mushroom, caramelized onion & pumpkin lasagna (and Don Cheadle)

Mushroom, caramelized onion and pumpkin lasagna. All things I love! Mixing pumpkin with savory elements like turkey, onion, sage, etc. creates a delicious flavor. This quick lasagna helped me use some pantry items like a can of pumpkin that had been staring me in the face since October. This is an adaptation from the Moosewood Cafe recipe. 

Ingredients

·     1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms

·     1 tablespoon brown sugar

·     1 small onion, chopped (Vidalia if possible)

·     1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

·     2 teaspoons olive oil

·     1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

·     1/2 cup half-and-half cream

·     1 teaspoon dried sage leaves

·     Dash pepper

·     9 no-cook lasagna noodles

·     1 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese

·     1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

·     3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

·     In a small skillet, saute the mushrooms in some salt and oil until tender; set aside in a small bowl. Slice onion and sautee on low for about 20 minutes until caramelized. I added a bit of brown sugar to sweeten the onions even more. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin, cream, sage, pepper and remaining salt.

·     Spread 1/2 cup pumpkin sauce in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with three noodles (noodles will overlap slightly). Spread 1/2 cup pumpkin sauce to edges of noodles. Top with half of mushroom and onion mixture, 1/2 cup ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles and sauce.

·     Cover and bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 6 servings. 

*My pan was a bit smaller so I baked the lasagna covered for 35 minutes and then uncovered for another 10 - it was perfect! Do let the lasagna sit for about 10 minutes before cutting into it!

Served with a spinach salad. A delicious Saturday night dinner.

 

 

 During dinner, we watched Hotel Rawanda with Don Cheadle. If you have not seen this movie, you must rent it this weekend. It is incredibly compelling - I cried into my lasagna for two hours. Don Cheadle is also in a hilarious new show - House of Lies on Showtime. Check it out!