Lasagna is a favorite meal of mine and always has been. This butternut squash and spinach lasagna take will become a staple for fall and winter seasons for years to come.
Delicious pureed roasted butternut squash layered with creamy ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and chopped spinach. There's also warm fall spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, which, as I'm sure you know are a match made in heaven with butternut squash.
This butternut squash and spinach lasagna is sure to be a delight for just about everyone; even picky eaters will have no issue gobbling it down. I used to be a picky eater, so I know the vibe and can attest to that statement.
You can serve this on any random night, or you can serve this as a side dish on Thanksgiving. It may not be a traditional side dish, but it's delicious, so who cares?!
Some other sides that I recommend for the big day are these twice baked sweet potatoes or this sweet potato bourbon mash. I really like squash.
Enjoy!!
Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna
INGREDIENTS
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 2 lbs butternut squash cubed 1 inch pieces
- ¾ cup frozen chopped spinach thawed
- 32 oz ricotta cheese
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 egg
- Salt & pepper
- Fresh thyme to serve if desired
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 400℉.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Par cook the lasagna noodles (about 2 minutes less than the package directions). Once cooked, drain the water, dry off the noodles a bit and set them aside.
- Spread out the butternut squash cubes on a large baking sheet. Drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 30 minutes, until tender.
- Once the butternut squash is done roasting and cooled off a little bit (to room temp) add it to a blender with the whole milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, then stir in ¼ cup of the ricotta cheese.
- In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ricotta cheese, egg, spinach, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- In a greased (butter or non-stick spray) 9x13 baking dish, begin to layer your lasagna.
- Start on the bottom of the dish with a thin layer of the butternut squash sauce mixture
- Layer 3 noodles
- Then add a layer of the butternut squash mixture
- Then add a layer of the ricotta and spinach mixture
- Continue this pattern (noodles, squash, cheese) until you're out of the ingredients. Should be 4 layers of noodles. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375℉ for 30 minutes covered, then 10 minutes uncovered. If you're looking for a nice bubbly browned top, broil for an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve with thyme springs (if desired).
Could you add ground turkey or beef to this? My husband would never go for a vegetarian dinner. I want to make it though, it looks delicious!
For sure! Cook the ground meat on the stovetop first, then drain the fat and add it to the lasagna on top of each cheese layer before baking.