On Sunday, I woke up to a rainy morning so I put on my super cool multi-colored rain boots and set out for my neighborhood farmers market in Marylebone. Squash and pumpkins were king this weekend and way more technicolor...
than my rainboots...
Of all to choose from my favorites were the crown prince and butternut. Crown prince is an absolutely beautiful pale blue-gray color and inside is a wonderful bright orange flesh.
I want to admire them for a little bit longer so the butternut is first on the chopping block. I eat butternuts frequently - they have a sweet, nutty flavor and are easy to roast and manage as the skin is quite thin. They are also full of vitamins, beta-carotene and fiber.
I love butternut ravioli with sage and brown butter, but this lasagne is much less labor intensive.
BUTTERNUT SQUASH LASAGNE
- 2 large butternut squash, roasted
- 1 large onion, medium dice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 500 g fresh spinach
- 6 large sage leaves, minced
- 1 1/4 c whole milk ricotta
- 1/4 c chicken stock or milk
- salt and pepper
- Lasagne noodles (1 box)
- 1/4 c grated parmesan
METHOD
Cut stem off butternut squash. Halve and clean out seeds. Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in 375 Fahrenheit/190 Celsius degree oven and roast till fork tender (30-45 minutes). Let cool for a few minutes before scraping out the flesh.
While squash is in oven, sweat onion in large pan. Add garlic. Add spinach and sage. Once it is cooked drain any excess liquid - a little moisture is fine. Set aside to cool.
Take butternut squash flesh and mash with potato masher. Add ricotta cheese and chicken stock. It should be like a wet mashed potato consistency. Add more chicken stock if necessary. I often use the lasagne noodles that don't need to be pre-cooked so a little extra moisture from the butternut squash mixture is necessary. Salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble lasagne. Start with butternut squash mixture, then lasagne noodle, spinach, more butternut, lasagne, and end with butternut on top. Repeat. If you prefer more noodles feel free to add more layers. Sprinkle parmesan on top. Bake in 375 Fahrenheit/190 Celsius degree oven for 30 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 5-7 minutes. Serves 6-8.
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