ON THE MENU – BUTTERNUT SQUASH LASAGNA

Butternut Squash Lasagna.

Having one vegetarian in the house and one who’s allergic to tomatoes, I’m always seeking recipes – and by that I mean pastas – that can satisfy us both.  I found success in this Butternut Squash Lasagna, made with a white sauce and meatless.  It’s so simple and delicious to boot.  Score……..

INGREDIENTS:

• No boil lasagne noodles – you will use 9
• Onion –  1 minced
• Garlic – 4 cloves minced
• Olive oil – 2 tbsp
• Salt & pepper
• Thyme –  fresh chopped is best, but you can use dried; about 1 tsp
• All-purpose flour – 1/4 cup
• Skim or low fat milk – 4 cups
• Parmesean cheese – 1/2 cup
• Mozzarella cheese – 1 8 oz. package
• Butternut squash – cut into 1/4″ slices; I buy the already cut and packaged, but you can buy whole and peel and remove seeds
• Basil

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 375
• Place noodles in a dish and cover with cold water; leave until softened

For Sauce:

• Heat oil and sauté onions and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes
• Add thyme and flour; stir and cook about 3 minutes
• Add milk in a stream; stir and bring to a boil over medium heat
• Reduce heat and simmer; stir until thickened
• Remove from heat and stir in half the parmesan
• Salt and pepper to taste

For Lasagna:

• Drain noodles
• Spray bottom of 9X13″ baking dish with cooking oil
• Spread 1 cup of sauce on bottom of dish; add 3 noodles; top with 1/3 of the squash; add 1/3 of sauce; sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella
• Repeat the process 2 more times, ending with mozzarella
• Cover the dish with aluminum foil
• Bake 35 minutes
• Uncover and add remaining parmesan and mozzarella
• Bake another 15 minutes
• Let cool before cutting into
• Garnish with basil and serve

This easily serves 4-8 people depending on serving size.  You could also throw in some cooked spinach if you want to add more nutrition to the dish.  Add a salad to the butternut squash lasagna and you’re good to go.  Enjoy.  You won’t be disappointed.

 – SHERRY

Dana Zucker

I am a home cook that does things my way. In my kitchen, I make breakfast, pack lunches, prepare snacks, and cook dinner. During the week, we eat real food that is homemade, organic, and local. On the weekends we do explore more of our local restaurants. I bake my own bread, juice fresh oranges every other day, and make my own kombucha and other weekly favorites.