My cousin-in-law Amy, recently sent me a recipe for butternut squash lasagna. Anyone who has made lasagna before (not me... until now!) knows that the assembly takes a bit of time. Therefore I assembled the lasagna on Sunday in preparation for Monday evening baking after I returned from the gym. The lasagna was beautiful going into the oven and beauteous coming out of the oven. It was definitely tasty but both Mr. E and I thought it was a bit lacking. After eating for lunch as leftovers and with a few slight additions, the next batch will take this dish to another level. My suggestions are to add a layer of sauteed spinach with caramelized onions (keeping with the sweet theme) and then underneath the top layer of cheese, add a layer of crunchy cooked bacon. One other suggestions I found online suggested a layer of bechamel sauce but this is basically a pretty healthy dish and that would cross the line. A sprinkling of toasted pine nuts or walnuts on the finished product might also be nice...Oh, and this recipe was from a "cook with your kids blog" which is why there are two sets of instructions...
(see paragraph above for ramped up additions)
*4 lbs squash or pumpkin, such as Acorn, Butternut, or Hubbard
*3 T. olive oil
*1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
*1/2 t. ground nutmeg (for the squash) + 1 1/2 t. (for the ricotta)
*2-3 T. fresh sage, finely chopped
*1 lb. ricotta
*1 egg, slightly beaten
*1 1/2 c. carrots, shredded
*12 no-boil lasagna noodles
*a large ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, grated
*1/2 c. parmesan cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cut your squashes in half.
Mini-Chef Time: Scoop out the seeds and stringy things with a large spoon. Place each squash halve cut side up on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the olive oil on the squash and then salt, pepper, cinnamon, and the 1/2 t. nutmeg. Using a basting brush or your hands, spread everything evenly out over the squash.
Big Person: Put the squash in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until soft and beginning to brown.
Mini-Chef: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta with the egg, the carrots, the 1 1/2 t. nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Refrigerate till you're ready to assemble the lasagna.
Butter a 13x9 inch lasagna pan.
When the squash has come out of the oven and cooled down a bit, scoop out the flesh into a big bowl.
Big Person: Puree the squash in the food processor or with an immersion blender.
Now, set out all of your ingredients in a line in this order: ricotta mixture, noodles, squash puree, sage, mozzarella, parmesan.
Mini-Chef: Scoop about 1 c. of the ricotta mixture into the lasagna pan and spread it out into a thin layer on the bottom of the pan. Place a layer of noodles on top, trying not to overlap any. Now it's time for the squash layer. 1 c. of squash puree should cover your first layer of noodles, and then you'll sprinkle a bit of the sage over the squash. More noodles to cover. Repeat the ricotta layer and the squash and the ricotta again. Mozzarella. Any sage you might have left over. Parmesan.
Into the oven and bake for 45 minutes-1 hour. The top should be golden brown. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.
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