This year's Christmas Feast

Pumpkin Lasagna (before baking)

I decided to make this for Christmas this year because I was a little short on time and energy and needed something easy but festive. It comes together pretty fast if you do the no boil version.

Pumpkin Lasagna

Tofu artichoke filling:

2 1-lb packages firm tofu, mashed coarsely

1 15 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 cup chopped onion (I used frozen)

1 tbsp dried basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp bouquet garni or similar seasoning mix

¾ tsp salt

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

a dash or two of lemon pepper

1 29 oz can pumpkin puree

½ cup soymilk

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp sage

a dash or two each onion and garlic powder

up to 1/3 cup sweetener

lasagna noodles

soy cheese or more nutritional yeast or breadcrumbs (optional)

Mash tofu until it is crumbled into small chunks.  Add other filling ingredients and stir well. 

Stir together pumpkin with soymilk, spices and sweetener.

Mid-Assembly

At this point you can either precook the lasagna noodles or not.  This is a moist recipe that will actually work with raw noodles if you like. This would save time and result in a final product that is firmer and holds together better. If you are more comfortable cooking the noodles though, go ahead.

Assemble the lasagna: Spread a thin layer of pumpkin sauce over the bottom of your baking pan. Place a layer of noodles on top. Next comes a portion of the tofu filling, then more sauce, more noodles, etc repeated until everything is used up. The last two layers should be noodles then sauce, with the noodles well covered enough to keep from getting crunchy.  Sprinkle with nutritional yeast, breadcrumbs, or another crunchy topping if you like. If you want to put a little shredded soy cheese on top, I’d wait until the last ten minutes.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Variations: 

The tofu filling works just as well in a standard tomato lasagna.

You could also add cubed roasted butternut squash to either the sauce or the filling for more texture.

A bechamel would be a nice addition for a creamier final product.

For more lasagna variations, see this post.

Partially decimated