With the long weekend approaching we’ve paired up with Tori from Intothesauce to bring you a cosy autumn pumpkin lasagne recipe.
We chatted with Tori to find out where the inspiration for Intothesauce came from, her top tips for hosting a long lunch and favourite Kachel Autumn 2022 styles.
Burnt Butter & Sage Pumpkin Lasagne
Ingredients:
1.5g kent pumpkin
100g butter
1 bunch sage, leaves picked (20 leaves)
500g ricotta
200ml creme fraiche
200g Parmesan, grated (Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano)
120g baby spinach, roughly chopped
30g olive oil
3 shallots, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped, sliced or grated
6 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
375g pack instant lasagne sheets
400g fresh mozzarella, sliced
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C
2. Slice pumpkin into large wedges and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper
3. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then bake for 30-45 minutes, until golden and tender
4. Cook butter and sage over medium heat for a few minutes, until the butter is foamy and milk solids have browned
5. Transfer to a large bowl, and stir through ricotta, creme fraiche, 150g Parmesan and baby spinach. Season to taste and set aside
6. In your burnt butter pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and saute shallots, garlic and thyme until softened
7. In a large bowl, mash the cooked pumpkin flesh (scoop out of its skin) until smooth but still with a little texture remaining, then stir through ¼ cup of water, shallot mix and apple cider vinegar and season to taste
8. Rub oil on the base of a large oven dish (approx 25x40cm)
9. Assemble your lasagne in the following order of layers: pasta sheets, pumpkin mix, and ricotta mix. Repeat until all the sauce and filling have been used. I did five layers of pasta, meaning ¼ of the pumpkin and ricotta mix was used on each layer. Make sure the pasta sheets are fully submerged in sauce, or they won't cook properly
10. Top the final layer of pasta sheets with sliced mozzarella, followed by the remaining 50g Parmesan
11. Cover with foil and bake at 180°C for 50 minutes, until pasta is cooked through and lasagne is bubbling at the sides. If the baking dish is quite full and you think it might bubble over, put a foil-lined tray underneath it in the oven to catch any drippings
12. To finish, remove the foil and change the oven to the grill setting on high heat
13. Grill for 5-10 minutes until the top is your perfect level of golden brown. Make sure you don't walk away from the grill (or if you do, set timers for 30 seconds-1 minute) as it can burn quickly
14. Remove from the oven and let it settle for at least 10 mins (20 minutes is ideal), then serve!
Get to know Tori from Intothesauce
Tell us a little about yourself …
I have always had a love of food, which led me to train and work as a chef after I finished school. I completely switched careers as I wanted to live the corporate life, and my last job before starting Into The Sauce was working in social media marketing in the hair and beauty industry. I decided to take my two passions and skills, being food and cooking, and combine them. The hustle has been worth it; I'm now lucky enough to do Into The Sauce full time!
What are your top tips for hosting a long lunch?
I like to prepare as much as I can the day before, even down to setting the table if that's possible. A to-do list is a must. Dressing the table with placemats and napkins can go a long way in evoking a special feeling to the day. Good music is key. Lastly, don't put too much pressure on yourself! Hosting should be enjoyable, not stressful. You're with friends and family; if something goes wrong, it doesn't matter or need to be pointed out.
Where can hosts go wrong when planning a dinner/lunch occasion?
Leaving a lot of time-consuming prep tasks (i.e., chopping onion/garlic, grating Parmesan, slow cooking on the day) until the day of.
What is your signature fail-proof dish?
My vodka pasta sauce is hard to ruin! Unless you count the time I left the shallots on the stove, forgot I was cooking and came back to a blackened pan and smoke-filled kitchen.
Favourite style from our Autumn 2022 Collection?
I love the Verity Dress and Maple Cardigan! An absolutely perfect AW duo.
Ultimate dinner party playlist?
Fleetwood Mac or Queen get played a lot at my dinner parties. Crowd pleasers for both family and friends.
Tori is pictured wearing our Verity Dress and Maple Cardigan. You can see more from Tori at intothesauce here.