For some reason the word “casserole” reminds me of being a kid and it always makes me laugh, it just seems like such an 80’s dinner. That being said, the world needs more casseroles. A hearty, one-dish meal, that provides leftovers for days to come, how can you go wrong? I came across this recipe on the kitchn last week and I was excited to try it out. I am still on my major pumpkin kick, and I have been having so much fun trying out all the different things I can make with pumpkin. The original recipe calls for a 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree, but I had baked a beautiful fresh sugar pumpkin over the weekend to make muffins again and I have enough leftover for this recipe. I also still had some Gruyère leftover from these muffins I made a few weeks back, so I decided instead of just parmesan cheese as the original recipe called for, I would go with both Gruyère and a little bit of Parmesan Reggiano. This casserole (still making me giggle), is the perfect cool Autumn night dinner, definitely filling but not too heavy. The sweetness from the pumpkin is so perfect with the cheeses, the sage is a party in your mouth and little bit of crispiness on the top and around the edges is just amazing. This is a perfect vegetarian weeknight meal that can be whipped together, very quickly. The original recipe called for pecans, I decided to leave them out, but they would be great in the recipe.  Do you have any favorite casserole recipes?

Pumpkin, Ricotta & Gruyère Pasta Casserole
serves 6
adapted from The Kitchn

Olive oil
1 pound gluten-free organic brown rice pasta, such penne, small shells, or elbows
One 15-ounce container organic whole milk ricotta cheese
2 cups fresh pumpkin puree
2 farm fresh free-range brown eggs (We get our eggs from Painted Meadows Farms)
1/2 cup yogurt (I use plain yogurt from White Cow Dairy)
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 cup grated Gruyère, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano, divided

Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Set aside. Bring a 4-quart pot of water to boil over high heat, and stir about 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta, and turn the heat down to medium. Cook for a slightly shorter amount of time than specified by the package. (For example, if the package specifies 10 to 12 minutes, cook for 9 to 10, or until just barely al dente.) Drain the pasta.

In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, pureed pumpkin, eggs, and yogurt. Whisk in the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and ginger.

Stir in the pasta and coat completely with the pumpkin mixture. Stir in sage, and garlic. Stir in 1/2 cup of the Gruyère and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan.

Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cups of Gruyère and Parmesan over top. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes or until golden brown on top. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

sorry, not the best photo in the world, but I didn’t have my good SLR when it came out of the oven