Fall

Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna

by:
February  5, 2014
4.5
2 Ratings
Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna
  • Serves 8
Author Notes

A lasagna that's rich and creamy and sumptuous and savory and totally over the top. Yes, this recipe is more involved than most, but it's the perfect project for a snowy day. Consider it a luscious labor of love. —Pennie

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 - 3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise
  • olive oil
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 cups whole milk
  • large sprig of sage
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 6 tablespoons flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 pound lasagna noodles
  • sea salt
  • 2 cups ricotta, preferably homemade or fresh
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • kosher salt
  • 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, crumbled (about 2 cups)
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Peel and seed squash; cut crosswise into thin slices.
  3. Lay squash slices on a lined parchment lined baking sheet.
  4. Drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  5. Roast in oven for 20 to 25 minutes until tender.
  6. Make béchamel sauce: pour milk in saucepan, add large sprig of sage and gently bring to a simmer.
  7. In a large sauté pan, melt butter pieces over medium heat.
  8. Slowly add flour, whisking all the while.
  9. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for 3 minutes; be careful not to brown flour.
  10. Remove sage sprig and gradually add warm milk to roux, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
  11. Season with kosher salt and ground nutmeg and remove from heat.
  12. Cook pasta: bring water to a rolling boil in a large pot.
  13. Add a small handful of sea salt: the better seasoned your water, the better seasoned your pasta.
  14. Add lasagna noodles and stir well; cook a minute or two less than package directions, drain well.
  15. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta with egg yolks, chopped sage and grated Parmesan; taste and adjust seasoning with kosher salt, if needed.
  16. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
  17. Assemble lasagna: coat bottom of 9 x 13 baking dish with béchamel and top with layer of noodles.
  18. Spread ricotta mixture evenly over noodles.
  19. Top with roasted butternut squash slices.
  20. Spoon béchamel over squash and sprinkle with crumbled mozzarella.
  21. Continue layers to fill the dish--3 or 4 layers should do it.
  22. Finish with mozzarella and top with sage leaves to garnish.
  23. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  24. Remove foil, rotate dish, and bake for 15 minutes more, until top is golden brown.
  25. Remove casserole from oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving.
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3 Reviews

Kathy L.
Kathy L. January 18, 2021
This was a big hit! My husband is a big meat and potatoes guy. Wasn't sure if he would eat lasagna without meat, let alone with the sage. He loved it! Of course, so did I. Lost this recipe and just found it again. Can't wait to make again!
 
wenderzz
wenderzz March 18, 2015
I made this for dinner for our family and while my husband devoured it my infant son was less enthusiastic. That doesn't really speak to the recipe so much as my child's pickiness. I made some adjustments to accommodate what I had on hand: I halved the recipe because I had a small (not quite 2 lbs) butternut squash; I added some sautéed, chopped spinach (sautéed in the same pot that I eventually made the béchamel in) and chopped walnuts (about a half cup each) to the ricotta mixture because I had them on hand and wanted to use them up, and I upped the amount of fresh mozzarella called for to about 1 lb (the halved recipe would have called for 1/2 lb) because I wanted to get better cheese coverage on the top layer of the dish. Also, since I didn't see how much sage was called for to be chopped and added to the ricotta or reserved and laid on top for garnish I sort of winged it (I would say I probably added about 1.5 teaspoons of chopped fresh sage to the ricotta). The only thing I would do differently would be to use a little more salt in both the ricotta mixture and the béchamel (even though I had salted each element and tasted each piece, the final dish seemed a little under-seasoned).
 
CH-4500
CH-4500 October 12, 2014
Made this for company and was delicious. Followed the recipe but used 2% milk instead of whole and it turned out fine. I also like the no cook Barilla lasagna noodles, so I used those and just soaked them in warm water for 10 min to add a little more moisture. Broiled at the end a few minutes to golden it.
Recommended for fall guests. Special and delicious!