Description
This Butternut Squash Lasagna with Sage is a comforting, flavorful twist on traditional lasagna, featuring tender roasted butternut squash, fragrant fresh sage, creamy ricotta cheese sauce with lemon zest and nutmeg, and a luscious blend of mozzarella and Pecorino cheeses. Perfect as a hearty vegetarian main dish, it combines roasted and boiled techniques, resulting in a rich, aromatic, and satisfying meal for family or guests.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Butternut Squash
- 2-pound butternut squash (medium), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
For the Lasagna
- 9 to 12 lasagna noodles (6 to 8 ounces, gluten-free if necessary)
- 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh sage, divided, plus additional leaves as desired
- Zest of ½ lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
- 16 ounces (2 cups) whole milk ricotta cheese
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup shredded Pecorino cheese, divided
- 8 ounces (2 ½ cups) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Set your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the lasagna later.
- Boil the butternut squash. Peel and cube the butternut squash into ½-inch pieces. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add the squash cubes, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until fork tender. Drain and transfer to a bowl, then toss with olive oil, kosher salt, and garlic powder to season.
- Cook the noodles. In a large pot of well-salted boiling water, cook the lasagna noodles for about 5 minutes, just before reaching al dente. Drain the noodles and place them onto an olive oil–draped baking sheet, turning each to coat and prevent sticking. If using fresh noodles, this step can be skipped.
- Prepare the ricotta sauce. In a medium bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh sage, lemon zest, nutmeg, ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, and milk. Stir thoroughly to create a smooth, flavorful cheese sauce. Reserve about ½ tablespoon of sage for garnishing the final lasagna.
- Layer the lasagna. In a 9”x13” baking dish, spread ½ cup of the ricotta sauce evenly on the bottom. Layer with noodles, half the cooked squash, approximately ⅔ cup ricotta sauce, 1 cup shredded mozzarella, and ⅓ cup Pecorino cheese. Repeat this layering with noodles, remaining squash, ⅔ cup ricotta sauce, 1 cup mozzarella, and ⅓ cup Pecorino. Top with a final noodle layer, spread the remaining ricotta sauce on top, then sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella, ⅓ cup Pecorino, and the reserved sage leaves.
- Bake the lasagna. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 20 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbly. Let the lasagna rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Leftovers can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days and reheated at 400°F.
Notes
- If using fresh lasagna noodles, boiling is unnecessary.
- Make ahead ideas: Boil the butternut squash and noodles in advance and refrigerate, ensuring noodles are coated with olive oil. Alternatively, assemble the entire lasagna before baking and refrigerate overnight; increase bake time as needed.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers up to 2 days or freeze in single-serving portions. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator and warm covered with foil at 400°F for about 15 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/9th of the pan)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
