lasagna that will make you wet

I have a real knack for coming up with amazing ideas and then not executing them. I decided that my co-workers and I should each make something with pumpkin in it and bring it to work. One co-worker brought in this amazing pumpkin soup with potatoes and sausage in it. My other co-worker made a crust-less pumpkin pie and she brought in Trader Joe's pumpkin ice cream. Fucking yum!

As you can deduct, even though this was my amazing idea, I was the last one to bring something in. I'm super smart and I ended up leaving all my cooking for the weekend before Halloween. That was the same weekend I dressed up like a juggalette (WHOOP, WHOOP) and drank myself drunk.

SUNDAY MORNING: hung over and angry, "I fucking hate everything..."

(moments later) 

"GOD DAMN IT, I HAVE TO COOK" 

Good thing earlier in the week I got an email from the food gods (a.k.a. The Food Network) which totally saved my ass. The recipe is from Chef Robert. That's the giant, Russian soldier looking dude with the glasses. Honestly, I would be scared to eat anything he cooked. However, this recipe is fucking MONEY. 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/pumpkin-lasagna-recipe/index.html

I'll give you the recipe the way it should have been cooked and then I'll give you the lazy ass shortcuts I took, which still resulted in a pantie dropping lasagna.

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin puree (I used the can stuff that doesn't have any spices already added) 

1.5 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil (I've been using grape seed oil lately which works just fine too) 

1 medium onion, diced 

4-6 cloves garlic, sliced 

1 pound spicy Italian sausage or chicken sausage (I made one spicy Italian and one chicken. I have to say the chicken was meh. I would recommend adding more tomato sauce since it doesn't give off the same amount of fat as they spicy Italian. Also if you are using chicken, I would add some red pepper flakes to give it the kick that it deserves) 

1/2 cup red wine (I used whatever was laying around and open) 

1 28oz can tomato sauce (I had those giant cans of Hunts Onion and Garlic sauces laying around so I used those instead of the plain kind) 

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (ain't nobody got time for fresh basil so I used 2 TBSP dried) 

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (ain't no time for fresh parsley either so I used 2 TBSP dried) 

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 

salt and pepper, to taste 

1 16oz box of lasagna noodles (the thought of boiling noodles made my head want to explode so I got the ones that you can just throw in the mix without precooking. whoever invented that shit is my hero) 

1 large egg 

2.5 cups ricotta cheese 

1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (since I was making two I got one of those big bricks of cheese and then grated it in my food processor. It made it a lot finer than I wanted but it worked out really well) 

1/2 cup shredded Romano cheese 

1 large zucchini, very thinly sliced (I used a knife to do this step. It's not the easiest. If you have a slicer use that shit here and save your fingers) 

All of my cheeses and herbs. 

Chopped onion, garlic and pumpkin in the sieve  I had to light a candle because all those onions were making me emotional. 

Okay, there's a handful of steps here, ready?  

1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place your pumpkin puree in a sieve over a bowl and set is aside to drain.

2) THE SAUCE: Heat 1 TBSP oil in a medium pot or pan. Throw your onions in and saute for about 6 mins. Add your garlic and cook for about a 1 min. Add whichever sausage you are going to use. Break it up and make sure it all browns. Pour in your wine and cook until reduced by half. You should probably pour a glass for yourself as well. Once your wine is reduced add in your tomato sauce (remember to add a bit more if you are using chicken sausage). Throw in your fresh or DRIED (wink) herbs as well and let that delicious goodness simmer for 15 mins. If you are using chicken sausage then throw in some red pepper flakes to add heat to your sauce. Or not. You vagina. 

Chicken Sausage with red wine reducing 

Spicy Italian sausage sauteed with onions and garlic 

3) WOO!! Is your mouth watering yet? Yeah? Go clean that shit up. You aren't done yet.

4) In one bowl, mix your pumpkin with that 1 egg and add some salt and pepper. In a whole separate bowl...I have to point this shit out just in case you are drunk...in that separate bowl mix the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella and the Romano.

5) TIME TO BUILD THAT BITCH! Use a 9x13 baking dish.

Layers:

sauce 

noodles 

half of pumpkin mixture 

half of zucchini 

half of cheese mixture 

sauce 

noodles 

rest of pumpkin mixture 

rest of zucchini 

rest of cheese mixture 

sauce 

noodles 

sauce 

finish it off with a shit ton of mozzarella 

Chicken sausage dish 

 Spicy Italian dish

6) The dish is going to be HEAVY. Make sure you get your oven ready ahead of time. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes. I would check it half way through and make sure your cheese isn't burning. If it starts to brown too soon then throw some foil on top and let the dish finish cooking. 

7) CALM DOWN AND LET IT COOL. DAMN! Wait at least 15 minutes and enjoy your hard work! 

I was hungry so I forgot to get a shot of the chicken sausage lasagna. This is the Italian sausage dish,  as you can see the cheese burnt a little, OOPS. But it was still SO FUCKING DELICIOUS. 

I hope you all enjoy this dish! ~ Ashika