Lasagna is a dish everyone loves. This one is a riff on the traditional Italian variety as it uses a butternut squash purée instead of a tomato purée. I also loaded it with roasted veggies between the layers of melted cheese and ricotta to give it some texture and depth. If you know a vegetarian they would love this recipe. If you are not a vegetarian you will love this recipe. Check out these photos, they don’t lie!
For the roasted veggies:
1 red bell pepper, julienned or cut into chunks
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, julienned or cut into chunks
1 red onion, thinly sliced
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 medium zucchini, sliced and quartered
½ teaspoon garlic powder
Freshly ground salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
For the butternut squash layer:
1 large butternut squash (at least 3 pounds)
⅔ cup milk
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the noodles:
10 lasagna noodles
For the ricotta mixture:
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the layers:
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (approximately 12 ounces)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
To garnish:
Fresh chopped parsley
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Add all of the veggies for roasting to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Use your hands to toss the veggies together then spread them out in an even layer. Set aside while you prep your butternut squash.
Use a sharp knife to cut off both ends of a butternut squash, you’ll cut about ¼-½ inch off each end. Next cut the butternut squash in half vertically. Place the butternut squash upright or vertically on a wooden cutting board that’s very secured to your counter. Use your knife to cut the butternut squash vertically down the middle. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds of the cut butternut squash. Place the butternut squash halves flesh side down on a separate medium baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil over the squash and use your hands to rub into the skin and flesh. Place the head of garlic on a cutting board and chop off the very top so that you can see into the cloves. Place the head onto tinfoil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap up the garlic tightly and twist the top closed and place on the sheet pan next to the squash.
Place both veggies and squash in the oven on two different racks.
Roast the veggies for 30 minutes or until they are slightly golden then remove to cool down. The butternut squash will take slightly longer; about 1 hour total or until the squash is very fork tender. Set squash and the garlic head aside to cool for a little bit before scooping out the flesh of the squash and squeezing out the garlic cloves.
Keep heat in the oven.
Make the butternut squash sauce: transfer the flesh of the butternut squash to a high powered blender or bowl of a food processor or use a hand blender. Add in milk, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and set aside.
Do this step while the veggies and squash roast: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles for 5-6 minutes, then drain. Immediately lay the noodles flat on an oiled baking sheet or cutting board so you can easily assemble the lasagna when ready.
In the small bowl, add the ricotta, egg, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. Set aside.
To assemble the lasagna, spread 3/4 cup of butternut squash mixture over the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Place 5 of the cooked lasagna noodles on top, laying 4 vertically and 1 horizontally. Spread half of the ricotta cheese mixture on top of the noodles, followed by half of the roasted veggies, then top with ¾ cup shredded mozzarella. Next, add 1 heaping cup of the butternut squash mixture on top of the mozzarella and then sprinkle with 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.
Repeat layers once more: adding remaining noodles (4 vertically & 1 horizontally), the rest of the ricotta cheese mixture, remaining roasted veggies, ¾ cup shredded mozzarella, then top with any remaining butternut squash sauce and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Finally, top with remaining 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15-20 minutes until cheese starts to brown just a bit. Garnish with extra parmesan and either chopped basil or parsley. Cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving. Serves 12.
