Pumpkin and Mushroom Lasagne

This pumpkin and mushroom lasagne is a particularly appealing recipe. To begin with, it is a creamy, wonderfully flavoursome and aromatic vegetarian dish, thanks to the fresh sage in the béchamel sauce. It is also perfect for this time of year, when pumpkin is in season. Without adding anything else, I can assure you that this recipe is bound to be a success!

But it has another advantage: if you would like to make it even more substantial, you can add minced beef, sautéed with the mushrooms and onion. It will pair beautifully with the rest of the ingredients and turn the lasagne into a wonderful complete meal.

To make this pumpkin and mushroom lasagne, I recommend using butternut squash. Its flavour is not overly sweet, it does not break down too much when baked and, as its flesh is drier and creamier than that of other varieties, it will release less water. As for the mushrooms, you can use either white mushrooms or portobello mushrooms. The latter have a more intense flavour that pairs wonderfully with the pumpkin and sage, making them the ideal choice if you want the lasagne to have an even more autumnal character.

Ingredients

• 900 g butternut squash, cut into approximately 2 cm cubes
• 600 g fresh sliced mushrooms (white or portobello)
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 20 g butter
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
  
• 10 large dried, pre-cooked lasagne sheets (no need to boil them beforehand; they go straight into the oven)
• 6 fresh sage leaves
• 175 g fresh mozzarella, well drained and cut into small cubes
• Béchamel sauce
• A little butter for greasing the oven dish

Ingredients for the béchamel sauce

• 120 g butter
• 100 g plain flour
• 1.5 l milk
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 12 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C, with top and bottom heat.
2. Line a baking tray with baking paper and spread the pumpkin cubes evenly over it.
3. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and drizzle with the two tablespoons of olive oil.
4. Bake the pumpkin for about 15 minutes, stir the cubes so they brown evenly, then bake for another 15 minutes. Once ready, remove from the oven and set aside.
5. Meanwhile, gently heat your De Buyer Alchimy stainless steel frying pan and add the 20 g of butter. Once melted, increase to medium-high heat, add the sliced onion and stir gently to coat it in the butter. Cook for about 2 minutes.
6. Add the sliced mushrooms, salt and black pepper to taste and stir. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once cooked, turn off the heat and set aside.

Preparing the béchamel sauce

1. Melt the 120 g of butter over a low heat in your De Buyer Affinity stainless steel saucepan.
2. Add the flour, mix well and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously, until you have a smooth mixture.
3. Gradually pour in the cold milk, whisking continuously to prevent lumps from forming.
4. Add the nutmeg, salt and black pepper to taste.
5. Cook over a medium heat, stirring continuously, until the béchamel begins to thicken and has a creamy but pourable consistency (it should not be too thick).
6. Add the chopped sage leaves, mix well and remove the saucepan from the heat. Set aside.

Assembling the pumpkin and mushroom lasagne

1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
2. Grease your De Buyer deep rectangular stainless steel oven dish with butter and pour in a ladleful of béchamel sauce. Spread it over the base.
3. Place two lasagne sheets in the dish to cover the bottom.
4. Add half of the pumpkin cubes and spread them out to form a layer. Pour a little béchamel sauce over the top.
5. Cover with two lasagne sheets and spread half of the mushrooms over them to form another layer. Pour a little béchamel sauce over the mushrooms.
6. Add another two lasagne sheets and arrange the remaining pumpkin cubes on top, adding a little béchamel sauce.
7. Place another two lasagne sheets on top and spread over the remaining mushrooms to form the final layer of filling. Spoon a little béchamel sauce over the mushrooms.
8. Add the final two lasagne sheets and pour over the remaining béchamel sauce, spreading it well to cover the lasagne completely.
9. Scatter over the sage leaves and mozzarella cubes. Bake the lasagne at 200 °C for about 25–30 minutes. Once ready, remove it from the oven and leave it to rest for a few minutes before serving.