Butternut squash lasagna
I love this time of year, when the hard squashes are abundant at the farmers market, leaves are starting to turn color, and the air is crisp.
It is on autumn weekends that I like to make this hearty lasagna. I love the flavors of butternut with the traditional tomato, basil, oregano, and thyme in a lasagna. I know others prefer a butternut bechamel, but the tang of tomato with the sweetness of butternut is what gets my tastebuds singing. I hope you enjoy my recipe.
Ingredients:
One packet Gluten-Free lasagna noodles
One butternut, kabocha, or hubbard squash (if hubbard, you will have leftover squash puree)
One bunch tender greens (kale, spinach, or swiss chard)
8 cremini mushrooms, sliced
One onion, medium chop
4-6 cloves garlic
homemade or your favorite store bought marinara
1 container ricotta cheese
1 wedge of pecorino or romano cheese
optional 1 pound ground meat with a tablespoon of thyme, basil, and oregano
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
First, cut the squash in half. Remove the seeds and stringy guts with a spoon. Place the halves of squash face down into a casserole dish or pie pan filled with 1/2 in. of water. Bake for 40 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil on the stove. Add the GF lasagna noodles and cook according to the package. Since you will be baking the lasagna, you want the noodles to be al dente.
If you are using ground beef, add the beef with a tablespoon of oregano, thyme, and dried basil , and a minced garlic clove to a skillet. Brown the meat with the spices and set aside.
Next, dice the onions and slice the mushrooms. Add the onions to a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté until they begin to become transparent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and an additional tablespoon of oil. Sauté until the mushrooms become tender, about five minutes.
When the squash has cooled enough for handling, use a large spoon to scoop the squash from the rind. Puree in batches in a food processor or blender until you have a nice smooth squash puree.
Now you can build the lasagne. In a large casserole dish, place a layer of noodles on the bottom. Then spread a layer of squash puree with a rubber spatula over the noodles. Sprinkle the puree with some onions and mushrooms, then dollop or spread ricotta dollops over this layer. Next add a layer of greens with the optional meat. Finally, pour some marinara over this layer and microplane a garlic clove over the sauce. Repeat one or two times. Finish with a layer of noodles, sauce, and grated some pecorino or romano over the top.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes and devour.