Golden, cheesy, and bubbling with fall flavors, this pumpkin & sausage layer-less style lasagna is cozy comfort food without the fuss of layering. Tender lasagna noodles are tossed in a creamy pumpkin sage sauce with savory Italian sausage, then baked under a blanket of mozzarella, Parmesan, and dollops of herbed ricotta. It’s the perfect fall dinner to serve family style, straight from the oven.
Make Ahead & Storage
- Make Ahead: Cook the pasta and pumpkin–sausage sauce up to 1 day in advance. Store separately in the fridge. When ready to bake, toss together with cheese, assemble, and bake as directed.
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through, or microwave individual portions.
- Freeze: Assemble the lasagna (without baking) and freeze tightly wrapped for up to 2 months. Bake straight from frozen, adding 10–15 extra minutes of cook time.
Recipe Notes
- Swap Italian sausage for spicy sausage if you want heat.
- Add sautéed spinach or kale to the pumpkin–sausage sauce for extra greens.
- A drizzle of brown butter or balsamic glaze makes an elegant finishing touch.
Pumpkin & Sage Layer-less Lasagna
Yield:
6-8
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
25 minutes
Total Time:
45 minutes
Ingredients
For the lasagna
- 1lb fresh or dried lasagna sheets (broken into 3–4 pieces each)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin purée
- 12–15 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt & black pepper, to taste
- 1 (16 oz) block low-moisture mozzarella, shredded (about 4 cups), divided
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan, divided
Ricotta dollops
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ½ cup pumpkin purée
- 10 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt, to taste
For garnish
- Fresh sage leaves
Instructions
- Break lasagna sheets into 3–4 pieces each. Parboil in salted water for about 4 minutes until pliable but not fully cooked. Drain, toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, and set aside.
- In a small bowl, stir together ricotta, pumpkin purée, sage, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until browned and cooked through. Stir in heavy cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened. Add pumpkin purée and chopped sage. Stir until combined and creamy.
- Toss the cooked pasta with the pumpkin–sausage sauce. Mix in half the shredded mozzarella and half the Parmesan until evenly coated.
- Lightly oil a 9x13 baking dish. Spread the pasta mixture evenly in the dish. Dollop the ricotta mixture on top (about 6 dollops across the surface). Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Bake at 425°F for 25–30 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Garnish with fresh sage leaves. Enjoy!