The Lasagna with Pumpkin Bechamel and Peas is the perfect meeting point between tradition and creativity.
In this vegan version the classic white sauce turns into a golden cream thanks to the pumpkin flesh, creating a color contrast with tender peas. A vegan first course that brings garden aromas to the table, ideal for a Sunday with family or an elegant dinner with friends.
Here are some other baked lasagna recipes you might be interested in:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 8 Servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring
Ingredients
- 2 cups type 2 flour (about 250 g)
- 1/2 cup water (about 125 g / 125 ml)
- 1 tsp whole sea salt
- 4 1/4 cups soy milk (1 L)
- 1 cup type 2 flour (about 120 g)
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp whole sea salt
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- 10.6 oz peas (300 g) — about 1 3/4 cups
- 17.6 oz pumpkin (500 g) — about 4 1/3 cups diced
- 1 shallot
- 1 pinch whole sea salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp vegan Parmesan (note: vegan)
Steps
Prepare the lasagna dough: In a bowl put the sifted flour, the salt and add a little water at a time.
Knead adding water until the dough no longer needs it, form a ball and let it rest for half an hour covered.
Roll out a sheet to about 0.08 in (2 mm) and cut it into lasagna sheets. Cover the sheets with cling film and place in the refrigerator.
Wash the pumpkin, cut it into slices and roast it in the oven for about 30 minutes here you will find all the instructions.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan sweat the sliced shallot, add the peas, add a little vegetable broth and cook for about 15 minutes.
When the pumpkin is cooked, remove the skin, cut it into cubes and pass half of it through a blender.
Prepare the bechamel:
Toast the flour and extra virgin olive oil in a pot for a couple of minutes.
Pour in the soy milk, the salt, and the nutmeg and whisk until it boils.
Lower the heat and stir the bechamel until it becomes thick.
Add the pureed pumpkin to the bechamel and mix well.
Blanch the lasagna sheets in salted water for a few minutes.
In a baking dish spread a thin layer of pumpkin bechamel, then proceed in layers with lasagna sheets, peas, pumpkin, bechamel and so on, until the dish is filled, sprinkling at the end with vegan Parmesan or nutritional yeast.
Bake in the oven at 356°F until golden, about 40 minutes.
Daniela’s Tips
You can also use ready-made fresh sheets.
Keep the pumpkin bechamel slightly more fluid than usual. Lasagna sheets tend to absorb a lot of moisture in the oven, and a sauce that is too thick could make the dish dry.
For a more intense flavor, roast the pumpkin in the oven rather than boiling it, so it dries out well.
Add a grating of nutmeg or a few leaves of fresh marjoram.
Once removed from the oven, let the lasagna rest for at least 10-15 minutes before cutting. This will allow the layers to set.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Which pumpkin is preferred?
Mantovana for a denser cream or Delica for a chestnut-like aftertaste.
Can I use frozen pumpkin or pre-cut cubes?
You can use either, provided you roast them in the oven as mentioned earlier.
My bechamel became too thick after adding the pumpkin, how can I fix it?
You can add a little hot milk and mix again.
Can I assemble the lasagna the day before and bake it later?
Of course, I always do that.
Can it be frozen? Better cooked or raw?
If you have leftover already cooked, freeze it like that. Otherwise freeze it raw and then bake when needed.
How long does it keep in the refrigerator?
It keeps for a couple of days well sealed in an airtight container.
