Butternut Squash Lasagna

Butternut squash lasagna on a white plate with a fork.

What do you get when you combine macaroni and cheese, lasagna, and healthy?  You get this amazing butternut squash lasagna that will rock your world.

I was a little nervous about Bjork liking this (or, more accurately, not liking this).  After all, it does seem a tad girly considering I took out the meat and replaced it with a delicate butternut squash puree. 

Butternut squash lasagna on a white plate.

But not to worry – he told me he liked it and ate the whole piece!  How lucky am I to have a butternut-squash-lasagna-liking husband!  Or at least one who pretends to like it!  It’s awesome.

I was also worried about this being kind of time-consuming.  I was looking for some inspiration online and found one recipe that required roasting the squash, pureeing it, and straining it through a cheesecloth – all before assembling and baking.

  1. Ummm… what is cheesecloth?
  2. Where the heck do I buy a cheesecloth?
  3. Can it be done without a cheesecloth?

Answer: Yes!  You will love me for this.  Unless you love using a cheesecloth.

I did add an extra 100 calories per slice by topping each piece with Gouda cheese and broiling it for a few minutes.  I think standing up to get yourself seconds will burn enough calories to negate the extra cheese.

Butternut squash lasagna in a white bowl.
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Butternut Squash Lasagna

Butternut Squash Lasagna

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Description

This butternut squash lasagna is a perfect vegetarian version of a classic – thick, creamy squash puree between layers of lasagna and cheese.

Ingredients

Units
  • 4 cups butternut squash puree (i.e. Farmer’s Market Organic canned)
  • 1 1/2 tbs. sel de cuisine (features cinnamon, rosemary, and salt)
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 15 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 8 short whole wheat lasagna noodles
  • sliced cheese to top pieces (optional – but not really)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine squash purée, sel de cuisine, garlic, salt, and pepper; mix well. Combine ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, salt and pepper in second bowl and mix well.
  2. Coat 8×8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Put a little butternut squash on the bottom of the pan. Place 2 noodles in bottom of dish, overlapping slightly. Spread half of squash mixture over noodles. Layer 2 more noodles on top, and spread with half of ricotta mixture. Repeat layers—noodles, squash, noodles, ricotta—then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
  3. Bake for 45 minutes. Top with sliced cheese and bake/broil an additional 5-10 minutes.

Notes

Covering the lasagna might help the top not to get so crispy looking – especially if you don’t plan on melting cheese over each piece. It might also help keep some of the moisture in. I made this uncovered and it tasted great, but next time I would either cover it while baking or add a little more liquid, like vegetable stock or something, to keep it super creamy!

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: squash lasagna, butternut squash lasagna, lasagna recipe

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Breaking News: Bjork just walked by me eating a jumbo bowl of Fruity Pebbles (30 minutes after eating lasagna).  Maybe the squash didn’t quite do it for him after all.

But if you’re a butternut squash lover (and looking for healthy comfort food), I promise you will love this as much as I did!

Or at least you’ll tell me you love it before you go for the Fruity Pebbles.

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