Pumpkin, Zucchini, & Sausage Lasagna

Now that it is fall, I feel the need to make something pumpkin. I couldn't decided between pumpkin pie, cookies, whoopie pies, bread, cheesecake—the list goes on. Randy suggested a recipe from my new Food Network Magazine and asked me to try it: Pumpkin Lasagna. It just didn't seem right to me. When I think pumpkin, I think of something sweet not savory. I was skeptical, but I gave it a whirl. And boy was I glad I trusted my husband! It came out great. The pumpkin paired nicely with the zucchini, sausage, and cheese. It added a nice spice to it. It wasn't sweet at all. So don't fear the pumpkin and give this recipe a try! This recipe would work well with any combination of veggies and meat.

Pumpkin, Zucchini, & Sausage Lasagna
adapted from Robert Irvine's Pumpkin Lasagna, Food Network Magazine 11/09

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 zucchini, thinly sliced

Box of no-boil lasagna noodles (I used Barilla brand.)

2 jars favorite sauce or homemade

16 oz. ricotta cheese

2 cups favorite shredded cheese (I used a mix of raw milk sharp cheddar and mozzarella.)

1/4 grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 eggs

salt, pepper, parsley, Italian seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Lightly spray 9 x 13 baking pan with nonstick spray.

3. Slice zucchini very thinly. Salt and pepper zucchini and set aside.

4. Brown sausage in a skillet over high heat. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to sausage while cooking. Drain sausage and mix with 1/2 to 3/4 cup sauce and set aside.

5. Combine pumpkin puree, 1 egg, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

6. Combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, 1 egg, salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix well and set aside.

7. Assemble lasagna: Ladle sauce onto bottom of baking pan. Place 3 lasagna noodles on bottom of pan. Top with 1/2 sausage and sauce. Top with 3 more noodles. Top with ricotta cheese mixture and more sauce. Top with 3 more noodles. Spread pumpkin mixture on top of noodles and top with zucchini slices and sauce. Top with 3 more noodles. Spread the rest of the sausage, ricotta cheese mixture, and 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Top with sauce and remaining 3 noodles. Top noodles with sauce and the rest of the shredded cheese.

8. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes.

9. Remove foil and cook an additional 10 minutes.

10. Serve with salad and Italian bread.