Green and Orange Lasagna
1 pound uncooked lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1½ teaspoons salt, divided
1 pound fresh greens, stemmed and roughly chopped (about 12 cups)
2 15-ounce cans pumpkin purée
1½ cups ricotta cheese (can substitute cottage cheese)
¾ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
¾ cup shredded provolone, Swiss or Gruyere cheese, divided
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2½ cups milk
4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, to serve (optional)
Place noodles in a baking dish and cover with very hot tap water. Let soak for about 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Add onion and cook over medium heat for three minutes. Add garlic and continue cooking for two minutes. Add the greens with ½ teaspoon salt to the skillet and cook until wilted, about five minutes more. If you can't fit all of the raw greens in the skillet, add the sturdier ones first and let them cook down a bit before adding the more delicate ones. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, ricotta, ½ cup each of the shredded cheeses, nutmeg, remaining salt and pepper.
Heat milk in a microwave on HIGH for about 2 minutes until hot. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and whisk in flour. Keep whisking while it cooks for 2 minutes, then gradually add the warm milk and increase the heat to medium. Continue whisking until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Remove from heat and mix in mustard and smoked paprika.
Oil or spray a 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread a thin layer of the pumpkin mixture on the bottom. Cover with 3-4 noodles, slightly overlapping them to maintain the separation of layers. Add half of the remaining pumpkin mixture, then half of the greens. Top with 1 cup of sauce. Repeat the noodle/pumpkin/greens/sauce layering. Finish with a final layer of noodles, the remaining sauce and the reserved cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbly and lasagna is heated through. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before topping with parsley and serving.
Serves 8
Leslie Meredith