Pumpkin Ricotta Lasagne #glutenfree

Pumpkin Ricotta Lasagne with Fried Sage
Green Lentil Lasagne Noodles
#vegetarian #glutenfree

It was our pleasure to serve Pumpkin Ricotta Lasagne with Fried Sage at last weekend’s successful benefit “Sip & Savor: A Gluten-Free Experience” to support the Celiac Disease Foundation on behalf of Explore Cuisine.

A pumpkin ricotta mixture seasoned with warm complex pumpkin pie spices (cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cloves) is layered with gluten-free green lentil lasagne noodles, plenty of gooey mozzarella, and nutmeg-scented béchamel. Fresh sage leaves fried in butter enhance the seasonal flavors. Due to its overwhelming popularity, I promised to share the recipe here on Taste With The Eyes.

The Celiac Disease Foundation Board of Directors held Sip & Savor in a design center at the state-of-the-art Custom Design & Construction in El Segundo, California – it was a terrific venue for this event.

Event proceeds benefited Celiac Disease Foundation, the internationally-recognized non-profit organization that drives diagnosis, treatment, and a cure through research, education, and advocacy to improve the quality of life for individuals affected by celiac disease and non-celiac gluten/wheat sensitivity.

Explore Cuisine makes an extraordinary noodle for lasagne recipes. It is produced in Italy of green lentil flour (50%), green pea flour, and brown rice flour. These no-boil noodles soak up sauce to two-and-a-half times their size to a perfect al dente texture.

The noodles are full of plant-based pea protein, a lovely pale olive-green color, organic and gluten-free. They are also higher in fiber and lower in carbs than traditional lasagne noodles.

Pumpkin Ricotta Lasagne with Fried Sage Recipe

Pumpkin Ricotta Mixture

¼ c. fresh sage leaves, chopped, plus more whole leaves for garnish
2 t. butter
15 oz. ricotta
10 oz. canned pumpkin puree
2 eggs, beaten
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 t. pumpkin pie spice

Fry sage in butter until crisp. Remove to paper towel.

Combine all other ingredients in a medium bowl. Fold in the sage and set aside.

Béchamel Sauce aka White Sauce

4 T. butter
4 T. gluten-free flour
2 ½ c. milk, warmed
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk to cook the flour, about two minutes. Add the milk slowly and continue to stir. Bring to barely a boil then immediately turn down the heat. Cook, whisking until thickened for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Method

1 box – 8 sheets Explore Cuisine Green Lentil Lasagne (no boil)
1 ¼ lb. mozzarella, shredded

Spread ½ c. of white sauce over the bottom of a greased 8-inch square (2 qt.) baking dish. Place 2 sheets of no-boil lasagne noodles over the sauce in a single layer.

Top lasagna noodles with a third of the ricotta mixture. Layer with a quarter of the mozzarella. Then top with a third of the remaining of the white sauce. Top sauce with 2 more sheets of lasagne noodles to build the second and third layers the same way.

For the top layer, place last two sheets of lasagna over the white sauce. Top with remaining mozzarella.

Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes, covered with foil. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes until the lasagna is bubbling hot and the top is browning. Remove from oven and let sit at least 10 minutes before cutting. Garnish with fried whole sage leaves.

Serve with soup or salad for a great SEASONAL meal! Happy Halloween!

Original recipe developed for Explore Cuisine.