This is not your typical lasagna. Everything, including the noodles, gets mixed up together in a big bowl before being smooshed into a baking pan. And the flavors are decidedly middle eastern, with feta and Aleppo peppers. Absolutely delicious.
Butternut Squash Lasagna Pie
Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi
For the Pie
2 – 3 tbsp olive oil
8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons Aleppo chili flakes (optional – or whatever chili flake you like)
1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
Fine sea salt and black pepper (divided)
1 small butternut squash (about 1 ¾ pounds), peeled, halved, deseeded and cut into ⅛-inch-thick slices
8 ounces dried lasagna noodles, broken into about 1” pieces (I used oven ready)
7 ounces baby spinach (10 lightly packed cups)
1 packed cup basil leaves, torn in halves
1 cup crumbled Greek feta
Heaping ½ cup finely grated Parmesan
For the Béchamel
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
⅓ cup all-purpose flour (I’d use slightly less – about ¼ cup)
1 ½ cups whole milk, plus more if needed
2 garlic cloves, minced
Fine sea salt
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
Make the pie: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan. Set aside.
Add the oil to a small frying pan and heat over medium-high. Once it’s hot, add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring until fragrant but not browned. Add the tomato paste, cumin, coriander and chili flake, if using, and cook for 1 minute more, stirring often, until deeply red. Set aside to cool slightly, then add to a blender with the red peppers, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper; blitz until smooth. (You can also use a food processor for this.)
Empty the mixture into a VERY large bowl and add the squash, lasagna sheets, spinach, basil, feta, Parmesan, 1 ¼ teaspoons salt and a good grind of pepper. Use your hands to make sure everything is nicely coated. Transfer this mixture to your baking pan, pressing lightly to ensure everything is even and compact. Seal with foil (grease the side facing the filling) and bake for 45 minutes.
During the last 10 minutes or so of baking time, make the béchamel: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking steadily, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until you can smell the butter browning. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking with each addition, until fully incorporated. Turn the heat down to medium then add the garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir and cook for 2 minutes until smooth. Keep it moving to ensure the bottom doesn’t scorch. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan.
After the pie has cooked for 45 minutes, remove it from the oven, remove foil. Spoon the béchamel on top, using a spatula to distribute it evenly over the surface.
Turn the oven temperature up to 450 degrees, place the pan back in the oven and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, rotating halfway through, until nicely browned on top. Set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.