I was hanging out with my favorite foodie, Veronica. The two of us love to cook as much as we love to eat!!! We have been known to spend hours together pouring through cookbooks looking for recipes. Yes she’s a food geek just like me. I love this girl!!! I think her love for pork surpasses even mine, LOL!
We both love to eat really good food but eating out all the time is just too expensive. Truth be told, we are often disappointed with what we are served. You really can cook food at home that is much, much better than most food you get at restaurants.
Not only is cooking at home less expensive than eating out, it’s also much healthier. You know exactly what is in it when you cook it yourself!
Truth be told, Veronica is a better cook than I am. I learn so much from her. She gets me to try recipes that I might have passed over, thinking they would be too difficult to make. She gives me the confidence to try new and more challenging recipes.
For example, she talked me into trying this recipe. I make a traditional lasagna every year for Christmas and it’s delicious! I think it’s the worlds best lasagna and so does my family!
But I have never attempted to make a vegetarian lasagna, let alone one made with butternut squash. Boy am I glad I let her talk me into making it with her! She found it online. A huge shout out to 12tomatoes.com for this delicious recipe!
TIP: If you have meat lovers in the family like I do, place Italian sausages on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake alongside the lasagna in the oven. Slice and serve as a side with the lasagna. Problem solved!
Just as with a traditional lasagna, there are layers of ingredients. Once you get all the ingredients prepared, it takes very little time to assemble and get it in the oven. Trust me, this recipe is well worth the time it takes to make!!!
Prepare Squash:
Preheat oven to 375°.
TIME SAVING TIP: While squash is roasting in the oven, cook lasagna noodles, grate cheeses and cook up spinach.
Place butternut squash chunks on a baking sheet and toss with with olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper and some fresh rosemary sprigs if desired. Bake squash until soft, about 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow squash to cool.
Once squash has cooled, place it in a food processor and puree until smooth.
Add 1 cup ricotta cheese, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ½ cup milk, and season with salt and pepper. Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Prepare Spinach:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet. I used my wok since spinach starts out so full.
Sauté onion until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Add spinach a handful at a time.
Cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook until most of the liquid has cooked off.
Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Using a paper towel, blot up any excess liquid.
Add 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, and egg to the spinach.
Stir well until combined. Set aside.
Assemble Lasagna:
Generously grease a 7″ X 11″ oven safe casserole dish and spoon about a cup of the squash mixture in the bottom of prepared baking dish. Spread out evenly.
Top with 3 cooked lasagna noodles.
Top with 1/2 the spinach mixture, and spread out as evenly as possible.
Top spinach layer with half of the remaining squash mixture.
Repeat layers ending with a final layer of lasagna noodles.
Top noodles with remaining 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese.
Sprinkle with ½ cup grated parmesan cheese.
Bake Lasagna:
Cover casserole dish with foil.
TIP: Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray to prevent cheese from sticking to it.
Bake lasagna at 375° covered for 50-60 minutes, or until completely heated through.
Remove foil and turn on broiler. Broil for 3-4 minutes until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned along the edges. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
Cut lasagna into generous sized squares to serve.
Woo-hoo!!! It’s finally time to DIG IN!!!
Creamy Butternut Squash Lasagna
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, optional
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 oz baby spinach
- 1 lrg egg
- 3 cups mozarella cheese, grated
- 9 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prepare Squash:
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Place butternut chunks on a baking sheet and toss with with olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper and bake until soft, about 30 minutes.
- Once squash has cooled, place in a food processor and puree until smooth.
- Add 1 cup ricotta cheese, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ½ cup milk, and season with salt and pepper. Process until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Prepare Spinach:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté onion until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Add spinach a handful at a time and cook until wilted.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Continue to cook until most of the liquid has cooked off.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Using a paper towel, blot up any excess liquid.
- Add 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, and egg. Stir well until combined. Set aside.
Assemble Lasagna:
- Generously grease a 7" X 11" oven safe casserole dish.
- Spoon some of the squash mixture in the bottom of prepared baking dish. Spread out evenly.
- Top with 3 cooked lasagna noodles.
- Top with 1/2 the spinach mixture, and spread out as evenly as possible.
- Top spinach layer with a generous layer of the squash mixture.
- Repeat layers ending with a layer of lasagna noodles.
- Top noodles with remaining 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese and ½ cup grated parmesan cheese.
Bake Lasagna:
- Cover casserole dish with foil. Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray to prevent cheese from sticking to it.
- Bake lasagna at 375° covered for 50-60 minutes, or until completely heated through.
- Remove foil and turn on broiler. Broil for 3-4 minutes until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned along the edges. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn.
- Cut lasagna into generous sized squares to serve.
Notes
Did You Make This?
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