Description
A hearty and comforting Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna that blends creamy butternut squash puree and savory spinach ricotta layers with tender lasagna noodles and a cheesy topping. This vegetarian dish offers a delicious twist on traditional lasagna, perfect for a wholesome main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Butternut Squash Filling:
- 2 cups butternut squash puree (about half of squash)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ½ cup milk or more, if needed
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus ⅛ teaspoon more
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Spinach Filling:
- 8 oz spinach (1 cup cooked spinach)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
Other Ingredients:
- 10 oz lasagna noodles cooked (for gluten free, use Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles)
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese or more
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese on top
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Basil
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to get it ready for baking the lasagna.
- Prepare Butternut Squash Filling: In a food processor, combine 2 cups of butternut squash puree with 1 cup ricotta cheese, ½ cup milk, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg. Blend until creamy and smooth, adding more milk if the mixture is too thick. Taste and adjust salt as necessary.
- Prepare Spinach Filling: Mix cooked spinach with 1 cup ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Stir thoroughly, then taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Cook Lasagna Noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Trim noodles to fit your baking dish if needed.
- Assemble Lasagna - Layer 1: Lightly grease an 11x8.5x3 inch casserole dish with olive oil spray. Spread one-third of the butternut squash filling on the bottom. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella cheese. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on top without overlapping.
- Assemble Lasagna - Layer 2: Spread half of the spinach filling evenly over the noodles. Lightly sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Cover with another layer of cooked noodles.
- Assemble Lasagna - Layer 3: Spread another third of the butternut squash filling over the noodles and sprinkle mozzarella cheese lightly. Place another layer of noodles on top.
- Assemble Lasagna - Layer 4: Spread the remaining half of the spinach filling over the noodles and sprinkle mozzarella cheese. Top with the final lasagna noodle layer.
- Top and Season: Spread the remaining one-third of butternut squash filling over the last noodle layer. Sprinkle with ½ cup mozzarella cheese, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, and season generously with Italian seasoning, paprika, and basil.
- Bake: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 375 F. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.
Notes
- For a gluten-free version, use brown rice gluten-free lasagna noodles and follow all other directions as stated.
- No-boil lasagna noodles can be used; if so, add about ½ cup of milk, water, or vegetable stock to the squash puree to maintain creaminess and bake an additional 10 minutes.
- To make this vegan, substitute vegan Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and use vegan ricotta made from tofu and lemon juice.
- Adding lemon juice or zest to the spinach filling enhances flavor and pairs nicely with the butternut squash but is optional.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
