Pumpkin Spinach Lasagna

I was so intrigued when I came across this recipe, I was excited to try it! I was pretty conservative trying to make it for the first time--next time I would probably go heavier on the seasonings and cheese. I might make more of the spinach filling and add an extra layer of noodles, because I had a lot of noodles left over. But, it turned out to be pretty easy for a lasagna.
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Serves 6

olive oil
1 onion, chopped 
2 cloves of garlic, minced
400 grams frozen chopped spinach
salt, pepper
1 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg, divided
3  pumpkin, divided
1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan, divided

1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a frying pan on medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic until the onions are cooked and translucent.

Add the chopped spinach, 1/2 tsp sage, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cook the mixture until the spinach is wilted and there is no more water left in the pan (this takes several minutes). Set the pan aside.

Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package. When they are al dente, drain them and run cold water over them to cool them. Strain them once they've cooled.

In a separate bowl, combine 1 1/2 cans of pumpkin with 3/4 cups heavy cream, and 1/2 cup parmesan. Add  1/2 tsp sage and 1/4 tsp nutmeg, along with salt and pepper.

Butter an 8x12 Pyrex. Place 1 layer of lasagna noodles. Top with half the pumpkin filling, and half the spinach filling. Place another layer of lasagna noodles. Top with the other half of the fillings. Place the final layer of lasagna noodles on top.

In a bowl, mix 1 cup pumpkin and 3/4 cups cream. Pour this over the top of the lasagna. Sprinkle with 1 cup parmesan.

Heat the lasagna in the oven for about 30 minutes.

Place the lasagna on a cooling rack to set for 10 minutes before cutting into it.

Zuppa Toscana

Bill and I both like the "Zuppa Toscana" at Olive Garden. My mom used to make something similar, sans greenery. So I found this Copykat recipe online, and decided to give it a try. I substituted the kale in favor of spinach. I've never cared for the kale in that soup.

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4 spicy Italian sausage links
3 red potatoes, chunked
1/2 onion, diced
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 c. frozen chopped spinach
6 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. whipping cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place sausage links onto a sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until done. Use a paper towel to soak up extra grease. Cut in half length-wise, then cut at an angle into 1/2 inch slices.

Place onions in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until onions are almost clear. Add garlic to the onions and cook an additional 1-minute. Add chicken broth, spinach, and potatoes, simmer 15 minutes.

Add sausage and cream. Simmer 4 minutes and serve with crusty french bread.