This variation of lasagna is out of this world! Trust me when I tell you, you will not miss the tomato sauce one bit! Butternut squash adds a nice hearty sweetness that balances perfectly with the savory spinach, cheese and garlic mixture. I fell in love with this recipe before I even tried it and the moment I stumbled across it on Pinterest I knew I wanted to try it. It came out even better than I expected and the smell going in the oven is just as good as it is coming out. This is a must try for lovers and haters of butternut squash.

Now I must admit, hard work went into this dish. Most the the components are prepared separately and layering can be a task, but it is worth every second!

Start by slicing your butternut squash in half, lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and roast in a 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until skin is brown and separates from the squash. Let it sit for about 10 minutes. This will make peeling it super easy. Trust me.

: Slice squash lengthwise

: Scoop out seeds

: Roast facing down

*In the last image, one of the halves is face up just to show you how it looks once roasted. 🙂

Peel butternut squash and place in a blender or food processor with Ricotta cheese, milk, salt and nutmeg. Add more milk if needed (to make the butternut squash filling very creamy). Blend very well, taste and add more salt, if needed. This creamy goodness will start your first layer.

: Cook spinach with minced garlic

: Combine cooked spinach with Ricotta, Mozzerella & S&P to taste

: Mix

Layer lasagna evenly to cover first layer of squash puree. It took 4 of the noodles I had. Yours might be different.

Sprinkle a little cheese, scoop half of spinach & spread filling on top. (Technically you are supposed to layer spinach first and then sprinkle a little cheese, but it didn’t seem to affect taste so it’s up to you 🙂

Layer more pasta sheets and the second 3rd of the butternut squash puree.

Spread the other half of the spinach mixture and sprinkle a little more cheese.

Add another layer of pasta and the last 3rd of puree. Top with parmesan cheese, remaining shredded cheese and seasonings.

Cover the baking dish with the lid or foil and bake for 30 min. Remove foil/lid and bake additional 10 minutes.

ENJOY!

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Delicious and healthy!

Servings 12

Ingredients

2 cups butternut squash puree
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup milk or more, if needed to reach the right consistency
1/4 teaspoon salt or a touch more
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Spinach Filling:

1 cup cooked spinach 8 oz uncooked
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste

Other Ingredients:

1 package of lasagna noodles both work great!, cooked or no boil
1 and 1/2 cups white cheddar or mozzarella cheese or more
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese on top
Italian seasoning
Paprika
Basil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Butternut Squash Filling:

Roast squash first. Slice in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and place down on a baking sheet. Roast in a 375 degree oven for 40-50 minutes or until skin is brown and separates from squash. Let rest for 10 minutes before peeling to make it easier.
Using food processor or blender, combine 2 cups of butternut squash with Ricotta cheese, milk, salt and nutmeg. Add more milk if needed (to make the butternut squash filling very creamy). Blend very well, taste and add more salt, if needed.

Spinach Filling:

Combine spinach cooked with garlic, Ricotta cheese, mozzarella, salt and pepper. Mix, taste, and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
Cooking lasagna noodles (skip this step if using no boil noodles):
Bring a very large pot of water to boil, and cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Rinse in cold water, drain. Using knife, trim noodles to fit your baking dish (if necessary).

Lasagna assembly:

Prepare a baking dish - I used a 4 qt. casserole dish 11.5" x 7.75" x 2.75" deep. Grease the lasagna dish lightly with olive oil. Spread 1/3 of butternut squash filling on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle lightly with white cheddar cheese. Top with cooked lasagna noodles (I used 4 noodles and overlapped a bit).
Spread half of spinach filling over the noodles. Top lightly with white cheddar cheese. Top with noodles.
Spread another layer (1/3) of butternut squash mixture, then sprinkle lightly with white cheddar cheese. Top with noodles.
Spread the remaining half of spinach filling over the noodles. Top lightly with white cheddar cheese. Top with the final layer of noodles.
Spread a generous amount of butternut squash filling (the remaining 1/3) over this final layer of noodles, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and remaining white cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup of). Generously sprinkle the cheese with Italian seasoning, paprika, basil.
Cover the baking dish with lid/foil and bake for 30 min. Remove lid/foil and bake additional 10 minutes.