Pumpkin and Prosciutto Lasagne

Cook Time 2 hours

Servings 4

Ingredients

200g prosciutto, freshly sliced by the delicatessen 

1 butternut or Japanese pumpkin (1.5kg), peeled and cubed into 3 cm pieces

3 cloves of garlic

Zest 1 lemon 

12 dry lasagne sheets

200g pecorino, finely grated

1 ball of mozzarella, coarsely grated

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

1 x 400g cans of crushed tomatoes

4 sprigs of sage, leaves picked, crispy fried

Bechamel Sauce

80g butter 

80g flour 

1L milk 

Pinch nutmeg 

Salt and pepper

Method

Steam pumpkin and cloves of garlic until tender, then mash with a good pinch salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

To make the béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a medium pot over medium heat, add the flour and stir continuously for about a minute. Pour in a quarter of the milk, whisking vigorously to prevent lumps. Whisk in the rest of the milk. Whisk until the sauce comes to the boil and thickens. Season with the nutmeg, lemon zest, salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Stir in a handful of pecorino and mozzarella, reserving the rest for layering.

Grease a 2-3L baking dish and evenly spread 4-5 large spoonfuls of the pumpkin over the base. Drizzle over a few spoonfuls of the bechamel sauce and sprinkle some of the mozzarella. Add lasagne sheets in one single layer covering the sauce. Spread another few ladlefuls of the pumpkin, a few slices of prosciutto and repeat the layers until you have filled the dish 3/4 of the way up. Finish with the bechamel sauce and top with the remaining cheese. Cover with baking paper and the foil.

Bake for 35 minutes, then remove the baking paper and foil and cook for a further 30 minutes until golden.

Place the crushed tomatoes, olive oil and salt in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce by a third until thick and rich. Serve a spoonful of the sauce on plate and top with a generous piece of lasagne. Garnish with crispy sage leaves.