Butternut Squash Lasagna

I CANNOT contain my excitement about pumpkin season!! I love everything pumpkin spice and cannot get enough. With pumpkin season, also comes squash and other gourds waiting to be consumed in the form of soups, stews and this amazing lasagna. Truth be told, this is a rendition of @mrsvitale recipe, but it’s a bit on the lighter side and still packed with the yummy goodness you’d expect with a traditional lasagna. My friends and coworkers have raved about this recipe since I initially made it years ago at my apt at a Christmas party and it was a hit. This recipe is definitely a labor of love. Try it and tell me what you think!

Bechamel Sauce

• 4 tbsp of flour
• 4 tbsp of butter
• 3 cups of fat free milk
• 1/4 tsp of nutmeg
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp pepper

1. Start by melting the butter, one tablespoon at a time, in a large pot on low heat. Whisk the flour, one tablespoon at a time, until the mixture looks like mashed potatoes.
2. While continuously whisking, pour about a 1/2 cup of warmed milk at a time, making sure the butter and flour mixture looks like mashed potatoes. Continue this process until all of the milk is in the pot.
3. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.

Butternut Squash

• 2 lbs of peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 tbsp of salt
• 1 tbsp of pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spread the butternut squash in a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. Roast for 45 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender. Set aside to cool.

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Lasagna Ingredients

• 1 thirty-two ounce container of part-skim ricotta
• 2 eight-ounce blocks of fresh pre-sliced mozzarella cheese (I like Belgioso’s)
• 1 1/2 lbs of sweet Italian turkey sausage, removed from casings
• 1 large sweet onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp of olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp of salt, plus
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup of chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup of Pecorino Romano shredded
• 1 sixteen-ounce box of no-bake lasagna sheets

1. Sauté the onions in olive oil on medium-low heat, until translucent, for about 5-7 minutes.
2. Add minced garlic
3. Add the turkey sausage, removed from the casings. Cook until meat is thoroughly cooked, about 10 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan cheese, beaten eggs, parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Grease a large, glass pan with butter or cooking spray.
6. Spread about 1/2 cup of Bechamel Sauce on the bottom of the lasagna pan, spreading
7. Arrange 3 1/2 lasagna sheets (you may need more or less, depending on the size of the sheets). You may have to break off a few pieces to fit the pan.
8. Pour another 1/2 cup of Bechamel Sauce, spreading to all four corners.
9. Arrange about 1/2 cup of the butternut squash on sheets.
10. Add 1/4 cup of the cooked turkey sausage.
11. Dollop the ricotta mixture and sprinkle about 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
12. Spread 1/2 cup of the Bechamel Sauce and then repeat steps 7-11 two more times, for a total of three layers.
13. Dot the top layer with the 3 tbsp of butter.
14. Bake for 45 minutes covered at 375 degrees and then remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.