Creamy Chicken and Pumpkin Lasagna

This fall I have been all about the pumpkins, and this was my favourite use: a layer of roasted chicken, kale and mornay sauce, another layer of roasted pumpkin purée and of course, cheese - bocconcini to be exact - all combined into one delicious lasagna. This dish is warm, comforting, and full of colour and flavour.

Creamy Chicken and Pumpkin Lasagna

Here is a list of all the ingredients:

• Fresh or dried pasta sheets - enough for one large pan. Follow instructions on box if you get the boil first variety.
• 1 pint of bocconcini, or more if desired, diced - you want a couple cups worth once diced
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Asiago
• 4 chicken breasts
• 8-10 one inch slices of sugar pumpkin
• 1 large onion, cut into wedges
• 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 large bunch kale, any variety that you prefer
• salt and pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly chopped herbs - I used oregano and thyme
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 5 Tbsp butter
• 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk - I used 3%
  
  

My lasagna had three big layers: creamy chicken, pumpkin purée and bocconcini.

Pumpkin Purée:

• 8-10 one inch slices of sugar pumpkin
• 1 large onion, cut into wedges
• 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
• salt and pepper
• extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly chopped herbs - I used oregano and thyme
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Arrange pumpkin, onion, and garlic on a pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400◦ for about 30 minutes, or until pumpkin is soft and onions and garlic are golden brown. You will have to flip and maybe even remove the garlic and onions before the pumpkin is done to ensure they don't blacken. Let cool. Scoop pumpkin flesh from the rind and purée in food processor with the the onions and garlic, along with any juices, until smooth. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired along with any chopped herbs and the nutmeg.

Creamy Chicken:

Once you have made each component, the instructions are listed below, mix sauce, chicken and kale together. Try not to drink the sauce - it's pure Heaven.

Sauce:

I used Mario Batali's recipe for Béchamel sauce, making it a mornay sauce simply by adding some grated Asiago - about 1/2 cup. You could go with either. The recipe is here.

Roasted Chicken:

• 4 chicken breasts
• Extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper

Place chicken breats on a pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on some salt and pepper. Roast at 400◦ for 45-50 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Let it cool and cut into cubes.

Kale:

• 1 large bunch of kale, whichever variety you prefer, cut into small pieces with thick stems removed.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in kale and blanch for about 2-5 minutes, or until kale is somewhat softened - I like mine to retain a bit of crunch. Drain and rinse with cold water.

To Assemble:

Now for the fun part! Most of your work is done by this point. Soon you will be enjoying the lovely aromas emanating from your oven.....

• A layer of pasta
• All the creamy chicken mixture
• A layer of pasta
• Most of the bocconcini - reserve about a quarter of it for the top
• A layer of pasta
• The pumpkin purée
• A layer of pasta
• Reserved bocconcini and the Asiago sprinkled on top

Place in a 375◦ oven for about 45 minutes. If top becomes too brown, cover it with foil. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving. Cut into slices and enjoy!

Wine Pairing: We enjoyed a lovely Montepulciano d'Abruzzo with this creamy lasagna.