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A cozy and creamy vegetarian lasagna featuring pumpkin puree, ricotta, spinach, and melty cheeses layered between no-boil noodles. A perfect healthy fall dinner that’s kid-friendly and can be customized to vegan or meat-added versions.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup chopped white or yellow onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 ounces fresh spinach
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 (15 oz) cans pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • ½ cup unsweetened plain milk of choice (e.g., almond milk)
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 15 ounces reduced-fat or part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • ⅓ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano or dried basil
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (for layering)
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (for layering)
  • Fresh chopped basil or parsley for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
  2. Add chopped onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 2–3 minutes until translucent.
  3. Stir in minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
  4. Add fresh spinach, toss with onion and garlic, and cook for 3–4 minutes until wilted.
  5. Set spinach mixture aside to cool.
  6. In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, unsweetened milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, kosher salt, and black pepper until smooth to make the pumpkin sauce.
  7. In another bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, shredded mozzarella, shredded parmesan, dried oregano (or dried basil), kosher salt, and black pepper until creamy.
  8. Fold the cooled spinach mixture into the ricotta filling. (Optional: stir in cooked sausage or ground turkey if desired.)
  9. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
  10. Spread ½ cup pumpkin filling evenly across the bottom of the baking dish.
  11. Layer 5 no-boil lasagna noodles over the pumpkin filling.
  12. Spread half of the ricotta-spinach filling over the noodles.
  13. Sprinkle ½ cup shredded mozzarella and half of the grated parmesan over the ricotta filling.
  14. Add more pumpkin filling over the cheese.
  15. Repeat layering with noodles, ricotta filling, shredded mozzarella, pumpkin filling, and parmesan.
  16. Finish with cheese on top.
  17. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake on the middle rack for 25 minutes.
  18. Remove the foil and bake for another 15–20 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly.
  19. Let the lasagna cool for at least 25 minutes before slicing.
  20. Garnish with fresh chopped basil or parsley and serve.

Notes

Use canned pumpkin puree for savory flavor; avoid pumpkin pie filling., If using frozen spinach, thaw and squeeze out excess moisture before sautéing., No-boil lasagna noodles simplify preparation; if using regular noodles, boil and rinse before layering., Rest lasagna for 20-30 minutes after baking for cleaner slices., To make vegan, substitute with dairy-free ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and replace egg with flax egg or blended silken tofu., Cooked sausage or ground turkey can be added into ricotta filling or layered for non-vegetarian option., Assemble ahead and refrigerate overnight; add extra baking time if baking from cold., Cool completely before freezing; freezes well up to 1 month., Reheat leftovers in microwave or oven until hot through.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingcrumbs.com/vegetarian-pumpkin-spinach-lasagna-easy-recipe/