Roast Pumpkin Lasagne

By Kevin Woodford

All recipes by Kevin Woodford

Ingredients show imperial units

75ml olive oil
Olive oil

Usually the darker green the oil, the richer the flavour.
- Extra virgin olive oil is good for drizzling on salads and should never be heated as this destroys the fine properties
- Lighter olive oil is good for adding to bread, or to flavour a salad or marinade for chicken, meat, fish or vegetables. Lighter olive oil can be gently heated and added to marinades and baking.
500g pumpkin flesh, diced
Pinch of cayenne
Pinch of paprika

Spanish smoked paprika

Good for Tex Mex flavouring

For chicken and ribs
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt

Salt

Consider tablesalt, sea salt or crystals.

Sea salt’s pronounced and salty flavour means less is required to season food.
Ground black pepper
Black peppercorns

Best used as a condiment.
They can be lightly crushed and used to spice up a creamy sauce or to coat fillet steak or chicken breasts.
- Although it might seem odd, grinding black pepper over a bowl of strawberries enhances the flavour of the fruit.
- Pepper that is pre-ground is not fresh tasting and often has other ingredients mixed in.
- Choose the type of mill that suits you, and if you want coarser pepper you can loosen the screw on the top of the mill or crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar
Fresh rosemary
225g ricotta chese
50g butter

Butter

Unsalted is better for cooking.

Easy spread butter is ideal for sandwiches and toast.
50g flour
Flour

For pastry making or to thicken sauces, soups, stews and casseroles.
- Raising agents are added to plain flour to make self-raising flour, used to lighten and give an airy texture to cakes and sponges.
- Once opened reseal with quick clips or transfer to an airtight container or kilner jar. It will keep for up to 3-4 months
350ml milk

Milk

organic, full fat, semi-skimmed.

If milk turns sour (and this when it smells or tastes sour not when it has reached the best before date) it is excellent for making scones
250g fresh raw lasagne
35g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Cheese

Add to eggs for omelettes, grate onto soups or salads.
- Parmesan often goes rock hard or becomes horribly sweaty. Ideally, all cheese should be stored in a cool, airy place at a temperature of 46-50F/8-10C. However, most of us put it straight into the fridge. This is fine providing the cheese is kept loosely wrapped in its own airtight container so it isn’t tainted by other foods.
- Store it in the salad drawer, which is not quite as cold as the rest of the fridge and use a micro plane for grating.

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a roasting dish, add the pumpkin flesh and season with the cayenne, paprika, nutmeg and a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the fresh rosemary, place into a pre heated oven set at gas mark 6/200C/400F and cook for an hour until the flesh is tender.
Add the ricotta cheese and mix through, remove from the heat and leave to infuse.
Make a white sauce by melting the butter, adding the flour and mixing together. Cook gently over a low heat and slowly add the milk, stirring to ensure that the sauce is smooth. Season.
Cover the base of an ovenproof dish with a little of the sauce, add a layer of the lasagne and top with the pumpkin mixture. Repeat with another layer of each and top with the parmesan cheese.
Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes until the top is golden brown.

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