[Chinese Recipes] Butternut Squash Lasagna

This Butternut Squash Lasagna is the perfect winter food. It’s warm, cheesy, and comforting…awesome for curling up on the couch in front of the TV with your dinner. The way I look at it, most of your run-of-the-mill lasagna is pretty summery–tomatoes, basil…maybe some eggplant or zucchini.

THIS butternut squash lasagna recipe features ingredients that are in season in the fall and wintertime. Butternut squash, rosemary, kale, and mushrooms. It’s an awesome combination. Be sure to make a large tray because this butternut squash lasagne keeps nicely in the refrigerator and also freezes well. It’s the perfect bring-you-own lunch meal that will cheer you up at midday.

To the recipe!

You’ll need:

2 ½ lbs (2 kg) butternut squash, seeded, peeled, and diced into ½-inch pieces (about 8 cups)
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. (about 350g) mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 cups/handfuls chopped kale
4 tablespoons (55g) butter
1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
¼ cup (30g) flour
4 cups (950 ml) milk
12 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles (you can also use regular lasagna noodles that have been boiled. I just prefer the texture of the no-boil kind)
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 450°F. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, toss butternut squash in olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Roast for 20 minutes or until tender and golden, tossing the squash after 10 minutes to promote even cooking.

While that’s happening, add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the mushrooms and sauté until caramelized, about 10 minutes (you may need to turn up the heat to reduce any liquid released by the mushrooms).

Add the kale and sauté until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Pour out of the skillet and set aside.

Put the skillet back over medium heat and add the butter and rosemary.

When the butter is melted, stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Whisk in the milk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it bubble slowly over medium low heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Take the roasted squash out of the oven and mash it roughly with a fork.

Stir it into the sauce.

Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. In a 13×9 buttered baking dish, add a thin layer of sauce.

Rinse the noodles thoroughly in warm water (this prevents them from being dry), and add noodles to the bottom of the baking dish, ensuring that they’re not touching each other.

Add another thin layer of sauce, followed by a layer of mushrooms and kale…

…and then a sprinkling of 1/3 cup parmesan cheese and 2/3 cup mozzarella.

Repeat for 3 layers, always making sure the noodles are thoroughly moistened by the butternut squash sauce.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Let lasagna stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

2 ½ lbs (2 kg) butternut squash, seeded, peeled, and diced into ½-inch pieces (about 8 cups)
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. (about 350g) mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 cups/handfuls chopped kale
4 tablespoons (55g) butter
1 sprig rosemary, finely chopped
¼ cup (30g) flour
4 cups (950 ml) milk
12 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles (you can also use regular lasagna noodles that have been boiled. I just prefer the texture of the no-boil kind)
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instruction: 

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, toss butternut squash in olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender and golden, tossing the squash after 10 minutes to promote even cooking.

2. While that’s happening, add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the mushrooms and sauté until caramelized, about 10 minutes (you may need to turn up the heat to reduce any liquid released by the mushrooms). Add the kale and sauté until wilted. Season with salt and pepper. Pour out of the skillet and set aside.

3. Put the skillet back over medium heat and add the butter and rosemary. When the butter is melted, stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Whisk in the milk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it bubble slowly over medium low heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Take the roasted squash out of the oven and mash it roughly with a fork. Stir it into the sauce.

4. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F. In a 13x9 buttered baking dish, add a thin layer of sauce. Rinse the noodles thoroughly in warm water (this prevents them from being dry), and add noodles to the bottom of the baking dish, ensuring that they’re not touching each other. Add another thin layer of sauce, followed by a layer of mushrooms and kale, and then a sprinkling of 1/3 cup parmesan cheese and 2/3 cup mozzarella. Repeat for 3 layers, always making sure the noodles are thoroughly moistened by the butternut squash sauce.

5. Bake for 40 minutes. Let lasagna stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

This recipe and image sources are referred in website: Thewoksoflife.com. Thanks so much!