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butternut squash lasagna

An oldie but goodie in our house. Ok, so my kids wouldn’t eat it, but that’s their problem, and not this lovely lasagna’s fault. I consider this a crowd pleaser—vegetarian and carnivore alike will adore. Flavors are complimentary. It is creamy, a little chewy at the corners from the nutty parmigiano and just a little bit sweet in a delectable way from the roasted butternut squash.

Ingredients
serves 4 hungry people
1 medium butternut squash, diced (about 5 cups of squash)
1 fresh sprig of rosemary
olive oil
fresh ground salt and pepper
3 cups milk
splash of cream
1-2 cloves garlic
about 2-3 tbs butter
about 3 tsp flour
block of parmigiano reggianno
(or mix of mature cheddar and mozzarella)
about 9 lasagna noodles (fresh is best)

1) Heat up the milk gently—do not boil—and add in the fresh rosemary sprig. Cover and turn off the heat. Allow to steep for 20-30 minutes to incorporate the rosemary flavor into the milk. Remove the sprig before using the milk.
2) Meanwhile, peel and dice the squash. Roast it in a tray with olive oil, salt and pepper for about 20 minutes until tender (not mushy).
3) Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed pot, crush the garlic clove and throw it in with the butter. Gently fry for a minute before whisking in the flour till it is the consistency of wet sand. Cook on low for a couple minutes to get the flour taste out and then add in the 3 cups of rosemary milk.
4) Whisk frequently as you heat up the milk so that the flour doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. It should thicken to a creamy bechamel. Season with plenty of salt and pepper and then add in the roasted squash. Set aside.
5) Grate plenty of parmesan or a mix of mature cheddar and mozzarella.
6) Using fresh lasagna noodles or the no-cook noodles, assemble the lasagna. Ladle a little sauce in the bottom of a large baking tray and lay down three pasta sheets side by side, not quite touching.
7) Ladle squash bechamel sauce over each noodle, then sprinkle with grated cheese. Repeat 2 more times so that you have a 3-layer lasagna. There should just be enough sauce for this. The top most layer will need a bit of extra cheese (a little mozzarella is good here) and a splash of cream.
8) Cover with tin foil and cook in the oven for about 20-25 min on 375F, then remove the tin foil and bake another 5-10 minutes till the top is golden brown.

Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

butternut squash

garlic, rosemary, parmigiano

butternut squash

butternut squash bechamel

butternut squash bechamel
squash Las-7

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