Butternut Squash Lasagna

The end of my CSA with Stillman's Farm happened weeks ago.  It was sad to go to City Hall one last time for my pick-up.  I'll miss my CSA!

But our last pickup was crazy!  We got an insane amount of produce! Check this out!

In the last pickup: 

1 Sugar Pumpkin, 2 Butternut Squashes, 1 Lettuce, 1 Enormous bag of potatoes, Radishes, Arugula, Kale, Pears, Green Peppers, Corn, Tomatoes and a Giant bag of Apples.

With all the squash, I knew I had to make one of my favorite GO-TO recipes.  Ironically, Meghan made it around the same time as me (but has blogged about it much sooner!) I made Giada's Butternut Squash Lasagna.  I changed some of this recipe by making my béchamel sauce a bit healthier- using fat free milk.  But I probably used more cheese then her so don't think it's too healthy! The other big change I made was roasting the squash instead of boiling it.  I love the taste of roasted vegetables. However, it's a delicious vegetarian pasta dish that we absolutely love.  So if you are looking to do something fun with butternut squash, make this recipe.  It has a bunch of steps and takes a bit of time, but it is easy to make and delicious to eat!

• Butternut Squash Lasagna
• Inspired by Giada
• Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 cups skim milk
• 3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 2 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• Instructions:

Put squash on a baking sheet.  Pour the oil on top, sprinkle with salt and pepper and mix with your hands until well combined.  Cook at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until squash is roasted. 

Cool slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor and blend until smooth. Season the squash puree, to taste, with more salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. 

Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender. Add the basil and blend until smooth. 

Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and lower oven to 375 degrees F. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles. 

Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. 

Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times.

Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Then slice up and ENJOY!

What's your favorite thing to make with butternut squash?