Description
A creamy and delicious vegetarian lasagna featuring layers of butternut squash puree and spinach fillings with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, seasoned with Italian herbs and baked to perfection. This hearty and comforting dish is perfect for a satisfying main course and can easily be adapted for gluten-free or vegan diets.
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
- Olive oil spray or light greasing for baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the lasagna.
- Prepare Butternut Squash Filling: In a food processor or mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of butternut squash puree with ricotta cheese, milk, salt, and nutmeg. Add more milk as needed to achieve a creamy texture. Mix well and adjust seasoning by tasting and adding more salt if necessary.
- Prepare Spinach Filling: In a separate bowl, mix cooked spinach with ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Note that lemon juice or zest can be added to the spinach for extra flavor, though it is optional.
- Cook Lasagna Noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Trim noodles to fit the baking dish if necessary.
- Assemble Lasagna - First Layer: Lightly grease an 11 x 8.5 inch baking dish with olive oil spray. Spread one-third of the butternut squash filling evenly on the bottom. Lightly sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the filling. Lay cooked lasagna noodles on top without overlapping, approximately three noodles.
- Second Layer: Spread half of the spinach filling over the noodles, then lightly sprinkle mozzarella cheese. Add a layer of cooked noodles on top.
- Third Layer: Spread another one-third of the butternut squash filling, sprinkle mozzarella cheese lightly, and top with cooked noodles.
- Fourth Layer: Spread remaining half of the spinach filling, sprinkle mozzarella cheese lightly, and add the final layer of noodles.
- Top Layer: Spread the remaining one-third of the butternut squash filling over the final layer of noodles. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese and the remaining mozzarella cheese (about ½ cup). Generously season the top with Italian seasoning, paprika, and basil.
- Bake Lasagna: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and browned.
Notes
- Make it GLUTEN-FREE: Use brown rice gluten-free lasagna noodles and follow the recipe as-is.
- No-Boil Noodles: You can use no-boil lasagna noodles, adding about ½ cup of milk, water, or vegetable stock to the squash puree, and bake the lasagna for 10 extra minutes.
- Make it VEGAN: Substitute vegan Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses and use a vegan ricotta made from tofu and lemon juice.
- Ensure noodles fit your baking dish by trimming if needed after cooking.
- For extra creaminess, adjust the milk quantity in the butternut squash filling to your preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
