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Butternut Squash & Kale Lasagna

Author: Mary DiSomma

One of my favorite ways to enjoy butternut squash is to couple it with kale and create a delicious lasagna. My vegetarian lasagna swaps out the traditional red sauce with a creamy homemade béchamel sauce (kind of like an Alfredo sauce).

Thinly sliced butternut squash is roasted in the oven with a little maple syrup drizzled on top, then layered into the lasagna along with fresh ricotta, mozzarella and kale. To make this dish a little less time consuming, use no-bake lasagna noodles. This great noodle invention is a real time saver and lets you place the uncooked lasagna noodles right in the dish.

Butternut Squash & Kale Lasagna

Butternut Squash & Kale Lasagna

This vegetarian lasagna reimagines the classic lasagna for fall, with hearty butternut squash and kale complemented by ricotta and Parmesan cheeses.

Yield
8 Servings
Prep Time
1 hour 1 hr
Cook Time
45 minutes 45 min
Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes 1 hr 45 min

Ingredients

For the Lasagna

For the Béchamel Sauce

Instructions

  1. Place the ricotta in a sieve placed over a mixing bowl. Drain for 30 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Peel the squash. Cut in half and remove the seeds. Cut the squash into ¼-inch slices. Place the squash slices in a large mixing bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper and the maple syrup. Spray two foil-lined baking sheet pans with nonstick cooking spray. Spread squash evenly on the prepared pans. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  3. Remove the tough stems from the kale. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Reduce to a simmer. Blanch the kale for approximately 30 seconds. Drain in a colander placed over the sink. Rinse immediately under cold tap water. Squeeze out excess water. Coarsely chop the kale then place in a mixing bowl. Toss the kale with the red pepper flakes and remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil.
  4. In a mixing bowl, combine the drained ricotta, lemon zest, sage, 2 tablespoons parsley and 1 cup Parmesan.
  5. Make the béchamel sauce by melting the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in the milk, half and half, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often.
  6. Spread ½ cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 13-X 9-X 2-inch pan. Place a single layer of noodles over the sauce. Top with 1/3 of the roasted butternut squash followed by 1/3 of the kale. Top with 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 mozzarella cheese and 1 cup sauce. Repeat the layering process two more times. Finish with a final layer of noodles topped with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup Parmesan cheese evenly over the top of the lasagna.
  7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place lasagna pan on a baking sheet pan to catch any sauce that may bubble over. Bake until bubbly and lightly browned, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let lasagna rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Butternut Squash & Kale Lasagna

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