Pumpkin. Everything. Lasagna.

Pumpkin. Everything. Lasagna. One of the best, most insanely satisfying cozy comfort dishes ever. In this fall themed dish, I added fresh pumpkin puree to every layer of the filling. Lasagna, may seem like a very intimidating dish to make, but we are here to reassure you that it is VERY doable, and once you get into the rhythm - its a skill for life.

Additionally, the pumpkin integration is quite seamless and adds a such a gorgeous nutty and sweet undertone to the whole dish! The lasagna is the perfect excuse to host your friends or family. You make the lasagna, someone brings the wine, and someone else makes the salad. Yalla, sounds perfect! See you there.

Now in case you are feeling intimidated…today we are sharing our “Must-Do Tips to Perfect Your Lasagna,” organized by layer. No excuses. This is a dish you must make!

Must-Do Tips to Perfect Your Lasagna

Ragu:

• Don’t use ground beef, get a piece of beef and cut it up into tiny pieces yourself. The textural difference at the end is mind blowing.

• Always start by braising your meat, that way you will have some residue at the bottom of the pan, that will flavor up your veggies once added afterwards.

• When braising your meat, make sure that you are not overcrowding the meat (make Sure you are cooking in batching), this insures a good sear of the meat.

• When adding the wine, don’t add the cheapest bottle. Add the bottle you’d drink. Not that is just make the rage more delicious, you can also enjoy a glass as you cook.

Pasta:

• When working on the pasta dough, if it feels too dry - wet your hands and go back to kneading rather than adding more water or egg to the dough.

Bechamel:

• Once working on the béchamel, cook it not to the point that you think it needs to be but rather right before. Because it quickly thickens as it cools down.

General Note:

• This lasagna will be exceptional no matter how good your stacking skills are. The most important thing? Make sure your ingredients are the very best you can get your hands on. In our house, for this recipe, we use Organic Valley eggs and milk to make the pasta sheets and the béchamel! Organic, grass-fed beef for the ragu. And seasonal veggies from the local market.

• Also, don’t sweat it if you don’t have time to make the pasta sheets, this recipe is just as YUM if you use really good store bought sheets. ;)

#TBT with Ben & Zikki!

In good fun and in theme with our pumpkin newsletter today I wanted to share with you all one my favorite memories from our time living abroad in Italy back in 2019. Zikki had just finished her Master’s Thesis on New Wave Ukrainian Gastronomy and had just presented her dissertation at our university, The University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy. To celebrate her accomplishment, we went out with friends to a nieghboring hilltop town for the region’s biggest PUMPKIN festival!

Honestly, I don’t know what we expected. But it absolutely blew our minds! It's worth noting that Italy also has a strong tradition of heirloom pumpkin varieties, which are often passed down from generation to generation and may not be widely available commercially. These heirloom varieties can offer unique flavors, textures, and colors, and contribute to the diversity of pumpkin cultivation in Italy.

This whole table (see above), was covered completely with different varieties from all over Italy! One of THE coolest, unexpected, and truly “once in a lifetime” experiences we shared in Italy. Just a little reminder to step out of your comfort zone often…you never know what you’ll stumble upon!