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Pumpkin Lasagna is creamy, delicious, and perfect for Fall. This lasagna is layered with a smoked gouda, ricotta, parmesan cheese, chili pepper paste mixture, spinach, and a yummy eggplant, mushroom, and onion layer that’s too delicious to describe!
Love Lasagna? Make my Lasagna alla Bolognese and Chicken Alfredo Lasagna next!
There’s also a creamy carbonara sauce is full of more cheesy parmesan, pancetta, pumpkin puree, and tomato paste for added flavor! These flavors come together to make this a recipe that you will never forget! (Of note: Thank you, Amore, for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own!)
This lasagna is unlike any other lasagna you’ve ever had. I can guarantee it. This is not your traditional lasagna but is a lovely take on the classic Italian recipe. I developed this recipe using tomato paste for the Pumpkin Carbonara Sauce and chili pepper paste in the cheesy layer of the lasagna. These pastes truly elevated the recipe and added a distinct flavor unlike any I’ve ever experienced.
The best Pumpkin Lasagna!
Amore specializes in providing authentic Italian flavors in the form of cooking pastes, legumes, as well as other Italian Specialties. The ingredients used in the production of these products are all made from fresh Italian ingredients from research done in Italy by the company’s founder back in 1978 – which is what I love most about using these products.
Another things that I love about these pastes are how easy and convenient they are to use! Whenever I use the 8 oz cans of tomato paste, a lot of it ends up going to waste because the container isn’t resealable. However, cooking pastes allow you to use whatever amount you need and store the rest for a future recipe. MAJOR WIN!
So, I turned 30 back in August this year! If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I was supposed to go to Italy! It’s been my dream destination for years now! We planned on taking a 2 week vacation and do a tour of the country. I was so excited to visit the countryside in Florence, swim in the crystal clear waters in Capri, and experience the hustle and bustle of Rome! However, I was most excited to try authentic Italian cuisine!
Sadly, because of our current climate, we weren’t able to go. However, cooking with these authentic Italian flavors truly made me feel like I was in Italy.
Pumpkin Carbonara Lasagna with Pancetta – let’s cook!
Pumpkin Carbonara Lasagna with Pancetta is a dish that you will LOVE and will be making for years to come. At the first taste, I was blown away by how beautifully all of the flavors compliment each other.
Okay, let’s make this recipe!
Start by prepping all of the ingredients! Chop up the garlic, onions, mushrooms, and eggplant, cut up the pancetta and assemble all of the cheeses and ingredients used for this recipe. Doing this makes it easier to build the lasagna.
Combine the garlic, onions, mushrooms, and eggplant in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, and fresh oregano leaves. Heat a large cast iron skillet with olive oil and add veggies. Cook until veggies have softened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Heat a pot over medium heat and add pancetta and allow the fat to render. Cook until crispy then remove from the heat. Add Amore Tomato Paste, pumpkin puree, parmesan cheese, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Whisk together and add egg yolks and stir constantly for about 4-5 minutes so that the eggs don’t cook.
Lastly! (almost there) Combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, smoked gouda, and chili pepper paste. Now it’s time to put everything together!
Lightly coat pumpkin carbonara sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan. Lay down the lasagna noodles, then the eggplant veggie mixture, the cheesy mixture, then more of the pumpkin carbonara sauce. Repeat this again – lasagna noodles, eggplant veggie mixture, cheesy mixture, then pumpkin carbonara sauce.
Sprinkle more parmesan cheese and sliced mozzarella on top and bake for 50 minutes. (25 minutes covered with aluminum foil and 25 minutes without).
… here’s the hard part…
Let the lasagna cool for at least 30 minutes. Trust me. It’s worth it. SO worth it. You’ll have beautifully set lasagna that will make your tastebuds scream with joy.
Be sure to head to Amore’s website and check out their products! CLICK HERE! Also, if you make this recipe, be sure to tag me!
Pumpkin Lasagna
Equipment
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb Lasagna Noodles
Meat Sauce
- 6 slices Bacon , (cut into chunks)
- 1 large Yellow Onion, (diced)
- 1 lb Mild Italian Sausage , (ground, if using links, remove the meat from the casing)
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 14 oz Crushed Tomatoes
- 1/2 cup Red Wine
- Salt and Pepper, (to taste)
Pumpkin Carbonara Sauce
- 4 tbsp Salted Butter
- 4 cloves Garlic , (diced)
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 2 tbsp Fresh Sage , (diced)
- 1 tbsp Thyme Leaves, (diced, stems removed)
- 3/4 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp Allspice
- 4 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 2 1/2 cups Whole Milk
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, (optional)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, (grated)
- 15 oz Pumpkin Puree
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
For Assembling
- 16 oz Mozzarella Cheese, (shredded)
- 8 oz Gruyere Cheese, (shredded)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place a large pot of water onto the stove over high heat and add a generous about of kosher salt (about 1 tbsp). Bring to a boil. Add the lasagna sheets and cook until just al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and lay the noodles flat on a lightly greased baking sheet or a piece of parchment paper so they don’t stick together. 1 lb Lasagna Noodles
- Place a Dutch oven onto the stove over medium heat and let the skillet warm for about 5 minutes, until hot but not smoking. Add the diced bacon and cook until browned and crisp, about 5–7 minutes, then add diced onions and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, until softened and slightly golden brown. 6 slices Bacon 1 large Yellow Onion
- Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it apart with the bottom of a spatula or wooden spoon, until browned and no longer pink, about 5–7 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika and tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and coats the meat. 1 lb Mild Italian Sausage 1 tsp Smoked Paprika 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
- Pour in the red wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, then stir in the crushed tomatoes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and set aside. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired. 1/2 cup Red Wine 14 oz Crushed Tomatoes Salt and Pepper
- Now make the pumpkin bechamel sauce. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced garlic, Italian seasoning, chopped sage and thyme, nutmeg, and allspice. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. 4 tbsp Salted Butter 4 cloves Garlic 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning 2 tbsp Fresh Sage 1 tbsp Thyme Leaves 3/4 tsp Nutmeg 1/4 tsp Allspice
- Sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously for about 1–2 minutes. Slowly pour in the whole milk and heavy cream, whisking constantly to keep the sauce smooth. 4 tbsp All Purpose Flour 2 1/2 cups Whole Milk 1 cup Heavy Cream
- Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the red pepper flakes, Parmesan, black pepper, and kosher salt. Whisk in the pumpkin puree until completely smooth and incorporated. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Remove from the heat. 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese 1 tsp Black Pepper 1 tsp Kosher Salt 15 oz Pumpkin Puree
- Mix together Mozzarella cheese and Gruyere cheeses in a medium bowl. 16 oz Mozzarella Cheese 8 oz Gruyere Cheese
- Spread a thin layer of pumpkin béchamel over the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Add a layer of lasagna noodles, followed by half of the meat sauce, and a generous sprinkle of cheese. Then add another layer of lasagna noodles, cover with pumpkin bechamel. Another layer of noodles, then add the rest of the meat sauce and a generous sprinkle of cheese. Top with the last layer of lasagna noodles, the remainder of the pumpkin bechamel and then coat with the rest of the cheese.
- Place lasagna onto a baking sheet to prevent any overflow from spilling over onto the oven floor. Bake on the middle rack, uncovered for 40 minutes, then broil for 3-4 minutes, until golden and slightly browned on top.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Best ever!! Keep it coming
So different and so good! The pumpkin and carbonara sauce came so well together and I need not mention that pasta takes everything to a new level. Love it so much.
I always have this tomato paste on-hand. It was the perfect addition to your lasagna recipe. Wholly smokes it was delicious! The family gobbled it up, and have asked me to make it again!
The addition of pumpkin in this is inspired. I love the sweet and savory combo. And it had an amazingly good outcome!
When I first saw this recipe, I was like “sign me up!” It did not disappoint! It was luscious and dreamy. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed this lasagna. Such a nice play on cabonara and lasagna.
I normally stick to the same recipe for lasagna but ventured out with this one and am so glad I did. It’s delicious! And my family basically demanded more.