Easy Pumpkin Lasagna Recipe (Make-Ahead)

Name: This Easy Lasagna Is My Favorite Fall Comfort Food
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for baking pan; 1 large onion, chopped; 2 tablespoons fresh minced sage or 2 teaspoons dried sage; 1 (15-ounce) can 100% pumpkin purée; 1 cup half and half; 5 ounces finely shredded parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups), divided; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 (15-ounce) containers ricotta cheese; 2 large eggs; 9 oven-ready lasagna noodles (such as Barilla ); 8 ounces finely shredded Asiago cheese (about 2 cups), divided

As the weather cools, I start dreaming about lasagna. As a private chef, I know my clients are craving a comforting slab of classic meaty lasagna or my spinach and ricotta lasagna that makes both meat eaters and vegetarians happy. I even make a creamy seafood lasagna to rave reviews. But it was a can of pumpkin that inspired me to make this super-easy lasagna, and I’m in love with it.

This recipe gives you all the lush, cheesy appeal of a lasagna you spent hours making, with much less work than you’d expect. Using a convenient can of pumpkin purée means all the vegetable prep is done—all that’s left is to sauté an onion. Unlike a tomato sauce, which often requires a long simmer, the sauce for this lasagna is ready in minutes.

I also rely on time-saving no-boil noodles for this lasagna, which shave off so much effort. No pot of boiling water, no colander, just neat pieces going into the pan straight from the box. These noodles soak up some of the moisture from the other ingredients, helping to bind the layers together for a neat slice.

With these two shortcuts, you really can pull it off lasagna on a weeknight. For the rest of the ingredients, I keep it simple—the filling is just ricotta, eggs, parmesan, and Asiago. If you wanted to throw in a handful of parsley, that would be lovely, but otherwise you’re good to go.

one serving of Easy Pumpkin Lasagna on a dish with a fork — Simply Recipes / Alexandra Shytsman

Make It Ahead for Meal Prep

Lasagna and other casseroles are the perfect make-ahead meals. To meal-prep this recipe, just keep the baked lasagna in the refrigerator and take out as many slices as you need over the course of a few days. To reheat, you can either microwave a portion or place slices on an oven-safe pan, sprinkle with a few drops of water and cover with foil, then bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the number of slices.

If you have a busy family, hungry people will be overjoyed to have a slice to heat up before they run out to the next activity.

How to Freeze This Pumpkin Lasagna

This lasagna is perfect for stashing in the freezer, too. I like to cut the cooled lasagna into individual servings, wrap each in plastic wrap, then carefully transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag. Stored this way in the freezer, the lasagna will last for 3 to 4 months. There’s nothing as comforting as knowing you have lasagna waiting for you any time. Just thaw the wrapped slice in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat, or microwave on low power from frozen.

Easy Sides to Make It a Meal

Easy Pumpkin Lasagna

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 80 mins

Total Time 90 mins

Servings 8 servings

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for baking pan
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh minced sage or 2 teaspoons dried sage
1 (15-ounce) can 100% pumpkin purée
1 cup half and half
5 ounces finely shredded parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups), divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (15-ounce) containers ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
9 oven-ready lasagna noodles (such as Barilla)
8 ounces finely shredded Asiago cheese (about 2 cups), divided

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Arrange the oven racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle positions.

Lightly oil a 9x13-inch baking pan or dish and set aside.
Sauté the aromatics:

In a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and stir until they start to sizzle, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and lightly golden, about 10 minutes.

Add the sage and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Make the pumpkin sauce:

Raise the heat to medium. Add the pumpkin to the onion mixture and stir to mix well, then whisk in the half and half. Stir in 3/4 cup of the parmesan, the salt, and the pepper and bring to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat.
Make the ricotta filling:

In a large bowl, mix the ricotta and eggs until smooth.

Simply Recipes / Alexandra Shytsman
Assemble the lasagna:

Spread 1 cup of the pumpkin sauce into the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Place 3 noodles across the pan; there will be space between them but that’s okay. Dollop half of the ricotta mixture (about 2 cups) over the noodles and spread gently to make an even layer. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of the Asiago cheese.

Repeat to form another layer with 1 cup pumpkin sauce, 3 noodles, and the remaining ricotta mixture. Cover with the remaining 3 noodles, then spread evenly with the remaining pumpkin sauce and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and Asiago.

Simply Recipes / Alexandra Shytsman

Simply Recipes / Alexandra Shytsman

Simply Recipes / Alexandra Shytsman
Bake:

Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes on the lower-middle rack.

Uncover and move the lasagna to the upper-middle rack. Bake until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes.
Cool and serve:

Let the lasagna stand for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.

Leftovers can be stored in the dish, covered, or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
540	Calories
27g	Fat
37g	Carbs
36g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	540
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g	35%
Saturated Fat 16g	80%
Cholesterol 122mg	41%
Sodium 1100mg	48%
Total Carbohydrate 37g	13%
Dietary Fiber 3g	11%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 36g
Vitamin C 3mg	17%
Calcium 911mg	70%
Iron 3mg	16%
Potassium 406mg	9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.