Hearty Lasagna Featuring Smoked Sausage, Pumpkin, and Collard Greens

Why This Recipe Is A Must Try

This dish combines smoky sausage with the subtle sweetness of pumpkin and the earthiness of collard greens. It’s a comforting meal that feels both hearty and healthy. The flavors blend beautifully to create something unique yet familiar.

Tips For Best Results

- Use fresh collard greens and remove the tough stems for a better texture.
- Let the sauce simmer longer to deepen the flavors before assembling.
- If you don’t have smoked sausage, a spicy Italian sausage can be a good alternative.

Step 1

Warm your oven to 400°F. Cook the lasagna noodles in salted boiling water until they’re just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain them well and toss with a tablespoon of olive oil so they don’t stick together.

Step 2

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the smoked sausage and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring now and then, until it’s nicely browned. Toss in the onion, lower the heat to medium, and cook until the onion softens, around 4 minutes. Add the collard greens and cook, stirring often, until they wilt and most of the liquid has evaporated—this should take about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, then take it off the heat and let it cool a bit.

Step 3

In a medium bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, heavy cream, nutmeg, cayenne, and half of the salt and pepper. In another bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, Parmesan, fontina, and the rest of the salt and pepper.

Step 4

Grab a 9x13-inch baking dish and give it a quick spray with cooking spray. Spread half a cup of the pumpkin mixture on the bottom in an even layer. Lay 3 or 4 noodles on top, slightly overlapping. Spread half of the remaining pumpkin mixture over the noodles, then half of the sausage and greens mixture. Add another layer of noodles, then spread half the ricotta mixture over those. Repeat the layers one more time—noodles, pumpkin mixture, sausage mixture, noodles, and finish with the ricotta mixture on top.

Step 5

Cover the dish with foil and bake for about 50 minutes, until you see it bubbling around the edges and it’s heated through in the middle. Remove the foil and switch your oven to broil. Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan and fontina cheese over the top, then broil about 4 inches from the heat for around 4 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Let the lasagna sit for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.