Butternut Squash "Lasagne"

 

This meatless and gluten-free main dish was a hit when my sister and her husband visited a couple of weeks ago. Although the recipe, as I've written it below, does have gluten flour as the thickener, I used cornstarch when they were here. 

There are a number of steps, but it's a dish that can be made ahead and frozen. I thawed it (mostly) before baking. Creamy and satisfying, and loaded with vegetables. 

The squash is cooked before assembling the dish so the water has been removed and the dish will not ooze liquid when cut. 

Butternut Squash "Lasagne"

For the squash

1 very large, or 2 medium butternut squash, peeled. Note: I look for squash that have a very long neck as it makes it easier to get the pieces needed for the recipe.

1-2 Tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the squash. Cut off the bulbous end, halve it and scrape out the seeds. I found that I didn't need this part and saved it for another day. 

Slice the remainder of the squash into long wide strips, about 1/2 inch thick. It's helpful to stand the squash on an end and slice downwards. You can also cut the squash into 1/2 inch thick rounds, but this won't fill the pan quite as smoothly.

Place the squash slices on a baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Turn and brush with oil again. Bake for 20-30 minutes until tender. Remove from oven and cool. 

For the sauce

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup flour 

2 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup white wine or vegetable/chicken broth

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Add the milk and wine. Whisk over medium heat until the sauce thickens and boils. Remove from heat and add the cheese, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.

For the onion/mushroom layer

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced

200 grams (8 oz) mushrooms, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the onion and saute until mostly tender. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and oregano. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture is soft and cooked through. Add the salt. Set aside.

For the ricotta mixture

1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients. Set aside.

To layer the dish:

In a 7 x 11 baking dish, thinly spread 1/3 cup of the sauce. Lay one layer of butternut squash over, filling the dish as much as possible. Add half of the ricotta/spinach mixture and all of the mushroom/onion mixture. Cover with half of the remaining sauce. 

Add another layer of squash slices, the remaining ricotta/spinach mixture and finally, the remaining sauce. 

Sprinkle with 3/4 cup of grated mozzarella cheese. 

Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until bubbly. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes until the top is browned.

Let cool for 10-15 minutes before cutting.