Description
This Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna is a comforting vegetarian dish combining creamy butternut squash puree, ricotta, mozzarella, and fresh spinach layered between tender lasagna noodles. Baked to perfection with Italian seasonings, it's a hearty and flavorful meal perfect for a cozy dinner.
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 prepare for baking the lasagna.
- Prepare Butternut Squash Filling: In a food processor, combine 2 cups of butternut squash puree with ricotta cheese, milk, salt, and nutmeg. Blend until creamy. Add additional milk if needed to achieve a smooth texture. Taste and adjust salt if necessary.
- Prepare Spinach Filling: Mix cooked spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired.
- Cook Lasagna Noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Rinse them with cold water to stop cooking and drain well. Trim noodles to fit your baking dish if necessary.
- Assemble Lasagna: 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 cooked lasagna noodles over the filling without overlapping. Spread half of the spinach filling over noodles and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of noodles. Spread another one-third of the butternut squash filling and sprinkle mozzarella cheese. Add a layer of noodles. Spread the remaining half of the spinach filling and sprinkle mozzarella cheese. Add a final layer of noodles. Spread last one-third of the butternut squash filling on top, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, remaining mozzarella, Italian seasoning, paprika, and basil.
- Bake: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes until bubbly and golden.
Notes
- To make gluten-free, use brown rice lasagna noodles and follow instructions as usual.
- For no-boil lasagna noodles, add ½ cup extra milk, water, or vegetable stock to the butternut squash filling and bake 10 minutes longer.
- For a vegan version, substitute vegan Parmesan and mozzarella, and replace ricotta with tofu mixed with lemon juice for a similar texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (assuming 8 slices)
- 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
