| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 butternut squash
- 3 pounds whole milk ricotta
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup minced garlic
- 1/4 cup minced shallots
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 cups marinara sauce
- 8 sheets fresh lasagna noodles
- 12 cups baby spinach
- 1/2 cup Parmesan
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut the butternut squash in half and spoon out the seeds. Place on baking sheet cut-side down. Add some water and bake until a knife slides through the skin and squash easily. Cool and then spoon the flesh from the shell. Set aside for later use.
- Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
- Place the ricotta, cream, garlic, shallots, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes in a medium-size mixing bowl. Whisk to combine until there are no lumps.
- Mince up the sage and add to the ricotta mix. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Whisk until blended and set aside for later use.
- Take 1 cup of the marinara and evenly coat bottom of each pan. Next lay a sheet of pasta down in each. Spread some of the ricotta mixture on each sheet and top with 3 cups of baby spinach.
- Add another sheet of pasta, then some more ricotta and spread half of the butternut squash, mashing up any larger pieces, over each lasagna.
- Then add another layer of pasta on each. Top with the remaining ricotta mixture and 3 cups of baby spinach on each. Add the last layer of pasta and pour the remaining marinara on top. Finish with the Parmesan and then the mozzarella.
- Wrap each with parchment paper and then aluminum foil. Bake until cooked through, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. Let cool, then cut and serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 978 |
| Total Fat | 67 g |
| Saturated Fat | 41 g |
| Carbohydrates | 61 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 9 g |
| Sugar | 15 g |
| Protein | 39 g |
| Cholesterol | 258 mg |
| Sodium | 1553 mg |
Reviews
2-3 smallish butternut squash baked as suggested. Once the flesh is spooned from the shell, add a couple Tablespoons of butter and some salt and pepper to taste. This sweetens the squash and brings out the flavor a bit. You might also try adding in the minced fresh sage to the squash in lieu of including it in the ricotta/cream/spice mixture.
From the whole milk ricotta through the fresh sage leaves in the recipe item list, use 1/2 of the amounts suggested with the exception of the heavy cream. Use just 1 cup heavy cream (less than 1/2 the amount). So, 1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta; 1 cup of heavy cream; 2 T. minced garlic; 2 T. minced shallots; 1 T. dried basil; 1 T. dried oregano; 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes; 2 T. minced fresh sage leaves; salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
In the layering of the lasagna, 6 cups of fresh spinach is plenty. 4-6 cups of marinara sauce (2-3 cups per lasagna casserole), depending upon your taste, works well. I like more cheese on a lasagna, so for two casseroles, I use about 3 1/2 – 4 cups of grated mozzarella and about 3/4 cup of grated parmesan. I mix the mozzarella and parmesan (tossing it by hand) in a bowl; add a little salt and pepper to the cheeses; and, add in a bit more dried oregano and basil. When the cheese blend is placed on top of the lasagna casseroles, I drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top of it all – not too much, just a drizzle.
Step 7 says to add 1/2 of the butternut squash to this layer in the lasagna. Even though the recipe does not say anything at all (unless I missed it) about adding the other half of the butternut squash, I added the remaining half of the butternut squash in Step 8 – the ricotta blend; baby spinach; then dollops of the butternut squash to form the layer in Step 8.
I baked the lasagnas, covered with foil, at 375 degrees for about an hour; then, I finished them, uncovered, to further melt and brown the cheeses on top for about 15 minutes. You may want to adjust your oven temperature as you are browning to 400 degrees.
I did not include the mornay sauce in my recipe this time. I may try it next time. When plating the lasagna, I placed the individual portions on a swath of marinara sauce in lieu of the mornay sauce.
It’s a very nice change from my traditional lasagna, made by my own Nonna. Enjoy!