ISO: ISO recipe for pumpkin lasagna (did anyone watch Bravo's Top Chef?)

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ruthsf

Well-known member
If you watched Bravo's new show, Top Chef, one of the recipes presented was a pumpkin lasagna baked in a small sugar pumpkin. The judges reviewed it favorably (within the top 3 of 12) but no recipe has been provided for that dish on Bravo's website. I just wondered if anyone got a good description of the preparation - or - has seen a recipe for such a concoction?

It seems silly, in Spring, to be thinking pumpkin but I can't get that dish out of my mind so decided to start combing through recipes in order to create something similar (so I've Googled, FinerK'd, Epi'd, etc). If anyone has seen a link to the actual recipe; has a really good description of the dish from the show; or ideas on what they think would make a superb pumpkin lasagna, I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks in advance,

Ruth

 
I agree with you! I watched the repeat, got the verbal...

description written down and it was along the lines of orange/sage pasta, the hollowed baby sugar pumpkin, parmigiano, with golden raisins & apple gastrique. Sounds great for a vegetarian entree, I've decided I'll go in the direction of duck/orange/herb/pumpkin for flavors. I may experiment a bit, it's still so cold here it feels like Winter, but will wait to try it full out until Fall comes and it's fresh pumpkin season again.

I agree with you though... top 3 recipes Would be nice!

Thanks,

R.

 
here are 2 that are in my to try files.

Tortelli Of Butternut Squash With Brown Butter recipe By Todd English posted by charlie at gails swap (50423)
***BUTTERNUT SQUASH FILLING***
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 cups butternut squash -- peeled, diced (about 1 large or 2 small) up to 6 cups
1/2 cup amaretti di Saronna cookie -- ground
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
***DOUGH***
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour -- (about)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
semolina flour -- for sprinkling
***BROWN BUTTER***
1 cup unsalted butter -- (2 sticks)
1tablespoon fresh sage -- chopped
1teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the butternut squash. Cook until the squash is just starting to caramelize and is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the water to cover and cook until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
Transfer the squash to a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the amaretti, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper and blend until smooth.
Flour a large cutting board or work surface. Place 2 cups of the flour and the salt on the board and make a wide well in it. Place the eggs and egg yolks in the well. With a fork, follow the perimeter of the well, bringing in small amounts of flour and continuing all the way around, until gradually most of the flour is absorbed. If necessary, add up to 1/2 cup of the remaining flour. Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Put the dough through a pasta machine, folding into halves each time and reinserting 15 to 20 times, to knead
it. Continue until the pasta is paper-thin. Lay out the sheets of dough and cut them into 4-inch squares; you should have about 40 to 42 squares. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling on one corner of each square. Fold over the filled portion, press down around the filling, and place on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper and sprinkled with semolina.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until it begins to foam and brown, about 4 minutes. Add the sage, salt and pepper. Bring a large pot of water, salted if desired, to a boil over high heat. Add
the tortelli and cook until they are tender, about 3 minutes. Toss with the brown butter and Parmesan and serve immediately.

Butternut Squash Ravioli: Agnolotti di Zucca posted at cyber kitchen from foodnetwork, Recipe courtesy of Scala's, San Francisco, CA

1 cup small dice butternut squash, roasted and fork mashed
1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons, flaked
1 orange, zested
Salt
Pepper
Grated nutmeg
1 pound spinach pasta sheets, recipe follows
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
10 sage leaves

Mix butternut squash, ricotta, Parmesan, and orange zest. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Brush pasta sheet with beaten egg and cut into 4-inch squares. Spoon squash filling in the middle of pasta square and fold over. Cut excess pasta with round dough cutter into half moon shape. Place on floured tray.

Boil agnolotti in salted water until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and place on a platter. Add butter and sage leaves to a medium sized saute pan and place over medium high heat. Cook butter and sage until butter is golden brown. Spoon butter and sage over agnolotti and sprinkle with flaked Parmesan.

Use to fill cooked pasta shells, cover with a white sauce seasoned generously with grated nutmeg, sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and heat through in a 350 oven for about 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly. These are also very good with a light curry sauce.
NOTE: original made the dough for the ravioli

 
here are 2 that are in my to try files.

Tortelli Of Butternut Squash With Brown Butter recipe By Todd English posted by charlie at gails swap (50423)
***BUTTERNUT SQUASH FILLING***
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 cups butternut squash -- peeled, diced (about 1 large or 2 small) up to 6 cups
1/2 cup amaretti di Saronna cookie -- ground
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
***DOUGH***
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour -- (about)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
semolina flour -- for sprinkling
***BROWN BUTTER***
1 cup unsalted butter -- (2 sticks)
1tablespoon fresh sage -- chopped
1teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the butternut squash. Cook until the squash is just starting to caramelize and is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the water to cover and cook until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
Transfer the squash to a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the amaretti, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper and blend until smooth.
Flour a large cutting board or work surface. Place 2 cups of the flour and the salt on the board and make a wide well in it. Place the eggs and egg yolks in the well. With a fork, follow the perimeter of the well, bringing in small amounts of flour and continuing all the way around, until gradually most of the flour is absorbed. If necessary, add up to 1/2 cup of the remaining flour. Divide the dough into 2 pieces. Put the dough through a pasta machine, folding into halves each time and reinserting 15 to 20 times, to knead
it. Continue until the pasta is paper-thin. Lay out the sheets of dough and cut them into 4-inch squares; you should have about 40 to 42 squares. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the filling on one corner of each square. Fold over the filled portion, press down around the filling, and place on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper and sprinkled with semolina.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until it begins to foam and brown, about 4 minutes. Add the sage, salt and pepper. Bring a large pot of water, salted if desired, to a boil over high heat. Add
the tortelli and cook until they are tender, about 3 minutes. Toss with the brown butter and Parmesan and serve immediately.

Butternut Squash Ravioli: Agnolotti di Zucca posted at cyber kitchen from foodnetwork, Recipe courtesy of Scala's, San Francisco, CA

1 cup small dice butternut squash, roasted and fork mashed
1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons, flaked
1 orange, zested
Salt
Pepper
Grated nutmeg
1 pound spinach pasta sheets, recipe follows
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
10 sage leaves

Mix butternut squash, ricotta, Parmesan, and orange zest. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Brush pasta sheet with beaten egg and cut into 4-inch squares. Spoon squash filling in the middle of pasta square and fold over. Cut excess pasta with round dough cutter into half moon shape. Place on floured tray.

Boil agnolotti in salted water until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and place on a platter. Add butter and sage leaves to a medium sized saute pan and place over medium high heat. Cook butter and sage until butter is golden brown. Spoon butter and sage over agnolotti and sprinkle with flaked Parmesan.

Use to fill cooked pasta shells, cover with a white sauce seasoned generously with grated nutmeg, sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and heat through in a 350 oven for about 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly. These are also very good with a light curry sauce.
NOTE: original made the dough for the ravioli

 
Maybe it's me but I find Butternut squash or pumpkin too sweet as a filling for ravioli or as .....

an ingredient in lasagna. While there are many dishes mixing sweet with savory that I do like, I often find some mixtures unsatisfactory--this is one of them.

 
Many are sweet...

especially with the introduction of crushed amaretti but there are truly savory versions, with fried sage leaves, and the introduction of something acidic (balsamic, wine, something most recipes seem to lack) to help balance the natural sweetness of the squash. If it's not your taste treat, I understand, but I happen to love it!

Thanks Fruffy for posting those recipes, I'm thinking of something else entirely for the lasagna but, I especially appreciated receiving Scala's recipe for the squash ravioli!

Thanks,

R.

 
I did the firt recipe but used wonton skins instead of making my own dough. turned out great and ...

a lot less work! I froze the extras and will will be having them tonight! I did have "complaints" about the sweetness level so next time sub breadcrumbs for all or part of the amaretti. However *I* liked them.

 
Here's a squash lasagne that i copied but have not tried. Pumpkin could easily be used.

Squash and Caramelized Onion Lasagna
Canadian Living – November 1996

This twist on lasagna is great for a Saturday night get-together. Serve with salad and a special loaf of bread. You will need about 4 cups squash cubes to yield 1½ cups purée. Use hubbard, butternut or buttercup varieties.

1/3 c butter
4 large onions, sliced
½ c all purpose flour
4 c milk
½ c parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp nutmeg
9 lasagna noodles
3 c broccoli, chopped

Squash Filling:
1 1/3 c light ricotta cheese
1 1/3 c squash purée
1 egg
1 egg yolk
½ c fresh bread crumbs
2 T parmesan cheese, freshly grated
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
pinch nutmeg
In skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter; reduce heat to medium-low and cook onions, stirring occasionally, for 35 to 45 minutes or until soft and golden. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in heavy saucepan, melt remaining butter over medium heat. Stir in flour; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring, for 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in ¼ cup of the cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water; cook noodles for 8 to 10 minutes or until almost tender. Reserving cooking liquid, remove from pot; rinse in cold water. Arrange in single layer on clean damp tea towel.

Squash Filling: In food processor, pulse ricotta with squash purée until very smooth. Transfer to large bowl; stir in egg, egg yolk, bread crumbs, cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg until well blended. Set aside.

Return reserved cooking liquid to boil. Add broccoli and cook for about 2 minutes or until almost tender. Drain. Refresh under cold water; drain again.

Set aside 1 cup of the cheese sauce. Arrange 3 noodles in single layer in greased 13x9” baking dish. Spread with half each of the squash filling, broccoli, onions and remaining cheese sauce. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles and reserved cheese sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake in 375°F oven for about 40 minutes or until light golden and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

 
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