November 20, 2020

Pumpkin Lasagna Rollups with Zucchi EVOO

Name: Pumpkin Lasagna Rollups
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Zucchi Chili Pepper Extra Virgin Oil (their regular EVOOs work as well!); 4 cups fresh spinach; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree; 1 cup chicken stock; 1/2 lemon, juiced; 1/3 cup milk (dairy or non dairy); salt and pepper; 12 sheets of lasagna, cooked; 15 oz part-skim ricotta; 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated; 1 egg; 8 oz fresh mozzarella; 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Recipes, Dinner, Pasta, Vegetarian

These pumpkin lasagna rollups are the perfect cozy fall meal!

We’re all familiar with lasagna right? Layers of pasta and sauce and cheese, baked to bubbling perfection. How could it not be a family favorite, right?! Well, I was thinking about pumpkin recipes this season, and I wanted to make something really cozy this month. Maybe even something you could serve with a turkey or chicken for a scaled back Thanksgiving. Our holidays might look different this year, but they can still be delicious, right?

And that’s when I came up with Pumpkin Lasagna Rollups! Instead of tomato sauce, this play on lasagna uses a silky pumpkin sauce that covers pasta rolled around an indulgent ricotta and spinach mixture – and I used my new favorite Zucchi chili pepper EVOO to counter any sweetness. The result is creamy, cheesy, comfort food that you’ll want to make all fall and winter long.

Before we get to the recipe, I need to tell you more about Zucchi 1810 and their AMAZING extra virgin olive oils. They are a family-owned Italian company based in Cremona, Italy. They produce sustainable, traceable EVOO blends, and every single one has exceeded me expectations. I shouldn’t have been surprised though – they’ve been doing this for more than two centuries and they are still constantly researching ways to improve the production process so they can achieve even higher levels of quality. If you love high quality olive oil, you will LOVE Zucchi 1810. You can find some of them at Fresh Thyme in Chicago, or purchase online!

Pumpkin Lasagna Rollups

Ingredients

2 tbsp Zucchi Chili Pepper Extra Virgin Olive Oil (their regular EVOOs work as well!)
4 cups fresh spinach
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/3 cup milk (dairy or non dairy)
salt and pepper
12 sheets of lasagna, cooked
15 oz part-skim ricotta
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg
8 oz fresh mozzarella
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat your casserole dish if it’s not nonstick and set aside. (Mine is 9×15, but anything around 3.5 qt capacity will work!)

2. Heat 1 tbsp of Zucchi’s Chili Pepper Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or regular EVOO) in a pan over medium heat. Add 1 clove of minced garlic and about 4 cups of spinach to the pan. Cook until the spinach has wilted down and remove from heat. Set a colander on top of a bowl and let the excess moisture in the spinach drain into the bowl while you prepare the other ingredients.

3. Add another tablespoon of Zucchi chili pepper EVOO to your pan with another 2 cloves of minced garlic to your saucepan over medium heat.

4. Open the can of pureed pumpkin and put 2 tbsp into a bowl and set aside. Add the rest directly into your pan with the garlic.

5. Add 1 cup of chicken stock and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

6. Continue stirring as the pumpkin smooths out into the broth and simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Add the milk and cook for another 3-5 minutes and then turn the heat off.

7. Bring a large pot to a boil and cook the lasagna sheets according to the package instructions. Drain and run under cool water so they don’t burn your fingers during assembly! (I always make a few backup sheets in case I break one.)

8. Add your spinach (without the excess liquid), the 2 tbsp of pumpkin you set aside, 15 oz part-skim ricotta, 1/3 cup grated parmesan, 1 egg, and salt and pepper to a large bowl and stir to combine.

9. Spoon a thin layer of the pumpkin sauce to the bottom of your baking dish.

10. Lay a lasagna sheet out on a clean flat surface. Spoon a few tablespoons of filling onto one end and then spread that out to cover the whole sheet. Once that’s done, roll it up and place it seam side down in the dish. Repeat until the baking dish is full and the filling is gone.

11. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the baking dish, making sure to cover each lasagna roll.

12. Top with thin slices of fresh mozzarella cheese.

13. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.

14. Take the foil off and broil for 8-10 more minutes, rotating the dish halfway through. (Don’t leave your kitchen during this! All broilers are different, so you’ll want to keep an eye on this!)

15. Top with fresh parsley and enjoy!

The Different Kinds of Zucchi Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Thinking about placing an order for some Zucchi extra virgin olive oil, but not sure which ones to get? This breakdown of each option should help you out! (Except it also might make you want all of them ?)

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This one is made from organically-farmed European olives that have ben harvested by hand. It is light and lovely and perfect for salad dressings, light fish dishes, and vegetables.

Italiano Sustainable Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This oil is a lot more strong and full-flavored. It’s produced with 100% Italian olives and it’s great as a finishing oil on salads, bruschetta, or any homemade dips and appetizers.

Heritage Sustainable Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I’ve been using this one a LOT because it has a really versatile flavor. It is made from a blend of sustainably grown European olives, and you can use it to sauté your food or just as a finishing oil.

Garlic-Flavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This oil has real flakes of garlic inside and it has the most delicious roasted garlic flavor. I’ve been using it mostly in marinades and salad dressings so far!

Chili Pepper-Flavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil

This is the one I used for this recipe!! I love that it has dried red chili peppers inside each bottle to add just a little bit of spice to your dishes. We always ask for the chili oil whenever we go to Spacca Napoli, and this tastes just like theirs! It’s great in dishes like this, on top of pizza, in marinades, you name it. Give me all the spice!

Pesto-Flavored Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Oh my goodness, guys. This pesto flavored oil is OUT OF THIS WORLD. It is infused with all of the ingredients I use to make my own pesto: basil, parsley, cheese, pine nuts, and garlic. I first tried it on a little homemade pan con tomate and I couldn’t stop raving about it until I got Adam to dip some bread into it, too. It’s also amazing on a caprese salad, fish, chicken, or even as a finisher on top of lentil soup.

Tips For Making & Serving Pumpkin Rollups

How To Keep The Rollups Together

The key to keeping the rollups together is to roll them tightly and place them seam side DOWN. As long as you do that, they should stay rolled!

Use High Quality Ingredients

The key to simple recipes is to use high quality ingredients – like a really fresh mozzarella cheese and a really great olive oil! Cough Zucchi cough 😉

Ingredient Substitutions

If you are gluten free or dairy free, you can still make this recipe happen! There are a lot of brands that make gluten free lasagna sheets, dariy-free mozzarella cheese, and I know of at least one brand that makes a plant-based ricotta cheese (or you can make it yourself!). The only ingredient you would just have to leave out is the parmesan cheese. I don’t know of a good alternative for that – I’m sorry!

You can also feel free to use garlic powder if you’re out of garlic or you just don’t feel like mincing!

What Baking Dish To Use

I used a baking dish that is 9×15, and I fit 3 rows with 4 rolls across each row. That being said, as long as your baking dish is deep enough to hold the rolls and the capacity is around 3-3.5 quarts, you’re good to go!

Prep Ahead and Bake Later

If you are making this on a busy day, you can definitely prep it up to 12 hours before you need to serve it. Follow all of the steps as is, but stop when it’s time to bake. Instead, cover it and transfer to the refrigerator. Then take it out 35 minutes before serving to bake it so it’s hot and bubbly when you’re ready to eat!