Butternut Squash Lasagna with Spinach and Sage

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a roasting pan with non-stick cooking spray. Add the butternut squash onto the tray and toss with olive oil, sage leaves, salt and pepper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until the squash is tender. Remove from oven and mash gently with a potato masher or two forks. (I actually used a pastry blender and it worked great!)

While the squash is roasting, make the sauce. Melt the butter over medium heat. Gently stir in the flour with a whisk. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and dried sage and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in milk and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until sauce boils and thickens slightly. Continue to stir constantly while the sauce boils for 1 minute. Whisk in the Parmesan cheese and remove the pan from the heat.

For the assembly of the lasagna: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add onion and salt, cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are brown, fragrant and tender. Stir in the spinach and cook for 6-7 minutes more. Add the butternut squash and stir until combined. Mix in the vegetable stock. Remove from heat.

Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Ladle a small amount of the white sauce into the bottom. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles on top of the sauce, overlapping if needed. Top with the squash mixture and pour about 1 cup of the white sauce over the squash and arrange another 4 lasagna noodles and repeat these layers 2 more times. Top with mozzarella cheese and sage leaves.

Bake at 375 degrees F, covered with foil, for 45 minutes. And then bake another 5-10 uncovered until the cheese is browned.

Cassie’s Notes:
Sage leaves are wonderful fried. Heat 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add 10-15 sage leaves and allow them to crisp for several minutes. They are delicious!

This is a great prep-ahead meal. I put it together on a Sunday afternoon but didn’t bake it until Tuesday night. Prepare the lasagna, including layering the pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to three days. It would also freeze well. Just cover tightly with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil.