Description
This butternut squash lasagna is a delicious and hearty vegetarian dish, perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 butternut squash (about 3 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt – divided
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper – divided
- 2 cloves of garlic – peeled and minced
- 5 ounces fresh spinach – washed
- 1/4 cup butter – unsalted or salted is fine
- 1/4 cup whole wheat white flour
- 1 1/2 cups plant-based milk (I used plain, unsweetened almond milk)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 bay leaf
- 16 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons fresh sage leaves – minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary – minced
- 10–12 no-cook lasagna noodles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut the ends off of the squash, peel it, remove the seeds, and slice it into planks that are 1/4 inch thick. You can save the rest of the squash for roasting later. Lay the squash onto a sprayed baking sheet, drizzle the squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F. Remove and let cool for a few minutes. For easier clean up, line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in the minced garlic and toss and cook it for 1-2 minutes. Toss in the spinach and cook it for a few minutes until wilted. Remove and set the spinach aside.
- Add some butter to a medium-size saucepan heated to medium heat. Once it melts add in the flour. Whisk the flour in with the butter for a minute or so, then add in the milk about 1/2 cup at a time, whisking lightly. Add in the nutmeg and a bay leaf. Simmer on low for 3-5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the ricotta with lemon zest, freshly chopped sage, rosemary, parmesan, mozzarella, salt and pepper, and mix.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Ladle some of the white cream sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Layer on some of the lasagna noodles then some of the butternut squash. Next layer on some of the sautéed spinach and top that with a layer of the ricotta mixture. Pour some more (half of what is left) of the creamy white sauce all over everything then repeat with one more layer. Finish the final layer with lasagna noodles, the remaining creamy white sauce, the remaining cooked spinach and a good sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
- Bake the lasagna for 35 minutes on the middle rack of the oven until the top is nice and golden brown and bubbly. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- This lasagna can be made with gluten-free pasta for a gluten-free option.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 50mg