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Pumpkin Lasagna with Creamy Fontina – Roasted zucchini, yellow squash, red peppers and onions layered between lasagna noodles and topped with a flavorful pumpkin-tomato sauce and shredded Fontina cheese. This wonderful meatless recipe is perfect for Fall. It’s a rich, hearty and delicious vegetarian dish.
Pumpkin Lasagna should really be called Vegetable Lasagna because the pumpkin in the title can be a little off-putting. The flavor of pumpkin is extremely subtle and gives a nice, light sweetness to the sauce.
When I originally made this recipe, I roasted the zucchini, yellow squash and red peppers in the oven while I caramelized the onions on the stove. After making Pumpkin Lasagna many times, I’ve come to the conclusion that caramelizing the onions isn’t necessary. Instead, I add the onions and a couple cloves of chopped garlic to the pan with all the other vegetables and roast them all together. I love the taste of roasted vegetables, especially roasted onions and this not only saves time but I love the taste.
Here’s all you do…
Slice zucchini, yellow squash, red peppers, onions and garlic and place them in a baking pan. Drizzle olive oil over the top and add salt and pepper. Use your hands to make sure the olive oil is evenly distributed over the vegetables. Place them in the oven to roast for 15 minutes.
While the vegetables are roasting, mix together the ricotta, parmesan cheese, an egg, sage, parsley, salt, and pepper.
In another bowl, combine the tomato sauce with 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin, grated parmesan cheese, and shredded fontina cheese.
Spread 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce in an even layer on the bottom of a baking dish and arrange a layer of cooked lasagna noodles on top, tearing them as needed to fit.
Spread 1/2 cup of the ricotta mixture on the noodles.
Scatter a cup of the roasted vegetables on top.
Spread 1/2 cup of pasta sauce over the vegetables.
Add 1/2 cup of shredded fontina cheese and layer the noodles, ricotta, vegetables, and sauce 1 or 2 more times, depending on the size of your baking dish.
Top with remaining noodles, sauce and fontina.
Transfer to the oven and bake uncovered until sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted, 45 to 50 minutes.
Sprinkle the remaining parsley over the top and let the pumpkin lasagna rest for 15 minutes before serving.
One of the things I love most about this recipe is the fact that it’s meatless. It’s a lighter, healthier option that’s easier to prepare than traditional lasagna. The pumpkin in the sauce is subtle and not overpowering and the fontina cheese goes perfectly with the pumpkin.
A 9 x 13 baking dish is the perfect size dish to use with this recipe but it can also be divided between two smaller baking dishes.
This comforting Pumpkin Lasagna with Fontina is a wonderful vegetarian dish. Using canned pumpkin in your favorite spaghetti sauce gives the lasagna a subtle pumpkin flavor. It’s a perfect dish for fall.
Pumpkin Lasagna with Fontina
Ingredients
- 2 inch yellow summer squash, cut into rounds 1/4 thick
- 2 inch zucchini, cut into rounds 1/4 thick
- 1 red pepper, cored and sliced into strips
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (plus 1 tablespoon for topping)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- pinch of pepper
- 24 ounce jar spaghetti sauce (I use Classico Tomato and Basil)
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded (plus 1/4 cup for topping)
- 12 sheets lasagna noodles, cooked until al dente
- 1 pound fontina cheese, sliced or shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- In a large bowl, toss the yellow squash, zucchini, red peppers, onion, and garlic with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and roast until tender and lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
- In a smaller bowl, stir together the ricotta, sage, chopped parsley and egg, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In another bowl, stir together the spaghetti sauce, pumpkin, parmesan cheese and 1 cup of the shredded fontina cheese. Set aside.
- Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
- Spread 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce in an even layer on the bottom of a baking dish. Arrange a single layer of lasagna noodles on top.
- Spread 1/2 cup ricotta mixture on the noodles and scatter 1 cup of the vegetable mixture on top. Spread 1/2 cup pasta sauce over the vegetables and place 1/2 cup of fontina on top.
- Layer the noodles, ricotta, vegetables, sauce and fontina 2 to 3 more times. Top with remaining noodles, sauce and fontina.
- Transfer to the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted, 45-50 minutes.
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese on top.
- Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before serving.
I agree with you that roasted vegetable lasagna is fabulous. And using pumpkin as part of the sauce is a lovely touch – will have to try it.
Holy cats woman, this sounds and looks DIVINE! Definitely pinning!
Thanks so much, Ronda!
Looks awesome…I LOVE fontina cheese, but then again I love all cheese…I’m coming over for dinner!
Thank you, I’m a huge cheese lover too and fontina is right up there as one of my favorites.