Butternut Squash Lasagna
by: Erica Wells, RD
What You’ll Need
6 cups of cubed butternut squash
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp of dried sage
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 tsp of black pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 – 10 oz bunch of fresh spinach (about 6 cups, chopped)
2.5 cups of fat free milk (or unsweetened almond milk)
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 tbsp of all-purpose flour (or wheat flour)
1.5 cups of reduced fat monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup of “Go Veggie!” cheddar cheese substitute
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp nutmeg
9 whole wheat lasagna noodles (or brown rice noodles)
Preparation: 30 – 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Total time: ~ 1.5 hours (includes cooling time)
DIRECTIONS
1. Boil 9 whole wheat lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Lay out individually on foil or cooking sheet to avoid noodles sticking to one another. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Combine butternut squash, 1 Tbsp of olive oil, sage, garlic and black pepper into a large bowl. Arrange mixture onto large baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until squash tender. Once cooked, mash mixture and set aside.
3. While squash is cooking, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook for 20 minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add spinach to large skillet, cooking until wilted. Remove mixture from heat.
4. Heat 2 cups of skim milk, bay leaf and thyme in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat letting stand for 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Return pan to medium heat. Combine remaining ½ cup of milk and flour in a small bowl then add to saucepan, stirring with whisk until blended. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat, simmer and stir sauce constantly until sauce thickened.
Remove from heat then stir in monterey jack cheese, red pepper flakes and nutmeg.
5. Spread 1/4 milk mixture in bottom of 13×9 inch glass baking dish. Lay 3 lasagna noodles over milk mixture; top with half of squash mixture, half of spinach mixture, and another 1/4 of milk mixture. Repeat for final layer, ending with a layer of noodles on top. Pour remaining milk mixture over noodles and cover with “Go veggie!” cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 425 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
