Mushroom Butternut Squash Lasagne
Submitted by vem1976
Vegetarian lasagne layered with butternut squash, fresh and porcini mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes in a cream cheese bechamel. Earthy, rich, meatless fall cooking.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsMeatless lasagne that sneaks up on you. Butternut squash adds sweetness and body where ground beef would normally go, and a combo of fresh and dried porcini mushrooms delivers enough umami to make meat eaters forget what’s missing. Sundried tomatoes and a splash of balsamic vinegar keep everything bright.
The sauce is a shortcut bechamel built with skim milk, flour, and cream cheese, then loosened with jarred spaghetti sauce. It stays creamy through a long bake without any ricotta or heavy cream.
Layer, top with parmesan, and bake until the edges bubble and the top browns in patches. A solid fall or winter dinner that reheats beautifully the next day.
Kitchen Tips
- Pre-cook the butternut squash briefly or slice it very thin. Raw slabs won’t soften enough during the bake.
- Don’t throw away the porcini soaking liquid. It’s concentrated mushroom stock and goes right back into the mushroom layer.
- Rinse the cooked noodles in cold water and lay them flat on towels. Piled in a colander, they stick together into one useless clump.
- Let the lasagne rest 15 minutes out of the oven before slicing. The layers set so each piece holds its shape on the plate.
Variations
- Add a layer of wilted spinach or Swiss chard between the squash and mushrooms for extra greens.
- Swap cream cheese for ricotta for a more traditional Italian texture.
- Stir a pinch of nutmeg into the bechamel. It brings out the squash’s natural sweetness.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles until barely tender.
Drain and rinse under cold water.
Spread the noodles on clean kitchen towels, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine sun-dried tomatoes and dried porcini mushrooms.
Add 1 cup boiling water, cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
Lift out the tomatoes andamp; mushrooms and chop.
Strain the soaking liquid through a fine sieve and set aside.
In a saucepan, heat 1 cup of the milk over medium heat.
Meanwhile, put 3 tablespoons of flour in a small bowl and gradually whisk in the remaining ⅓ cup of milk until smooth; whisk into the hot milk and stir constantly over the heat until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens.
Continue cooking and stirring for 1 minute.
Remove from heat.
Whisk in the cream cheese, then ⅔ cup of the spaghetti sauce and the vinegar.
Searson with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In a large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots and garlic and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes.
Add fresh mushrooms, rosemary, and the reserved tomatoes and porcini; cook until the fresh mushrooms are just wilted, about 2 minutes longer.
Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon of flour.
Add the reserved soalking liquid and the remaining ⅓ cup of spaghetti sauce.
Cook until the mixture thickens, about 1 minute.
Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper.
Lightly spray a 9×13 in baking sheet with cooking spray or oil.
Line bottom with ¼ of noodles (1 layer).
Then spread ½ of mushroom mixuture and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons parmesan.
Add 2nd layer of noodles, then the squash (sprinkle with salt and pepper) and another ½ cup of the sauce.
Add 3rd noodle layer, remaining mushroom mixure and 2 tablespoons of parmesan.
Top with remaining noodles and sauce, then remaining parmesan.
Lightly oil a large piece of aluminum foil.
Bake the lasagne for 30 minutes, uncover and bake for additional 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly brown and bubbing.
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