I saw this recipe for butternut squash lasagna on Pinterest a while back and could not wait to make it. I made it tonight with a few modifications, mostly because I could not find two of the things that she used.
Here is what I used
Lasagna Noodles (I used no bake, next time I’d prefer whole wheat)
Two packages of Trader Joe’s Butternut Squash (it’s already cut to bake and puree)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
15 oz ricotta cheese
A little less than 1/2 Tbsp each of cinnamon, thyme and sage (dial back the cinnamon a little next time Kari)
Salt and Pepper
1 tsp garlic
A few slices of Gouda cheese for on top
If you clicked on the link above for the recipe, you’ll see that she used sel de cuisine. I could not find that in my grocery store, nor could I find the pureed butternut squash she used. So I improvised. First, I decided to make my own puree, it was rather easy, I just baked the squash with a little bit of water in the pan for about 45 minutes at 350.
For the seasoning, I decided that I wanted cinnamon with it. Last night I had pumpkin ravioli for dinner out and it had sage with it as well, which was so good. So I decided on thyme and sage since those two go together. I added that and the garlic and some salt and pepper (to taste).
I then mixed it all together. I decided it needed a little more moisture so I added about 2 tablespoons of milk as well. It made it this sort of dark orange color.
I also mixed together the ricotta a quarter cup of the Parmesan cheese and some salt and pepper in a separate bowl.
Then came the layering of the lasagna. A little of the butternut squash puree in the bottom then two noodles followed by 1/3 of the butternut squash mixture. Two more noodles and then the ricotta mixture.
Keep layering, squash, noodles, ricotta, squash, noodles, ricotta. Top it off with Parmesan cheese that was left over. I covered the dish and baked it at 375 for 45 minutes.
Then I added the Gouda cheese to the top and baked uncovered for another 15 minutes.
Before baking the Gouda…
After the baking the Gouda… yum!
I let it sit long enough to write a draft of this (about 10-15 minutes). And Dug in! I will admit, I was nervous about this, I wasn’t sure I’d like it. But I did. The Gouda was absolutely necessary, it added a lovely cheesiness to it and I think it would have been a little boring without it. I’d totally make this again.
I ate this with fish tonight. I just need protein in my meals especially on days when I lift weights (which I did tonight). I give a lot of credit to vegetarians, I’m not inventive enough to find different sources of protein.
So I’d say that I was happy with this creation and I will make it again, but I’d probably tweak the seasoning. If you give it a shot let me know what you think or what changes you made! Also, I need a better camera, these pictures suck.
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