Dining and Cooking
Chefs’ Collections

Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion and Spinach Lasagna

This rich fall lasagna would make an excellent main course for the non-turkey eaters at your holiday table, and your meat-eating guests will definitely want to try it. “It’s a really nice seasonal update of traditional lasagna,’’ said Ms. Quay.

Ingredients

  • 1 large butternut squash
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 3 red onions, medium, julienned
  • 1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese
  • 2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • Scant 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 ½ cups whole milk
  • Pinch nutmeg
  • 1 bag chopped frozen spinach (1-pound), defrosted and drained
  • 6 sheets fresh pasta, or no-boil lasagna noodles
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

      545 calories; 32 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 24 grams protein; 125 milligrams cholesterol; 487 milligrams sodium

      • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

8 to 10 servings

Preparation

  1. Roast the butternut squash. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place in roasting pan and drizzle with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Place in oven and cook until soft all the way through, about 1 hour. Set aside until cool. When cooled, remove skin and place in food processor. Purée until smooth, season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
  2. To caramelize the onions: Place 3 tablespoons of olive oil in sauté pan. Heat until hot but not smoking; add onions. Toss to coat with oil. Turn heat down to medium and cook until onions are soft and browned, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  3. Prepare a ricotta cheese mixture. Mix ricotta cheese, chopped rosemary, eggs, half the grated Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  4. Make a spinach Mornay sauce. Melt butter in a saucepan, add flour and stir. Cook 2 minutes. Add milk and stir until it comes to a boil. Add the rest of the grated Parmesan, the nutmeg and the defrosted spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  5. Assemble the dish. Spray a 9” x 13” pan with cooking spray. Spread 1 cup of the spinach sauce on the bottom of the pan. Cover with a layer of fresh pasta sheets. Spread half of the roasted butternut squash on top of the pasta sheets. Top with another layer of pasta sheets. Spread ricotta cheese mixture on top of pasta sheets, and spread caramelized onion on top of ricotta mixture. Cover with an additional layer of pasta sheets. Top with the other half of the butternut purée and then another layer of pasta. Finish by using the rest of the spinach Mornay sauce for the top layer. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Uncover and cook for 15 minutes more.

3 hours 15 minutes

Related Posts

Dining and Cooking