Monday, September 27, 2010

Butternut Squash Lasagna Day!

It's finally here...Butternut Squash Lasagna Day. I've been planning this for about a week and a half, due to the fact that my schedule just couldn't fit in a lasagna. Two years ago, I never would've dreamed of making a lasagna...most recipes for them scared me away. I mean, have you seen some of the recipes for lasagna? The ingredients list is longer than my to-do list (which is ever growing and up to about 16 items at the moment). But not this one. This recipe was simple and super easy to make. It's a nice, refreshing lasagna that doesn't feel too heavy after you've eaten half the pan.

Feast your eyes on this, then scroll down for the recipe if you're so intrigued.

I'm not sure how I got by in life before I owned some Santokus.

Glorious, isn't it? All that melted cheese....

I don't remember where I got the recipe from, but it was most likely from my favorite recipe site (or maybe just any website) ever: www.tastespotting.com . It's food porn...seriously.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. butternut squash, 6 cups cubed
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
2 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
salt and pepper
15oz. ricotta cheese
12 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
1/2 lb shredded mozzarella cheese

***I recommend around 8 cups of squash, as I was spreading mine pretty thin. Also, I took a risk and used those ready-to-bake no boil lasagna noodles for the first time. Fingers crossed***

1. Preheat oven to 350. Peel and cube squash and cook in boiling water until soft. Puree and set aside.
2. Heat butter and flour in a saucepan until it turns a light golden brown. Then, add milk, whisking vigorously to avoid lumps. Season with salt and pepper, add nutmeg, and continue stirring until thickened. Stir in ricotta until smooth.
3. Layer 3 noodles on the bottom of a greased 9x13 glass baking dish. Spread with 1/4 of the squash, then top with 1/4 of the cheese sauce. Repeat for 3 more layers, then spread mozzarella over the top. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

"Once again, my life has been saved by the miracle of lasagna." ~ Garfield

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