Pumpkin Lasagne

Ingredients

90ml olive oil
1 large pumpkin, peeled, seeded and diced
250g fresh ricotta cheese
Paprika to taste
Nutmeg to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
55g butter
55g plain flour
350ml milk
250g green lasagne pasta
25g parmesan cheese, grated

 

Instructions

1.      Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4.

2.      Put the olive oil in a large pan and cook the pumpkin for one hour or more on a very low heat. Stir frequently and keep covered. The pumpkin is ready when it is completely tender.

3.      Season pumpkin with plenty of paprika, nutmeg, freshly ground black pepper and a little salt to taste. Add the ricotta cheese while it's still on the heat. Stir well then remove from the heat. Cover and allow to stand.

4.      To make béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a small saucepan without letting it fry, add the flour little by little, stirring regularly to avoid lumps. When the flour has evenly absorbed the butter, continue to stir and let it cook. Add the milk a little at a time until a smooth, thick and creamy sauce is obtained. Season.

5.      In a large ovenproof dish, arrange a layer of lasagne pasta, cover with pumpkin mixture, pasta again, pumpkin mixture and finish with a layer of lasagne pasta.
Pour the milk on top and allow it to drain through to all pasta layers.

6.      Transfer to the hot oven and bake for 10 minutes, remove and spread the béchamel sauce on top. Bake for a further 10 minutes or until all the milk has been absorbed by the pasta and the lasagne looks cooked and slightly crispy. Take care not to burn the pasta or the béchamel on top, which has to stay white and creamy.

7.      Remove from oven, sprinkle with parmesan and serve immediately.