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Roasted Butternut Squash ‘n Spinach Lasagna

Undoubtedly, a beautiful pan of hand-crafted lasagna is one of the most ultimate comfort food dishes home cooks can have in their repertoire. Hoping to capture the essence of autumn, I added a “twist on the traditional” to my favorite lasagna by interspersing layers of roasted sweet butternut squash with savory spinach. This unique combination pairs perfectly with earthy Asiago cheese which I added to the filling. This lasagna will be a lovely addition to all your fall menus, quickly becoming a new family favorite.

Recipe Inspired by: Butternut Squash Lasagna via Cooking Light Magazine-March 2003
Author: Linda Shapiro, © Meal Planning Maven

Ingredients

  • Olive oil spray

Topping

  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella part-skim is fine
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Filling

  • 2 large eggs
  • 32 ounces ricotta cheese part-skim is fine
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese
  • 1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 large butternut squash peeled, ends trimmed, cut in half vertically and seeded
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 medium onions chopped
  • 10 cups fresh baby spinach organic preferred
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 28 ounce bottles healthy marinara sauce (like Muir Glen or Paul Newman’s)
  • 1 box oven-ready lasagna noodles such as Ronzoni or Barilla
  • 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley for garnish optional

Instructions

  • Coat a lasagna pan (or a 9 x 13 x 3-inch casserole dish) with olive oil spray .

Topping

  • In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Set aside.

Filling

  • In a large bowl, beat eggs lightly. Stir in remaining ingredients. Set aside.

Roasting Butternut Squash

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly coat 2 baking sheets with olive oil spray.
  • With a vegetable peeler, mandolin or sharp knife, slice squash into very thin strips. (about 1/8th-inch thick)
  • Cut each into approximately 1-1/2 inch wide strips. (Strips will be irregularly shaped-no worries)
  • Place squash strips on baking sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes or until tender.
  • Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.

Sautéing Spinach

  • In a Dutch oven or 4-quart pot, heat olive oil over medium-high setting until hot. Sauté onion for about 5 minutes until softened.
  • Stir in spinach, salt and pepper. Sauté for about 1-1/2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Let cool. In a clean towel, squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Assembly

  • Layer 1: spread a thin layer (about 1-1/2 cups) of sauce over bottom of pan
  • Layer 2: lay 3 lasagna noodles cross-wise over sauce
  • Layer 3: spread about 1/3 of the cheese mixture over sauce
  • Layer 4: place a layer of butternut squash strips over filling (may have to be cut to fit pan)
  • Layer 5: place about 1/3 of spinach over filling (layer will be thin)
  • Repeat layers 1 to 2 more times as above, ending with sauce. *Note: depending on size and depth of pan, you may have enough ingredients for a complete (or partial) 3rd layer. Do not be concerned if you don’t have equal layers. Just use whatever you have.
  • Sprinkle topping over lasagna.
  • Cover pan with foil. Bake lasagna for 30 minutes.
  • Uncover; bake for an additional 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Let rest for 10 minutes.
  • Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired. With a sharp knife, cut into squares.

Notes

Make Ahead and Storage Tips: topping, filling, squash and spinach may be prepared separately up to 2 days ahead. Lasagna may also be completely assembled up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bake as directed. Lasagna may be frozen for up to 4 months. Reheat covered at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes or until hot. As this casserole is large, you may want to consider freezing leftovers in individual servings for easy lunches and dinners.
Prefer a homemade tomato sauce? Easy Chunky Tomato Sauce would be delicious in this dish.
As this homemade lasagna does take extra time to prepare, plan to make this dish when your schedule allows enough time for roasting the squash and sauteing the spinach.