Pumpkin Lasagna Rolls with Chicken Apple Sausage and Brown Butter Fontina Sauce

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs sugar Pumpkin
• 1 C. Water
• 2 T. Olive Oil
• 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 T. Fresh Sage, chopped
• 2 t. Salt(preferably Kosher or sea salt)
• 1/2 C. shredded Parmesan
• 2-3 T. Heavy Cream
• 15 oz. Ricotta cheese
• 10 oz. Mozzarella, shredded
• 1/3 Sweet Onion
• 1 Zucchini, washed
• 12 oz. Chicken Apple Sausage(usually it comes pre-cooked. Cook it if is not.)
• 6 T. Butter
• 3 T. Flour
• 3 1/2 C. Milk
• 7 oz. Fontina cheese, shredded(reserve 1 oz. to top the lasagna with)
• 9 Lasagna noodles, cooked(leave them undercooked, they will finish cooking when assembled and in the oven)

Instructions

1. Wash off your cute little pie pumpkin and cut off the top and bottom.
2. Slice it in half vertically.
3. Scrape out the seeds.
4. Steadily hold up your pumpkin half and slice the tough skins of downwards with a sharp knive. Be extra careful!
5. Lay the pumpkin on the cutting board hollow side down.
6. Slice the pumpkin into 1/2-3/4" wide vertical strips.
7. Now slice the pumpkin across the other way in 1/2-3/4" intervals so that you have nice, even pieces.
8. Place the diced pumpkin in a large sauté pan.
9. Add 1 C. water to the pumpkin.
10. Add the olive oil to the pumpkin along with 1/2 t. of the salt.
11. Place on the stove top on medium/high heat and cover with a lid. When the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium. Let cook for 5-10 minutes. Add a little more water if it seems to be getting low or runs out.
12. While the pumpkin is cooking, have your garlic and 1/2 T. of the sage nearby.
13. Check the pumpkin for tenderness. A fork should easily pierce it when its ready.
14. Add the sage and garlic to the pumpkin and sauté for 1 more minute.
15. Transfer the pumpkin mixture to a food processer.
16. Add the parmesan cheese to the mixture and put on the processer lid. Go ahead and start pureeing the mixture on low speed for 1 minute. Add the heavy cream to the mixture and puree again on medium speed until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy.
17. Check the seasonings and add more salt, if needed.
18. Place the pumpkin puree in the area you'll be assembling your lasagna rolls.
19. In a medium bowl, add the ricotta, mozzarella, and 1 t. salt and stir until well combined. Place the mixture in your lasagna assembling area.
20. Look at that pretty sage. Take time to appreciate your ingredients!
21. Slice your onion along with the grain in very thin slices.
22. Cut the top and bottom off of your zucchini and thinly slice it vertically. The thinner the better!(be extra careful with this step as well!)
23. Place your onion and zucchini in your assembly area.
24. Slice your fully cooked sausage into thin round slices and.....place in your assembly area!(betcha didn't see that coming.)
25. Place the butter, remaining sage, and 1/2 t. salt in a medium saucepan. Melt the butter on medium heat. Once melted, continue cooking until the butter turns brown and gives off a nutty aroma.
26. Add the flour to the butter and whisk in, cooking over medium/low heat for 1 minute.
27. Up the heat to medium/high and pour in 1 C. of the milk. Whisk constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. Add in 1/2 C. more of milk and stir again until it begins to thicken. Add in half of your fontina(besides what you've already reserved!) and whisk it in until it is blended and melted. Add in another 1/2 C. milk and whisk until thickened and blended.(alternating milk and cheese helps to result in a smoother product). Add the remaining cheese and stir until melted. Add in the remaining 1 C. milk and stir until blended and thickened.(use the last 1/2 c. if your sauce needs to be thinner).
28. Check the seasonings for the sauce and adjust.
29. Cover the bottom of your baking dish(use a large one, these rolls are big!) in a layer of brown butter sauce.
30. Lay out a lasagna noodle on your work surface.
31. Place 1/9th of the ricotta mixture on the noodle and evenly spread across.
32. place 1/9th of the pumpkin puree on the ricotta and evenly spread across.
33. Lay 2 zucchini strips lengthwise across the pumpkin puree.
34. Lay 1/9th of the sausage slices evenly across the zucchini.
35. sprinkle 1/9th of the onions evenly across the sausage. Pat all ingredients down gently.
36. Starting at one end, carefully roll up the noodle. Use your hands to help compact and keep in ingredients as you roll.
37. Place the roll in your sauce covered pan and repeat the process with the rest of the ingredients.
38. When your pan is full, pour the remaining brown butter sauce over the top.
39. Sprinkle the top of the sauce with the reserved Fontina cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling throughout.
40. Serve Hot!