Butternut Squash Lasagna

SERVING SIZE:

8

TOOLS

  • 9x13” lasagna pan

  • Tray to lay lasagna noodles flat

  • 2 bowls (one for sauce, one for ricotta mixture)

  • Pot to cook lasagna noodles

  • Aluminum foil

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 package of lasagna noodle sheets (I used brown rice from Jovial)

  • 1 jar of crushed tomatoes (preferably San Marzano tomatoes)

  • 1 can of butternut squash puree

  • Olive oil

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves

  • 15oz ricotta cheese (if you’re vegan, Kite Hill almond milk “ricotta cheese” is a great option)

  • 2 chicken eggs OR 1 duck egg

If you’d like to add animal protein:

  • 1 package of ground meat of choice (turkey, beef or lamb)

  • Avocado oil or ghee (for stovetop)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Preheat your oven to 400°F

  • Boil water and cook lasagna noodles

  • After the noodles have cooked, strain completely (you don’t need the pasta water) and lay the noodles flat on a tray so that they don’t stick to each other while you complete the below steps

  • In one bowl, combine ricotta cheese and egg(s). Thoroughly mix it, make sure you break the egg yolk

  • In a second bowl, combine the entire jar of tomato and 1/2 cup of butternut squash puree. Mix to combine, sprinkle oregano as much as you desire and thoroughly combine. You can add more butternut squash puree if you’d like, it’s your preference at this point

  • OPTIONAL: Set both bowls aside and prepare to cook your ground meat

  • Add avocado oil or ghee to a pan, once hot add your ground meat and cook thoroughly. You can add any spices/herbs that you like here such as oregano or garlic powder

  • Once cooked, turn heat off and set aside

Now time to assemble

  • In the pan, cover the bottom with 1 cup of the tomato butternut squash mixture. It should be enough to cover the bottom fully, so add more if you needed

  • Layer on the lasagna noodles

  • Add a layer of the ricotta mixture on top of the lasagna noodles, followed by a sprinkle of the basil leaves

  • And continue this pattern until you reach the top of the pan:

    • Tomato butternut squash mixture

    • Lasagna noodles

    • Ricotta mixture

    • Basil leaves

  • Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes.

  • Uncover and pat down the noodles gently to flatten the top. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes until the top and edges are brown

Serve with a refreshing salad such as chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and olives

Bon appetit!