Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna

Slice of butternut squash lasagna on a plate with a fork next to tray of it.

A creamy sauce made from pureed squash is the star of this vegetarian lasagna recipe! Layered with ricotta, fresh herbs, mozzarella, white beans, and oven ready noodles, it's a crowd-pleasing combination of delicious yet simple ingredients. Make it as a holiday main dish or side for a crowd!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 1 20

Total Time 2 20

Servings large slices

Calories 494kcal

Author Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

Equipment

9x13 baking dish

Ingredients

Roasted squash sauce

3 pounds butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cubed; about 8 cups
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup ricotta cheese
½ cup whole milk
5 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon rubbed sage
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Ricotta layer

1 cup ricotta cheese
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ teaspoon salt

Other layers

10 to 11 oven ready lasagna noodles
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
15 ounces navy beans drained and rinsed
Fresh basil for garnish, optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425℉/218℃. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Prepare the butternut squash by slicing off the stem and a small piece from the bottom. Cut it in half crosswise where the skinny top meets the curvy base. Slice each piece in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds with a spoon and discard. Remove the skin from each piece with a swivel peeler or knife. Cut each piece into strips ½-inch thick. Then, cut those into ½-inch cubes. See How to Cut Butternut Squash Into Cubes for photos and tips.
Spread the cubes out on the prepared baking sheets. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat, then spread out in an even layer. Transfer the sheets to the oven and roast for 25 to 30 minutes until tender and lightly browned. Halfway through cooking time, rotate the baking sheets.
While the squash is in the oven, gather and prep the rest of the ingredients to make the process go as smooth as possible.
When the squash is finished roasting, transfer it to a food processor with the S-blade or a high-powered blender. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients: a cup of ricotta cheese, whole milk, garlic cloves, salt, sage, and nutmeg. Blend until the sauce is creamy and smooth, adding small amounts of additional milk as needed to promote blending without making it too liquidy. There will be about 4 cups of sauce.
In a separate bowl, mix together the other cup of ricotta, ¼ cup parmesan, the chopped parsley and basil, and salt.
Turn the oven temperature down to 400℉/204℃. Assemble the lasagna.
Spoon 1 cup of the butternut squash sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Add a layer of lasagna noodles. I typically use 3 and ½ noodles to cover the sauce. Then, spread another cup of sauce over those noodles. Spoon ½ of the ricotta mixture over the sauce. Sprinkle ¾ cup of the mozzarella cheese, followed by ½ the can of white beans. Add another layer of lasagna noodles, 1 cup of butternut squash sauce, the other ½ of the ricotta mixture, ¾ cup of mozzarella cheese, and the other ½ of the white beans. Add one more layer of noodles, the rest of the sauce (about 1 cup), the rest of the mozzarella cheese (about ½ cup), ¼ cup parmesan cheese, and fresh basil if desired.
Cover the lasagna tightly with foil and transfer to the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes covered with the foil. Carefully remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 10 to 20 minutes until bubbling around the edges and lightly browned on top.
Let the lasagna cool for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve garnished with basil if desired. Enjoy!
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Notes

Leftovers: Keep individual pieces in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 5 days. Reheat in a baking dish covered with foil for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Freezing baked lasagna: Bake the lasagna, let it cool, then cut into slices. Wrap each one tightly with plastic wrap, place in a tightly sealed freezer bag, and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also freeze the whole baked lasagna. Let it cool, wrap the entire pan tightly in plastic wrap followed by foil then again by plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, thaw frozen baked lasagna overnight in the refrigerator. Remove all plastic wrap, cover with foil, and reheat for 15 to 20 minutes (slices) or 30 to 40 minutes (whole) at 350 degrees F. If you want to reheat straight from frozen, make sure you assemble it in a freezer-to-oven safe dish. Remove all plastic wrap, cover it with foil, and reheat for 20 to 30 minutes (slices) to 40 to 60 minutes (whole).
Freezing unbaked lasagna: Assemble completely, wrap the entire pan in plastic wrap followed by foil then by another layer of plastic wrap. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw completely in the fridge overnight before removing the plastic wrap, covering it back up with foil, and baking according to recipe instructions. If you want to bake it straight from frozen, remove the plastic wrap, cover it with foil, and add 20 to 30 minutes onto the baking time.

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