Spinach and Butternut Squash Lasagna Recipe

This spinach and butternut squash lasagna recipe fits the bill perfectly. It’s warm, rich and hits all those autumn flavor profiles.

Warm, savory, one-pot dishes. Isn’t that what fall is all about? As soon as those cool months hit, I find myself craving hearty meals and I also love using seasonal ingredients.

Pro tip: Since butternut squashes are rather large, you can roast one butternut squash, make my roasted butternut squash soup with crispy bacon and thyme and then use the leftovers for this lasagna recipe.

How to Roast Butternut Squash

This spinach and butternut squash lasagna recipe does require you to first roast and puree your butternut squash. To roast your squash, cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper and place in the over for at least 40-50 minutes.

Once the butternut squash has cooled, you would simply scoop out the meat and place it in your blender or food processor to make puree. If the squash doesn’t easily scoop this may mean you need to place the vegetable back in the oven for a little longer.

Semi-homemade tip:

You could skip this part by purchasing ready-made butternut squash soup, or puree. You could also try making it with pumpkin puree, I bet that would taste amazing!

If you’ve made lasagna before, the rest of the dish comes together fairly similar to other lasagna recipes. Lasagna noodles and ricotta cheese being the main components along with the puree to make the spinach and butternut squash lasagna recipe.

This is also a great alternative for a veggie night or meatless Mondays. The butternut squash makes this lasagna so rich and flavorful that you won’t miss the meat.

Other Recipes To Try

Zucchini Lasagna Recipe

The Best Lentil Soup

Semi Homemade Quick and Easy Dinner Recipes

Next time I make it I thought about adding a crunch to the layers, but haven’t figured out what that could be. But, if served with a salad it could help balance the richness of the spinach and butternut squash lasagna.

Just like a typical lasagna recipe , you layer the dish with the ingredients, starting with noodles, puree and spinach and ricotta mixture, adding in the mozzarella throughout.

Try Zucchini Lasagna, for a healthier twist

Another fun variation on a traditional lasagna is the zucchini lasagna. This version of the lasagna uses zucchini slices instead of noodles for a healthier spin on a classic dish. Find the recipe here.

I really like adding basil to the top, it adds a little extra flavor to the spinach and roasted butternut squash lasagna.

How do you make butternut squash lasagna from scratch?

Ingredients:

2 cups of butternut squash puree ( About half of squash. You can puree the squash at the same time as when you make the soup, and then store it in your fridge for up to 2 days.)
1 /2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup of vegetable stock
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup of uncooked spinach
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & pepper, to taste
10 oz lasagna noodles, cooked
1 and 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
dash of Paprika
A handful of Basil leaves

Directions:

Make sure to use cooked lasagna noodles. Bring a large pot of water to boil, cook the noodles al dente, rinse each noodle with cold water and drain.
Make the spinach filling by combining the uncooked spinach with 1 cup of ricotta, 1 cup of mozzarella and two garlic cloves, minced. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
Then make the butternut squash filling by adding the other cup of ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of milk, the nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste.
Now you are ready to assemble the lasagna. Prepare a baking dish and grease it lightly with olive oil spray. Spread 1/3 of butternut squash filling on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella cheese. Top with cooked lasagna noodles.
Spread half of spinach filling over the noodles. Top lightly with Mozzarella cheese. Top with cooked noodles. Spread another layer (1/3) of butternut squash mixture, then sprinkle lightly with Mozzarella cheese. Top with cooked noodles.
Spread the remaining half of spinach filling over the noodles. Top lightly with Mozzarella cheese. Top with the final layer of cooked noodles.
Spread a generous amount of butternut squash filling (the remaining 1/3) over this final layer of noodles, sprinkle with Parmesan and remaining mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup of mozzarella). Generously sprinkle the cheese with paprika, and basil.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 min at 375F. Remove foil and bake additional 10 minutes.