Butternut Squash Lasagna with Sage

4.85 from 52 votes

Tender lasagna noodles, cooked in a savory, creamy butternut squash sauce with sage and Italian cheeses.

Prep Time40

Cook Time40

Total Time1 20

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Servings: servings

Calories: 302kcal

Author: Cynthia

1 pound whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs yolks
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese cut into chunks (or shredded)
1 teaspoon Freshly grated nutmeg... I used ground
1 package fresh lasagna noodles see note above about regular or no--boil noodles
4 ounces Parmesan cheese grated
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Fresh lasagna noodles need no cooking. If using dried lasagna noodles, prepare in salted, boiling water according to package directions. Drain and set aside. (If using no-boil noodles, increase liquid and baking time)

Preheat oven to 425* F. Toss squash, 2 Tablespoons oil, and 1 teaspoon salt on a baking sheet. Season with pepper. Bake until light gold and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool.
Melt butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. As soon as it starts to sizzle, add sage and cook until light gold and slightly crisp at edges, 3 to 4 minutes.
Place squash in a medium bowl and mash 1/2 with the back of a wooden spoon. (I use my hands to do this) Leave the other 1/2 of the squash in small chunks. Gently stir in sage-butter mixture and chicken or vegetable broth. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper.

Reduce oven temperature to 375* F. Combine ricotta, cream, yolks, mozzarella in a medium bowl. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper and pinch of nutmeg.
Spread 3/4 cup of ricotta mixture in a 9 cup baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1/2 of the butternut squash mixture over the noodles. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1 cup of ricotta mixture over noodles. Repeat layering once more, (noodles, squash, noodles, ricotta) Sprinkle Parmesan over ricotta mixture.
Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. (If using no-bake noodles, increase baking time by 15-20 minutes).

Notes:

To save time, use pre-cubed butternut squash and pre-shredded mozzarella cheese.
To make this completely vegetarian, substitute the chicken broth for vegetable stock.
In place of fresh noodles, you can use regular lasagna noodles cooked per package instructions, or substitute no-boil noodles. If using no-boil noodles, increase chicken or vegetable stock by 1/2 cup and increase baking time by 15-20 minutes or until noodles are tender.