Butternut Squash Lasagna

Butternut squash lasagna is a delicious vegetarian lasagna that will impress even the most adamant meat-eaters. With three distinct layers—a roasted butternut squash filling, a creamy spinach sauce, and a three-cheese blend—this butternut squash lasagna is complex, warm, cozy, and so satisfying. It’s the perfect family dinner to make this fall and winter when you are looking for some major comfort food.

Why You’ll Love Butternut Squash Lasagna

• Butternut squash filling. This orange winter squash is known for its tasty, sweet, and nutty flesh, and the natural flavors and textures of roasted butternut squash are what make this lasagna truly unique. Plus, it boasts tons of health benefits, including immune support, eye health, healthy blood pressure and blood sugar, and hydration.
• Creamy spinach sauce. If this isn’t enough to convince you to make this lasagna, then I don’t know what is! Just like in our Creamy White Chicken and Spinach Lasagna, the creamy spinach sauce consists of sautéed onions and garlic, whole milk, Parmesan cheese, fresh baby spinach, and seasonings.
• Three-cheese filling. Finally, the layer we’ve all been waiting for— this three-cheese filling is made of ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and freshly chopped parsley. It’s rich, satisfying, and a staple in Classic Lasagna.

Ingredients and Substitutions

To make this delicious butternut squash lasagna, you will need the following ingredients (full quantities in the recipe card below):

• butternut squash - roasted with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
• lasagna noodles - boiled with olive oil and salt.
• butter
• onion
• garlic
• all-purpose flour
• half and half cream - you can substitute this for whole milk.
• salt and pepper
• baby spinach - you could substitute this for kale.
• cheese - ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.
• egg
• parsley

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, shallow saucepan, and a 9x13-inch casserole pan.

How to Make the Best Butternut Squash Lasagna

1. Prepare the butternut squash. Peel the butternut squash and slice into ¼-inch pieces. In a large mixing bowl, add the butternut squash, oil, salt, and pepper. Toss well to coat.
2. Roast the butternut squash. Place the squash slices into a large parchment-lined half sheet baking pan and bake in a 375F preheated oven for 35- 40 minutes until fork tender and golden brown. Set aside.

3. Cook the lasagna noodles. While baking the butternut squash, prepare the noodles by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add lasagna noodles and oil and cook until al dente (fully cooked but still firm) according to package directions, about 8-10 minutes. Rinse the noodles under cold water to cool off completely and set aside in the pot.
4. Make the spinach sauce. In a large shallow saucepan or 4 qt. Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat until it starts to bubble, about 1 minute. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in flour. Mix well and cook for 1 minute. Pour in half and half cream, stirring well and bring to a boil, about 6-8 minutes. Add cheese and season with salt and pepper. Lower heat to medium and let the mixture simmer for 5-7 minutes until thickened to a desired consistency, stirring occasionally. The sauce should be similar to a gravy consistency and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Turn off the heat and stir in spinach evenly until wilted, about 1 minute. Set the sauce aside.
5. Make the ricotta cheese mixture. In a medium bowl, stir together mozzarella, ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, and egg until evenly combined. Set aside.

How to Assemble Butternut Squash Lasagna

The layering order should be as follows: sauce, noodles, cheese, squash, sauce, noodles, cheese, squash, noodles, sauce, and mozzarella.

1. Sauce. Add and evenly spread 1 cup of creamy spinach sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole pan.
2. Noodles. Place 3 lasagna noodles evenly apart over the sauce.
3. Cheese. Spread ½ of the cheese mixture over the noodles.
4. Butternut Squash. Place ½ of the roasted butternut squash slices over the cheese.
5. Sauce. Spread ½ of the remaining sauce evenly over the squash slices.
6. Noodles. Place 3 lasagna noodles evenly apart over the sauce.
7. Cheese. Spread remaining ½ of the cheese mixture over the noodles.
8. Butternut Squash. Place remaining ½ of the roasted butternut squash slices over the cheese.
9. Noodles. Place 3 lasagna noodles evenly apart on top.
10. Sauce. Spread remaining sauce evenly over the squash slices.
11. Mozzarella. Top with the remaining mozzarella. 

How to Bake Lasagna

1. Lightly grease a large piece of aluminum foil and cover the pan. Greasing the foil prevents the melted cheese from sticking to the foil while baking.
2. Bake the lasagna covered in a preheated 375 F oven for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes or until the melted cheese turns golden brown and bubbly. Optionally, turn on broiler on high and broil for 3-4 minutes to get the crispy and brown cheesy crust.
3. Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing. This is to ensure the cream sauce sets a bit and is not too runny.

More Butternut Squash Recipes

• 20 Best Butternut Squash Recipes
• Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
• Air Fryer Butternut Squash
• Fall Harvest Salad with Butternut Squash and Apple
• Roasted Butternut Squash
• Butternut Squash Quesadillas with Chicken and Kale

Print

Recipe