Creamy Pumpkin and Gorgonzola Lasagne

A Cosy and Hearty Autumnal Dish

Pumpkin and Blue Cheese: A Match Made in Heaven

It’s no mystery that I love Pumpkins and Squashes. From soups to risotto to simple roasted pieces. The Cheeky Green Bean has a recipe for every type of Pumpkin craving.

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So now I present to you this decadent Pumpkin and Gorgonzola Lasagne. Layers of creamy pumpkin and rich, tangy gorgonzola cheese nestled between tender pasta sheets create a symphony of flavour in every bite. This recipe is surprisingly adaptable, too! We’ll show you how to create a classic version with creamy Béchamel sauce, but we’ve included clever swaps for our vegan friends for a plant-based masterpiece. Get ready to indulge in a unique and flavorful vegetarian (or vegan) lasagna that will become a new fall favourite!

WARNING: This is not a GERD-friendly recipe. Consume in moderation!

From Prehistory to Your Kitchen: The Allure of Pumpkin

For centuries, pumpkins (and all-shaped squashes) haven’t just been Jack-o’-Lanterns! This vibrant orange squash, technically a fruit, boasts a rich history dating back to 7,000 BC. Indigenous to North America, pumpkins were prized for their versatility, offering both sweet and savoury culinary delights and for their nutritional powers! Packed with vitamins, fibre, and antioxidants, pumpkin adds a touch of natural sweetness and creamy texture to dishes.

A Tangy Tradition: Unveiling Gorgonzola Cheese

Today, we’re taking a delicious journey by pairing pumpkin with another historical gem: Gorgonzola cheese. This tangy, blue-veined cheese, originating in Italy around the 9th century, has captivated palates for generations – including mine! Its bold, pungent flavour adds a depth of character to countless dishes. However, a little goes a long way with Gorgonzola, so use it judiciously for the perfect balance.

Gorgonzola is named after the Italian town of Gorgonzola, close to Milan, where it originated. We all know it for its creamy texture and strong, pungent flavour. Gorgonzola is made from cow’s milk and is typically aged for at least 60 days. The blue-green veins in Gorgonzola are actually mould, which gives the cheese its characteristic flavour. Gorgonzola can be either sweet or spicy, depending on the length of ageing. The more ageing, the spicier it becomes. Not going to lie, when my stomach allows it, I do prefer it when it’s a bit less aged, it is much more creamy and light!

Gorgonzola is a versatile cheese that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Me and my family often eat it on its own, but it’s great with fruits, especially grapes, and with crackers and nuts and of course in our Pumpkin and Gorgonzola Lasagne. If you want to be extra, you can use Gorgonzola as a topping on your four-cheese pizzas or risottos, you won’t regret it!

Add it to my Pumpkin Risotto Recipe!

Cheeky Ingredients swaps

To make this Pumpkin and Gorgonzola Lasagne vegan there are quite a few ingredients that will need to be changed or dropped!

Butter: Instead of using butter in the Béchamel Sauce, I recommend adding Extra Virgin Olive Oil (better if in butter form, but I would steer away from any seed oils)
Milk: I found that Soy milk is quite a good one both in flavour and consistency!
Gorgonzola: This one is a bit tricky. In my humble opinion, there are no vegan cheeses that can recreate the same unique taste. BUT vegan blue cheeses exist and I think the best match is fermented cheese made with cashew nuts, plant-based whey and plant-based probiotics. If you don’t find it, don’t fret, this Lasagne is delicious without blue cheese too!
Parmigiano or Grana Cheese: This is an easier swap 😁 I use nutritional yeast like there’s no tomorrow, in all my dishes and it does have a mature cheese taste which fits really well with this Lasagne. To have the typical Parmigiano or Grana cheese texture, add cashews and nutritional yeast flakes into a blender and blend it all up. Add to your Pumpkin and Gorgonzola Lasagna! My favourite nutritional yeasts are Engevita and Bosh!

Time to Create: Pumpkin and Gorgonzola Lasagne Awaits

Ready to create a culinary masterpiece? This recipe transforms these historical ingredients into a comforting and irresistible Pumpkin and Gorgonzola Lasagne. Let’s get cooking!

Pumpkin and Gorgonzola Lasagne

Bean

Indulge in fall cheesy and earthy flavours! This Pumpkin & Gorgonzola Lasagne recipe is creamy, comforting and perfect for cosy nights in.

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 45

Resting Time 10

Total Time 1 25

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine European, Italian, Mediterranean

Servings 4 servings

Equipment

Oven
Oven proof dish
Knife and cutting board
Silicon or wooden spoon
Medium pot with lid
Small pot

Ingredients

Pumpkin and Cheese filling

200 gr Gorgonzola Cheese I recommend to go for Gorgonzola but any blue cheese work too 🙂
1 Medium pumpkin or squash About 500gr
half Red onion
3 tbsp Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 pinch Black Pepper optional
1 Vegetable Stock cube
1 splash Extra virgin olive oil

Béchamel sauce

80 gr Butter
80 gr White flour
400 ml Milk
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 pinch salt

Pasta layers

8-10 sheets Wholewheat pasta I prefer wholewheat and pasta sheets that don't need pre-cooking. But you can use any type you like 🙂

Instructions

Cooking the Pumpkin

First of all, we need to cook the pumpkin. I'd suggest you roast the pumpkin in the oven first as I think it just brings out all the nice sweet and smoky flavours. You can follow my super easy Roasted Pumpkin recipe here 🙂
If you don't want to wait for the pumpkin to roast, don't worry, we can cook it straight on the hob with the rest of the ingredients!
To a medium pot, add your diced onion, a little water, the stock, a splash of oil and salt. Leave the onion to cook at medium heat until it softens. Grab your roasted pumpkin, cut it into medium to small pieces, add it to the pot and give it a good stir. Leave to absorb the flavours for at least 5 minutes, low heat, lid on, mixing from time to time.
RAW PUMPKIN
If you've decided to cook the pumpkin directly into the pot, you can follow the same process above. However, you'll need to keep adding warm water, a little at a time to allow the pumpkin to cook and soften. It should take about 20 minutes.

Making the Béchamel sauce

While your pumpkin is cooking, we make the Béchamel sauce. But first, preheat the oven to 180℃ static, measure the milk and set it aside, outside the fridge so it can reach room temperature.
In a medium pot, add the butter. Set at low heat – when the butter is melted start adding a little at a time your flour. Make sure to stir in well to avoid any lumps! Once you see a creamy but firm paste forming, add the milk – again a little at a time and stirring continuously. Cook the sauce for at least 5 minutes, until the milk is fully combined and the sauce has gained a creamy consistency (you can adjust the cooking time and the amount of ingredients depending on how thick or creamy you want your bechamel to be, it's up to you!). Add the nutmeg and salt. Your sauce is ready to be used, which means we're now on to the exciting part. The assembly!

Assembling your Pumpkin and Blue Cheese Lasagna

Grab your oven-proof dish – I use Pyrex oven plates – and start by spreading a thin coat of sauce at the bottom. This is to make sure the first layer of pasta sheets will have enough moisture to cook properly.
Add your first layer of pasta sheets – I use the ones that don't need pre-cooking but if you have those that need it, make sure to cook them prior to this step, according to the instructions on the box!
Spread another bit of sauce.
On top of it, add the pumpkin filling.
Then dice or break your Gorgonzola cheese and add it on top of the pumpkin filling. Be careful not to add too much as this cheese is strong and may overpower the pumpkin flavour.
Finely shred some Grana/Parmigiano cheese and repeat all the layering starting from the pasta sheets. Depending on how big your oven dish is you should end up with 3 to 4 layers. On the last one, I tend to add more cheese so it crisps up even more 🙂
Bake for 30 minutes. It should come out with a nice browning crust but If you want an extra crunchy texture leave it in the oven for another 10 minutes. Your Pumpkin and Blue Cheese Lasagne is ready!
Leave to cool for 10 minutes and serve. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Re-heat in the microwave or in the oven.