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Savory Pumpkin Lasagna {Vegetarian}

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This vegetarian savory pumpkin lasagna makes the perfect vegetarian main dish for fall! Also a hit with the meat-eaters, it’s a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu.

This vegetarian savory pumpkin lasagna makes the perfect vegetarian main dish for fall! Also a hit with the meat-eaters, it's a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu. * Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

The centerpiece of many a Thanksgiving table next week will be a golden turkey. It’s iconic, classic, and screams “Thanksgiving” to most people. But what if you don’t eat meat? 

Vegetarians used to be relegated to a shaped tofu concoction by the meat eaters, but that doesn’t seem very fair. Do you know how hard it is to properly prepare tofu? Trust me, it’s a skill, and not one to attempt to learn on Thanksgiving. So I present to you, a better alternative, a vegetarian savory pumpkin lasagna composed of gorgeous layers of melted Gruyere cheese, pumpkin puree, spinach, and caramelized onions. It smells heavenly, tastes like everything a Thanksgiving main dish should taste like, and if you follow my advice about keeping caramelized onions on hand, can be assembled in about 10 minutes.

This vegetarian savory pumpkin lasagna makes the perfect vegetarian main dish for fall! Also a hit with the meat-eaters, it's a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu. * Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

I actually have a story about the cheese in this lasagna. I went to the local Wegman’s, because I like their cheese selection, and was browsing around the cheese section, wearing the toddler, smelling cheese and talking to A like she was well versed in cheese. Once of the staff noticed, came over to ask if I needed any help, and something told me she was a kindred spirit. It may be because her name was also Mary, or she had a great smile. Anyway, I told her about my vision for this lasagna and how I wanted to pick a really great cheese that would pair well, add flavor, and make this vegetarian Thanksgiving dish really stunning.

We had a great conversation about food and cooking, and mutually decided the Gruyere would be the best option. They even had shredded Gruyere, which made me incredibly happy. Buy shredded if you find it to save a little time.

I left the store that day so happy, and determined to make this dish in the spirit of that conversation. I wanted this savory pumpkin lasagna to be something that would bring people together over a meal and leave them smiling.

This vegetarian savory pumpkin lasagna makes the perfect vegetarian main dish for fall! Also a hit with the meat-eaters, it's a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu. * Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

Enjoy darlings!

Note: Since publishing, I have moved away from places one can find Gruyere easily. I have made this substituting a mix of fontina or gouda and Swiss cheese. It’s worked out just fine. Work with what you can find. 

This vegetarian savory pumpkin lasagna makes the perfect vegetarian main dish for fall! Also a hit with the meat-eaters, it's a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu. * Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

Savory Pumpkin Lasagna {Vegetarian}

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

This vegetarian savory pumpkin lasagna makes the perfect vegetarian main dish for fall! Also a hit with the meat-eaters, it's a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu.

Ingredients

Spinach Filling

  • 1 9 oz package no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 lb fresh spinach, chopped
  • 1 lb sliced mushrooms
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

Pumpkin Sauce

  • 3 cups pumpkin puree
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp fresh oregano
  • 3 cups shredded gruyere cheese, or a mix of mild cheeses like Swiss, fontina, gouda, or even mozzarella

Instructions

  1. Brush the bottom of a 9x13" baking pan with olive oil, set aside. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
  2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium flame. Add the onions and cook about 5-7 minutes until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook another 5-6 minutes until the mushrooms have released the water and start to turn a slight golden color. Add the fresh spinach and garlic, saute until the spinach wilts. Remove from the vegetables from the skillet.
  3. In the same skillet, combine the pumpkin with the salt, pepper, and oregano. Stir in the milk, and cook, stirring frequently, over medium low heat for 4-5 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly. You'll feel this happen as you stir. Adjust salt, pepper, and oregano to taste.
  4. Prepare the lasagna by pouring a bit of the sauce into the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of noodles, a layer of spinach, 2/3 cup of cheese, 1/2 cup sauce, and then another layer of noodles. Repeat until you've used all the noodles. Pour over any remaining sauce and top with cheese.
  5. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes, covered. Remove the foil and bake an additonal 10-15 minutes uncovered until the cheese has slightly browned. Serve warm! 

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Sur La Table
This vegetarian savory pumpkin lasagna makes the perfect vegetarian main dish for fall! Also a hit with the meat-eaters, it's a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu. * Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com
This vegetarian savory pumpkin lasagna makes the perfect vegetarian main dish for fall! Also a hit with the meat-eaters, it's a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu. * Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

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Andrea

Wednesday 27th of November 2019

Can I make this ahead of time? Does it reheat well? Trying to save myself some time for thanksgiving 🙂

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Wednesday 27th of November 2019

Yes! I've made it a day in advance and then reheated no problem. We've eaten leftovers up to 6 days after that also reheat well, and I've individually wrapped and frozen portions of the chilled leftover lasagna and reheated with no issue there either. Happy Thanksgiving!

Tara

Sunday 13th of October 2019

What would you suggest for a side dish? I'm guessing a salad, but what kind do you think would go well with the lasagna flavors?

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Thursday 17th of October 2019

A salad for sure. I actually have a (really old) recipe for a fall harvest salad on the blog that happens to go well. The cheese, apples, and nuts in the salad make it feel like it goes with the lasagna without competing with the flavors. You can swap out the blue cheese for something less pungent if you'd prefer or leave it out since the lasagna is pretty cheesy. https://goodiegodmother.com/fall-harvest-salad/

Gabrielle

Sunday 4th of November 2018

Hi, I just made this is a vegetarian substitute for my family dinner, everyone was having turkey, and the lasagna was a huge hit! Made with leftover Halloween pumpkin purée, it was absolutely delicious!! Thank you for this recipe!

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Wednesday 7th of November 2018

I'm so glad you enjoyed! <3

Jacqueline Colman

Thursday 19th of November 2015

This looks amazing!! On Thanksgiving my mom makes me a veggie lasagna and a meatless soy meatloaf that's always a big hit among the meat-eaters too!

The Godmother

Sunday 22nd of November 2015

Awesome! I think it's great to have variety at the table, and everyone always needs a few more veggies in their life!

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