Butternut Squash Lasagna

Photo cred: Health Bent


My friend Chelsey and her husband Steve invited us over for dinner a few weeks ago. When she told me she was making butternut squash, I was skeptical and hoped I would like it because I had never had butternut squash before. There was no need to worry, because it was simply amazing! I couldn't wait to make it myself!.We all had seconds and nearly finished the pan. This is such a great healthy recipe!

I finally had the chance to make the recipe myself and while it's somewhat labor intensive, it was amazing! Cutting the butternut squash is hard, like really hard. To get it into thin planks similar to lasagna noodles is almost impossible. Surely there is a kitchen tool that I just don't have that would make the process easier. Slicer? Mandoline? If you have suggestions, let me know!

Admittedly, my lasagna did not turn out as pretty as the pictures above. While the presentation wasn't there, the taste was!

The original recipe is paleo (I added cheese)

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Ingredients:

-1  lb hot (turkey or chicken) Italian sausage, casing removed

- 1 red onion

- 3 cloves garlic

- 1 15 oz can pizza sauce

- 1/2 c roasted red peppers

- 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

- couple leaves of fresh basil (optional)

- 1 small butternut squash

- ricotta cheese

- couple pieces of torn kale

 

Directions:
**This recipe can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight prior to baking.

 Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a sauté pan crumble the sausage and brown it, along with the onions & garlic. While that’s going, cut the top and ends of the squash off and peel it. I used a vegetable peeler. Cut it in half and then half again to make it easier to cut into planks. Pull out the seeds. Do you best to cut it into thin planks.

Make the sauce by pureeing the pizza sauce, red peppers, olive oil and basil in a food processor or blender.

Using a 9×9 oven safe baking dish, put down enough sauce to lightly cover the bottom of the dish. (This keeps the squash from sticking to the pan.) Next add the squash, trying not to overlap the pieces, then spoon on the sausage mixture, followed by the sauce. Repeat until all your ingredients are used up…trying to reserve enough sauce to cover the top of the lasagna.

I layered in dollops of ricotta cheese and threw in pieces of torn kale. Spinach would be great too. I really think you need the cheese in this, but I'm sure it would be great without. I tried to follow exactly how Chelsey made it because hers was so delicious.

Bake for 45 minutes. You’re looking for a bubbly pan with a crispy, browned top. Right out of the oven, the lasagna may by liquidy, let it set for a good half hour before cutting into it, as it will solidify.

The butternut squash should have the same texture effect of lasagna noodles, because I could not cut mine thin enough they were still a little crunchy. Either way it's great!

Enjoy!