Recipe

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut butternuts in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Brush with coconut oil/olive oil and season with sea salt. Roast in oven until soft, about 40-60 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your butternut squash. You will know they are done when you can easily pierce it with a knife and it comes out clean. Once done, remove from oven and let it cool on the counter until warm.
2. Scoop out flesh from the butternut squash and place in a food processor with cloves of garlic and 1 tsp of lemon juice. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. You can also add additional seasonings as needed such as a dash of nutmeg, rosemary, thyme, etc.
3. Celeriac can be prepped ahead of time: wash, scrub, and peel. Using a mandolin you can simple thinly slice it as rounds, or if you don't have a mandolin, use a knife and **carefully** slice as thinly as possible.
4. For the celeriac noodles: Bring vegetable broth to a simmer in a small pot; just a few inches from the bottom. This will be used to help braise the thin "noodles".
5. Braise celeriac sheets in simmering vegetable broth about 3-5 minutes depending on how thin/thick you sliced the celeriac. The thinner they are, the faster they will cook so be mindful of how long you simmer the root. You want them to be pliable like lasagna noodles, but not too soft that they break apart on you! Once done set aside until we layer the lasagna.
6. White Bean Béchamel: Rinse well and drain beans under water. If using dried beans, prepare ahead of time. Will need 2 heaping cups in this recipe. Place all béchamel ingredients into a food processor, except the water. With the processor still on stream in the water tablespoon-by-tablespoon until you reach a creamy consistency, or to your liking. The smoother, the better. Lastly season with additional nutmeg (if desired), salt and pepper.
7. You can assemble and serve in individual casserole dishes or 1-8"x10". Have also done these in muffin tins, which were fun for a dinner party we held! To assemble: Layer on celeraic noodles, butternut squash filling, spinach leaves, bean béchamel, celeriac noodles, butternut squash, and continue until you are finished with all ingredients. To bake: Bake until warmed through so all the flavors meld together.