There’s a moment in late October when the first pumpkins appear at Italian markets, heaped in orange and green piles, and kitchens everywhere start smelling of roasted squash and sage. In Lombardy and the Veneto, pumpkin (zucca) is as much a part of the autumn table as chestnuts and porcini. And in Tuscany and Umbria, there is one partner it is almost always paired with: salsiccia, fresh sausage, rustic, peppery and scented with wild fennel.
This lasagna brings them together. The pumpkin is roasted with olive oil and sage until sweet and caramelised, then blended into a soft, velvety purée. The Fresh Tuscan Sausages are taken out of their casings and browned until crisp at the edges, so their fennel and black pepper cut through the sweetness. Both are layered between sheets of Garofalo lasagne with a nutmeg-scented béchamel, smoked scamorza that melts into golden, stretchy strands, a little Gorgonzola Piccante for a sharp, salty edge, and plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano. It’s a white lasagna with no tomato and no ragù, and it’s the kind of hearty, golden autumn pasta bake that makes a Sunday lunch or a Halloween dinner feel like an occasion.
It can be assembled a day ahead, which makes it ideal for entertaining.
Prep: 35 minutes | Cook: 1 hour 15 minutes | Serves 6
Ingredients
For the pumpkin
- 1kg pumpkin (butternut, Hokkaido or Delica), peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks
- 3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Bono Salvatore
- 8-10 fresh sage leaves
- 1 garlic clove, lightly crushed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sausage
- 500g Fresh Tuscan Sausages, casings removed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the béchamel
- 60g unsalted butter
- 60g plain flour
- 800ml whole milk, warmed
- A generous grating of fresh nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
To assemble
- 250g Garofalo Lasagna Sheets
- 250g Scamorza Affumicata, thinly sliced or coarsely grated
- 100g Gorgonzola Piccante, crumbled
- 80g Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, 24 months matured or Grana Padano, 24 months matured, finely grated
- 40g walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
- Butter, for greasing
Method
1. Roast the pumpkin. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Spread the pumpkin on a large baking tray with the olive oil, sage leaves and garlic, season lightly with salt and pepper, and toss well. Roast for 30-35 minutes, turning once, until soft and lightly caramelised at the edges.
2. Make the pumpkin purée. Discard the garlic and keep a few of the crispiest sage leaves to garnish. Blend the pumpkin until smooth, adding a splash of milk or water if it’s too thick. It should be spoonable, like a thick soup. Taste and season.
3. Brown the sausage. While the pumpkin roasts, heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Squeeze the sausage meat out of its skins and crumble it into the pan in rough chunks. Cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until golden and lightly crisp. Spoon off any excess fat and set aside.
4. Make the béchamel. Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes without browning. Add the warm milk a little at a time, whisking constantly, and simmer gently for 8-10 minutes until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with nutmeg, pepper and only a little salt, as the sausage and cheeses are already savoury.
5. Heat the oven again. Reduce the oven to 190°C (170°C fan) and butter a baking dish of about 20 x 30cm.
6. Assemble. Spread a thin layer of béchamel over the base of the dish, then add a layer of lasagne sheets. Spread over a third of the pumpkin purée, a third of the sausage, a third of the béchamel, a third of the scamorza, a scattering of Gorgonzola and a sprinkle of Parmigiano. Repeat to make three layers, finishing with a final layer of pasta, the last of the béchamel, a generous blanket of Parmigiano and the walnuts, if using. Make sure the top layer of pasta is fully covered with sauce so it doesn’t dry out.
7. Bake. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for a further 20-25 minutes until bubbling and deeply golden on top.
8. Rest and serve. Leave the lasagna to rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting so it holds its shape. Serve with the reserved crispy sage leaves, a drizzle of olive oil and a simple green salad, ideally one with a slightly bitter leaf like radicchio or rocket to cut through the richness.
A note from the kitchen: don’t use a watery pumpkin. Roast it properly so the moisture cooks off, or the lasagna will turn out loose. Slice the scamorza thinly so it melts evenly, and if you’d like more heat, add a pinch of chilli flakes to the sausage as it browns. Check the lasagne packet too, as some sheets need no pre-cooking and others benefit from a quick blanch.
What to drink with pumpkin and sausage lasagna
Sweet pumpkin, savoury fennel sausage, smoke and cream: this dish wants a wine with fruit and freshness, and Tuscan sausage and Tuscan red are a classic marriage.
- Chianti Classico Monticello DOCG 2023, Colombaio: Sangiovese’s fresh acidity and savoury cherry fruit are made for fennel sausage and cut through the béchamel.
- Barbera d’Alba DOC 2024, Fontanafredda: bright acidity and juicy red fruit that slice through the smoked cheese and cream.
- Nero d’Avola DOC Sicilia 2024, Organic, Baglio di Grisi: ripe black cherry and soft tannins, which suit the sweetness of the pumpkin.
- Chardonnay, Attems DOC 2023: if you’d rather drink white, its creamy roundness mirrors the texture of the dish.
More from our Tuscan sausage kitchen
If you enjoy cooking with our Fresh Tuscan Sausages, try Salsiccia e Fagioli all’Uccelletto, the classic Tuscan dish of sausage and beans, or Tagliatelle alla Norcina, a rich, creamy pasta from Umbria.
Shop this recipe
- Fresh Tuscan Sausages, 500g
- Garofalo Lasagna Sheets, 500g
- Scamorza Affumicata, 250g
- Gorgonzola Piccante
- Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, 24 Months Matured
- Grana Padano, 24 Months Matured
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Bono Salvatore
- Chianti Classico Monticello DOCG 2023, Colombaio and Barbera d’Alba DOC 2024, Fontanafredda
- Nero d’Avola DOC Sicilia 2024, Organic, Baglio di Grisi and Chardonnay, Attems DOC 2023
