Hello pumpkin season!!
Saucy, healthy baked pumpkin pasta made with creamy roasted butternut, ground turkey marinara, layered with a light béchamel sauce. This easy, cheesy pumpkin pasta bake is a wonderful twist on fall pasta dishes, it’s hearty, creamy, tad spicy, cheesy but not heavy and so so delicious.
Oh, how I love you, butternut season. Maybe it’s the versatility of this wonderful veggie that I never get tired of making all fall and winter. It can be used Thai, Indian, Mediterranean, Italian, American, Japanese and so many cuisines from around the world-sweet savory, spicy and everything in between.
I had been dreaming up a new and unique ways to use up squashes last fall and remembered this simple yet incredibly delicious pasta recipe I made last winter with rich roasted butternut, Kabocha squash and acorn squash. The result was an incredibly flavorful, creamy rich sauce. This recipe starts with a base made with roasted squash and layered with spicy turkey marinara and light yet cheesy béchamel sauce.
One of the best parts about this absolutely delicious butternut pasta is that it’s made with just a handful of ingredients. While it seems so simple, the flavor combo in this dish is out-of-this-world good. Here’s what you’ll need to make it.
Ingredient Highlights
- Roasted butternut: I like to keep it simple here and use easily available butternut, you could use acorn, kabocha or honey nut. Simply roast them, scoop out the meat and set side.
- Ground Turkey Marinara: I’m a fan of ground turkey. It’s so easy to make paasta recipes, with the nutritional profile it’s a no-brainer. I use the 94% lean ground turkey, but you could also use leaner, however it won’t be as flavorful or moist. I also like to bump up the veggies and replace part of the meat with minced veggies along with garlic, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, fennel, a little cinnamon, chilli flakes and a jar of marinara sauce. Finally, I added some crisped sage leaves to give it a beautiful, fall flavor and taste. It’s pure love.
- Vegetables: a combination of onion, carrot and celery replaces part of the turkey to bump up the veggie factor. You could totally use all meat if you prefer.
- Lasagna Sheets: I love to use fresh whole grain lasagna sheets in this recipe for a nice boost of whole grains. Boxed lasagna noodles work perfectly, follow the instructions to use.
- Béchamel Sauce: I used oat milk to make the creamy sauce then added some mozzarella for a rich creamy sauce.
- Cheese: I added mozzarella to the cream sauce for texture. Also between the layers, I sprinkled parmesan, this contributes so much flavor, you’ll love it.
Butternut Spicy Turkey Lasagna
Ingredients
- 8-10 oz fresh lasagna sheets if using dry follow the instructions on the box
- 8-12 oz 94% lean ground Turkey or chicken
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 2-3 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- ¾ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 Heaped tsp Italian seasoning or dried oregano
- 8-10 fresh sage leaves
- ½-1 tsp chilli flakes
- ½ tsp fennel seeds, lightly pounded
- sea salt and black pepper as needed
- 1 jar Classic marinara sauce, about 12-14 oz
Butternut Layer
- 1½ lb butternut cut in half
- olive oil to brush or spray
- sea salt and black pepper
- ¼ cup Parmesan, freshly grated
Béchamel Sauce
- 2-2½ cups milk, regular or plant based
- 2 tbsp a.p. Flour you may not need all of it
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 6-8 oz fresh mozzarella
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Cut the butternut in half spray or brush with a little oil, season with salt and pepper and roast cut side down for 20 minutes or until the butternut is cooked. Scoop out all the pulp, mash with a fork or blender and set aside. Lower the oven temperature to 375°F.
- While the butternut roasts warm 1 tablespoon butter in a sauce pan over low heat. Add the all purpose flour and sauté for 20 seconds. Slowly pour the milk whisking constantly. Bring it up to a gentle simmer. Season with salt, black pepper, and 1/2 the nutmeg. Stir constantly to prevent lumps. Once the milk has thickened take it off the heat add add 3/4s of the mozzarella.
- In a separate pan add and heat the olive oil. Add the sage leaves and fry until crisp for 1 minute. Remove to a paper towel. Now Add the chopped veggies and cook until soft. Add the ground Turkey meat and cook until no longer pink. Add the Italian seasoning, cinnamon, nutmeg, fennel, chili flakes and the marinara sauce. Cook for 10-12 minutes till the meat has fully cooked and the veggies are soft.
Assembly
- In a large baking dish, about the size of the lasagna thinly spread a layer of Turkey sauce. Place lasagna sheets to cover the sauce. Add the remaining turkey sauce and spread it over the lasagna sheets. Cover with another layer of lasagna sheet.
- Add the roasted butternut and spread evenly. Sprinkle 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, followed by a layer of lasagna. The final layer is the cheese sauce spread evenly topped with the remaining mozzarella. Garnish with the sage leaves and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Once done baking remove and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.
I make this recipe all the time! Thought I would leave a rating to show my appriciation!