one of the options. Now, the fact is I likely would tire of any dish if I had to eat it every day for the rest of my life. That said, if lasagna was my very last meal, I think I could die a happy woman. Especially if it was this lasagna. Not only droolingly delicious, this pumpkin lasagna is also packed with nutrition!
I developed this pumpkin lasagna recipe over 10 years ago (and yes, the photos are that old too). I had a small sugar pumpkin on hand and had just steamed, pureed and frozen some “kale cubes” for my kids’ smoothies (and that’s a story for another time), and somehow it all came together: Sausage complements pumpkin beautifully while providing a different range of flavors to the standard ground beef. Kale, a superfood, is a great alternative to spinach and adds a touch of tartness to the sweetness of the pumpkin. And provolone cheese provides an additional layer of flavor to the mozzarella and Parmesan. Lastly, pine nuts – they not only pair well with provolone, but add a nice, nutty and earthy element to the overall combination of flavors in this fabulous lasagna. The end result was wonderful! We invited my family over to join us for dinner and it was hit down to the very last bite.
Sausage, Kale and Pumpkin Lasagna Recipe
Let’s get started!
In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground sausage until about half is no longer pink.
Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add some extra virgin olive oil if the mixture is too dry.
Add the pumpkin and cook for another 7-8 minutes.
Add the kale and cook for another 2 minutes until the kale begins to wilt.
Add the tomato sauce, seasonings, and pine nuts.
Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft.
Set aside until ready to use. Note, this can be made a day in advance.
Combine the cottage cheese, egg, salt, and parsley in a medium bowl.
In a 9×13 baking dish, spread 1 1/2 cups of the sauce on the bottom.
Layer 4 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce.
Spread 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture on top of the noodles.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella over the cottage cheese mixture followed by 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese.
Repeat the steps again: Sauce, noodles, cottage cheese mixture, shredded cheese and Parmesan, sauce, noodles, cottage cheese mixture, sauce, shredded cheese and Parmesan.
Pick it up. Pretty heavy, isn’t it? Ever wonder just how heavy? I always wonder. So I finally weighed it. 11 pounds. That’s 11 pounds of pure yumminess!
Cover with aluminum foil. Kitchen Tip: Spray the side of the foil touching the cheese with olive or vegetable oil to keep the cheese from sticking to it.
** Recommended: Place the lasagna in the fridge overnight to let the flavors meld. Then remove it from the fridge about an hour prior to baking and then bake as instructed. It will taste even better if you let it sit overnight before baking!
Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees F for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown around the edges. Let the lasagna sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
For more favorite pumpkin recipes try my:
- Pumpkin Risotto
- Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
- Pumpkin Sausage Gravy
- Pumpkin Curry with Chicken and Coconut
- Curried Pumpkin and Coconut Meatballs
Sausage, Kale and Pumpkin Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
- 3 cups diced sugar pumpkin (sugar pumpkin is a little firmer and has more flavor), about 1/4 inch cubes
- 1 large yellow onion , chopped
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 large bunch kale , washed, drained, and chopped, hard stalks discarded (about 8 cups loosely packed)
- 48 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon each of: ground sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 16 ounce container small curd cottage cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 3/4 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 pound shredded provolone cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 12 lasagna noodles , prepared al dente according to package instructions
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook the ground sausage until about half of it is no longer pink. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the pumpkin and cook for another 7-8 minutes. Add the kale and cook 2 minutes until it's wilted.Add the tomato sauce, the seasonings, and pine nuts. Stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft.In a medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese, egg, salt and parsley. Set aside.
- In a 9×13 inch casserole dish, spread 1 1/2 cups of the sauce on the bottom. Layer 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/3 of both mozzarella and provolone and 1/3 of the Parmesan. Repeat: Sauce, noodles, cottage cheese, shredded cheese and Parmesan, sauce, noodles, cottage cheese, sauce, shredded cheese and Parmesan.Spray aluminum foil with olive or vegetable oil and cover (oily side down) the casserole dish. Refrigerate overnight for maximum flavor to allow the flavors to meld. Remove from fridge 1 hour before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and bake, covered, for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown around the edges. Let the lasagna sit for 15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Originally published on Daring Gourmet December 11, 2013
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
