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There are countless ways to incorporate pumpkin into your seasonal recipes, and this might just be one of the best. I started by roasting three pumpkins, then blending them into a smooth purée that I added throughout the dish. Of course, you can always use canned pumpkin, but making your own purée is easy and adds so much more flavor. The pumpkin purée went into the pasta dough, along with pasture-raised eggs. For the ragu, I combined it with fall vegetables and hand-cut short ribs. And, of course, I stirred it into the béchamel sauce, made with pasture-raised milk and butter. The dish came together beautifully and was served to my friends for a cozy backyard dinner, alongside a big salad and natural wine.
Start by making the pumpkin puree- preheat your oven to 400F or 200C.
Cut the pumpkins in half and remove the seeds. Slice into 1-inch pieces, then place on a lined baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss to coat. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until soft.
Once cooked, remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Then, blend in a food processor until smooth.
Make the pasta: pour the flour on the working surface. Make a pit in the middle and add the eggs, our pumpkin puree and olive oil. Start mixing, each time collecting more flour from the sides of the pile. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic (about 6-8 minutes). If the dough feels too dry, wet your hands and get back to kneading the dough.
Round the dough into a tight ball, wrap in plastic wrap and set aside while working on the ragu and bechamel sauce.
For the ragu- heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and half of the diced short ribs. Season with salt and pepper, and let them sear until nicely browned on one side, about 3–4 minutes. Flip, allow the other side to brown, then transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining short ribs.
After browning all the meat, remove it from the pot. Add the chopped leeks, carrots, and fennel, stirring constantly. Cook until they soften and begin to develop color. Add the tomato paste and pumpkin purée, mixing well until fully incorporated into the vegetable mixture.
Return the meat to the pot, add the red wine, and cook until the alcohol evaporates. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the béchamel. Start by bringing the milk to a gentle boil. Remove from heat, then whisk in the pumpkin purée until fully combined.
In a separate pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns golden, about 3–5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and slowly add the milk, whisking continuously. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the mixture just begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Returning to the pasta: Roll the dough through a pasta machine until it reaches the thinnest setting. Cut the pasta sheets to match the length of the pan you’ll use for the lasagna.
Start building the lasagna- starting with lining pasta sheets to cover the bottom of the pan, adding ragu on top, spreading an even layer, adding 2 big spoons of bechamel sauce and spreading evenly. Repeat until finishing the pasta.
Bake in a preheated oven at 195°C (190°C) for 45–60 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let it sit in room temperature for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Serve, then grate Parmesan Reggiano on top. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
YASSS!
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