A beautiful combination of seasonal fall flavors and classic italian comfort. This is what comes to mind as you bite into a fork full of creamy, fresh pumpkin lasagna with four cheese bechamel from Domenica Marchetti’s words. This is a recipe sure to please any picky dinner party guest or husband alike. The fresh pumpkin incorporated in the dough showcases the ingredient in a way that is not too heavy, but rather light. It genuinely melts in your mouth as your teeth cut through the layers of pasta and sauce. This is a classic in my household after making it only one time, and many times to come. ❤

Pumpkin Lasagna Noodle Dough

• 1/2 c puree organic pumpkin
• 2 extra large eggs
• 2 c. 00 flour, or all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. semolina flour, plus more for dusting the surface
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg.

For the dough: whisk together in a small bowl the pumpkin and egg. In a seperate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and nutmeg until combined. Add the pumpkin/egg mixture and fold until combined well. Knead on a dusted board until combined well and forms a ball. Knead using the palm of your hand, rotating the dough 1/4 turns gently but firmly until becomes elastic. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes in plastic wrap.

Bechamel Sauce:

• 3 c. whole milk
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1/4 c. all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

For the Sauce: Pour the milk into a small saucepan and bring just hardly to a boil over medium heat. Remove the pan from the heat and put aside. In a seperate saucepan, add the butter and melt. Add the hot milk and whisk constantly. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes to thicken. Season with salt and pepper, nutmeg, and remove from heat and set aside for assembly.

For the Lasagna: 

• 8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
• 3 c. freshly grated good italian pargmigiano reggiano
• 10 oz. crumbled gorgonzola
• 8 oz. shredded fontina
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter

Spread a clean cloth near the stove and cook the lasagna noodles in salted water until very al dente, for fresh pasta, this will only be three minutes or so. You don’t want to cook the noodles a normal amount because the will finish in the oven. After cooking, place in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and then onto the clean cloth.

Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly coat a 9×13 with the butter.

Spread a thin layer of bechamel sauce on the bottom. Arrange a single layer of noodles over the sauce, and then spread just enough bechamel to cover the noodles. Sprinkle half the mozzarella as well as some parmigiano. Arrange another layer of noodles and some more bechamel over it. Sprinkle the gorgonzola and some more parmigiano over tha. Arrange a third layer of noodles on top and cover with bechamel, sprinkling  with fontina and more parmigiano. Add a fourth layer of pasta and spread bechamel, making sure you have some sauce left for the top. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and a little parmigiano on top. Cover the final layer of noodles and bechamel. Sprinkle the top with the rest of the parmigiano. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Uncover, and bake for another 15 minutes until bubbling and goden brown. Let it sit out of the oven for 15 minutes before cutting. Serve immediately. Buon appetito!