Name: Butternut Squash Lasagna
Total time: 125 min
Ingredients: 8 cups chopped butternut squash (about 3 lb.); 2 tablespoons olive oil; .25 teaspoon cayenne pepper; .25 cup butter, plus more for greasing; 2 (15-oz.) containers whole-milk ricotta cheese; 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup); 3 large eggs; .5 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 (15-oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well; 1.5 teaspoons chopped fresh sage, plus more leaves for garnish; 1 (9-oz.) pkg. no-boil lasagna noodles (such as Barilla Oven-Ready Lasagne); 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)

If you need a dish hearty enough to feed a hungry family or want to take food to a friend or neighbor, this savory butternut squash lasagna is the perfect choice. Add this creamy, cheesy lasagna to your list of delicious make-ahead casseroles. Cover and freeze before baking and, if are giving it as a food gift, include a note to add 10-15 minutes to the covered cook time. Butternut squash is one of the more popular squashes in the fall - once you have broken through the hard skin you find bright orange flesh with a creamy texture and a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. Like other winter squash, butternut squash pairs well with a variety of flavors and making it a popular choice to use in recipes such as Pumpkin-and-Winter Squash Gratin. You don't have to spend time boiling pasta for this butternut squash and spinach lasagna; this recipe saves you time by using convenient no-boil noodles.

Liv Dansky

Updated on January 6, 2022

Butternut Squash Lasagna — Photo: Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Active Time:

30 mins

Bake Time:

1 hrs 25 mins

Stand Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 5 mins

Servings:

Ingredients

8 cups chopped butternut squash (about 3 lb.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup butter, plus more for greasing
2 (15-oz.) containers whole-milk ricotta cheese
4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
3 large eggs
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 (15-oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh sage, plus more leaves for garnish
1 (9-oz.) pkg. no-boil lasagna noodles (such as Barilla Oven-Ready Lasagne)
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle position. Toss together squash, olive oil, and cayenne pepper on a large rimmed baking sheet; spread into an even layer. Bake until tender, about 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook butter in a small saucepan over medium until butter browns and has a nutty aroma, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Process ricotta, Parmesan, eggs, and salt in a food processor until well combined, about 45 seconds. Transfer cheese mixture to a medium bowl, and stir in spinach and chopped sage; set aside. Clean food processor bowl.
Add cooked squash to the clean food processor bowl. Process until smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape sides halfway through. Add brown butter to squash, and pulse until combined, about 10 pulses. Transfer to a bowl.
Lightly grease a 13- x 9-inch baking dish with butter. Spread ¾ cup of the squash puree in bottom of prepared dish. Arrange 3 noodles on top. Spread 1 ¾ cups of the ricotta mixture over noodles, top with ¾ cup of the squash puree, and sprinkle with 1 ⅓ cups of the mozzarella. Repeat the layering process twice, beginning with noodles and ending with mozzarella. Cover lasagna with lightly greased aluminum foil. (If desired, wrap entire freezer-safe baking dish in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in refrigerator 24 hours. Remove the plastic wrap, and cover with lightly greased foil before baking.)
Place a baking sheet lined with foil on bottom of oven to catch any cheese drips. Bake lasagna at 400°F for 30 minutes (45 minutes if baking from thawed). Uncover; bake until the lasagna is heated through and top is nicely browned, 20 to 25 more minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with additional fresh sage leaves.