Smoked Salmon Lasagne with Pumpkin and Ricotta

Method

1. Peel the pumpkin, remove seeds and strings, and cut into 1 cm cubes.
2. In a pan, melt a knob of butter with a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the chopped spring onion until fragrant.
3. Add the pumpkin cubes and sauté over medium heat until tender and lightly caramelized. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
4. Mix the ricotta cheese with a pinch of salt and pepper (optional) until smooth. Fill a piping bag with the ricotta.
5. If using dry lasagne sheets, boil them briefly; if using fresh pasta sheets (like those from Campofilone), they can be used directly without pre-cooking.
6. Spread a thin layer of ricotta on the bottom of a baking dish.
7. Place a layer of lasagne sheets over the ricotta.
8. Pipe a layer of ricotta onto the pasta, then spread some sautéed pumpkin and scatter pieces of smoked salmon.
9. Grate some lemon zest over the layer and sprinkle chopped chives.
10. Repeat layers: pasta, ricotta, pumpkin, smoked salmon, lemon zest, and chives until the dish is filled (about 3-4 layers).
11. On the final layer, only add ricotta and pumpkin (no salmon) to prevent the salmon from drying out.
12. Dot the top with small knobs of butter.
13. Bake in a static oven preheated to 180°C (350°F) until golden and bubbly, about 25-30 minutes.
14. Let the lasagne rest for 10 minutes before serving.
15. For a fresh touch, dice some raw salmon (smoked or fresh) and sprinkle with chives, then place on top of the lasagne before serving.