A one-pan lasagna with pumpkin-squash sauce, ground beef, and melty cheese. Cozy, hearty, and ready in under 40 minutes — the ultimate fall weeknight dinner!
Servings: 6 Servings
Equipment
- Large deep skillet or Dutch oven (12-inch or larger, with lid)
- Wooden spoon or spatula (for stirring beef & sauce)
- Chef’s knife & cutting board (for onion, garlic, squash)
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Immersion blender (or regular blender/food processor, to puree sauce)
- Colander (if rinsing noodles separately, optional)
- Ladle or large spoon (for serving)
Ingredients
For the Meat Base
- 1 lb ground beef 85–90% lean
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper to taste
For the Pumpkin-Squash Sauce
- 2 cups butternut squash cubed (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup pumpkin purée canned or fresh
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium beef broth plus more if needed
- 1 cup milk or half & half
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- Salt & pepper to taste
For the Pasta & Cheese Layers
- 8 –10 lasagna noodles broken into bite-sized pieces
- 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley or sage for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the beef: In a large deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil. Add ground beef, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook until beef is browned and onion softens, ~6 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Make the sauce: Stir in butternut squash, pumpkin purée, broth, milk, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Simmer 8–10 minutes until squash is soft. Blend with immersion blender (or mash) until smooth and creamy.
- Cook the noodles: Stir in broken lasagna noodles. Cover and simmer 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender. Add extra broth if it gets too thick.
- Add cheese: Stir in dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan over top. Cover and cook 3–4 minutes until cheese is melty and bubbly.
- Serve: Garnish with parsley or sage. Scoop and serve straight from the skillet.
