Looking to impress your vegetarian guests? Look no more. This butternut squash vegetarian lasagna is perfect for hosting dinner, a potluck, or any special occasion. This recipe is one you will not resist making over and over again!
Each layer of this Butternut Squash Vegetarian Lasagna is packed with a combination of amazing flavors. The sweetness of the roasted butternut squash paired with the creamy rich sauce made with two different types of cheeses, fontina cheese and pumpkin spice gouda cheese, and the delicious sundried tomatoes which are my favorite part of this combination. I also tried this butternut squash lasagna with other types of cheeses like Havarti and Mozzarella cheese, all work well with this recipe. However, If you decide not to use the pumpkin spice gouda cheese, just add ⅓ cup of pumpkin puree instead. I like the gouda pumpkin cheese cause it adds a spicy kick to the lasagna, that blends perfectly with the sweetness of the butternut squash.
How to make this Butternut Squash Vegetarian Lasagna
Step #1: Preheat oven to 475 degrees and proceed to cut and peel the butternut squash into small cubes. Place them on a baking sheet and season with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic cloves and thyme (I used dry but you can use fresh too). Roast the butternut squash for about 15 minutes or until tender enough for mashing
*You can either mash the butternut squash with a fork to have some texture or you can use a food processor or even a blender to make a puree. I like texture so I decided to mash them with a fork 🙂
*If adding the pumpkin puree, this is the time to combine both the roasted butternut squash and the pumpkin
How to make the white sauce for this Butternut Squash Vegetarian Lasagna
Step #2: Just a warning: Do not start making the sauce until the roasted butternut squash is ready. This is a quick and easy sauce and it will start to thicken very fast. You also want to start using the sauce to assemble the lasagna right away. While you prepare the sauce, make sure to cook the noodles following the package instructions. I always put the noodles to drain on a paper towel until is time to use them
Step#3: In a saucepan over medium-high heat place the almond milk and bring to a boil
Step#4: Lower to medium-low heat and add the cayenne pepper, bay leaves and the flour, make sure to start whisking until all well combined. Keep whisking and add the ½ cup of fontina cheese and ⅓ cup of pumpkin spice gouda cheese.
Step#5: Continue whisking until well combined and the sauce starts to thicken. Making the sauce takes about 10 to 15 minutes
Ingredients for assembling
How to assemble this Butternut Squash Vegetarian Lasagna
First: Pour and spread some of the white sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. This will prevent the first layer of noodles from sticking to the dish
Then: Place the first layer of already cooked noodles (or no-boil lasagna noodles). I use 3 sheets of noodles in each layer, I did 3 layers so a total of 9 sheets of noodles. (you can do more if you want just double the ingredients if that’s the case)
Next: Add the spinach, basil, sun-dried diced tomatoes, and some white sauce (I use more basil than spinach in mine just cause basil is my favorite:)
Lastly: Add some shredded fontina cheese on top and continue assembling the other layers the same way. Place the baking dish in the oven for about 10 minutes. Proceed to open the oven doors carefully (do not get burned, safety first :), add some fontina cheese on top and bake for an extra 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned
Butternut Squash Vegetarian Lasagna delicious comfort food for any occasion
Tips and Tricks
Saving Time:
- My first most important tip is to cut and peel the butternut squash, grate all the cheeses and steam the spinach before you start making the sauce
- To save some time and effort, you can buy pre-cut butternut squash
- If you are looking at saving some cash, I recommend cutting the butternut squash yourself. How to cut the squash? It’s important to have a good knife or even a vegetable peeler for this job. I also like to remove the end of the butternut squash to make it more stable when cutting. I cut the long part in half and then the round part.
- If you decide to use boiled noodles, my suggestion is to cook them al dente. Remember there will still be an extra cooking process in the oven. This will help give a firm texture in the lasagna
- You can use no-boil lasagna noodles with this recipe to save extra time. These noodles were not my preference, they were a little dry and hard for my taste. However, when I made it with this type, I was able to soften the noodles a little more by coating them with an extra amount of sauce in each layer
Other Ingredients:
- If you want some extra protein, just add some shredded rotisserie chicken and if you are looking for something more savory, add some bacon or pancetta
About Spinach
- Make sure to remove the stem from the baby spinach, this will prevent any bitter taste
- It’s better to use baby spinach as the larger darker leaves tend to have a more bitter taste. Baby spinach is tender and sweeter than large spinach
- Make sure not to overcook spinach, this will increase the bitter taste. My suggestion is to steam it for 2 to 3 minutes and drain all the excess water before using it (place it on a paper towel to drain all the water), we don’t want to end up with a mushy soggy lasagna
This vegetarian lasagna is great for a fall holiday dinner or any other celebrations. Just a fair warning, I don’t guarantee there will be any leftovers
Please see below for a printable recipe card and do not forget to leave your comments and suggestions, I will be happy to hear from you. Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and use the #asimpletweakrecipes so I can see your creations on Instagram :).
Buen Provecho,
Enjoy!
Butternut Squash Vegetarian Lasagna
Ingredients
Ingredients roasted squash
- 1 2 pounds butternut squash (4 to 5 cups of diced butternut squash)
- 1 head garlic (about 10 cloves peeled)
- 1 teaspoon salt (I use kosher)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme (or fresh)
Ingredients for the sauce:
- 1 8oz (package) fontina cheese (226g about 2 cups fontina cheese shredded (divided))
- ½ cup gouda cheese pumpkin spice (shredded)
- 4 cups almond milk (or regular milk)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 to 2 sprig thyme (fresh or 1 teaspoon dry)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Ingredients for assembling the vegetarian lasagna:
- 1 lb lasagna noodles (I use a total of 9 sheets, 3 per layer)
- ⅓ cup sunrise dry tomatoes (diced)
- 1 cup spinach (steamed and drained)
- ⅓ cup pumpkin puree (optional)
- basil leaves (fresh)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees and proceed to cut and peel the butternut squash into small cubes
- Place the squash on a baking sheet and season with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic cloves and thyme (I used dry but you can use fresh too) Roast the butternut squash for about 15 minutes or until tender enough for mashing You can either mash the butternut squash with a fork to have some texture or you can use a food processor or even a blender to make a puree. I like texture so I decided to mash them with a fork 🙂
- If adding the pumpkin puree, this is the time to combine both the roasted butternut squash and the pumpkin
- On a saucepan over medium-high heat place the almond milk and bring to a boil lower to medium-low heat and add the cayenne pepper, bay leaves and the flour, make sure to start whisking until all well combined
- Keep whisking and add the ½ cup of fontina cheese and ⅓ cup of pumpkin spice gouda cheese
- Keep whisking until well combined and the sauce starts to thicken Pour and spread some of the white sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. This will prevent the first layer of noodles from sticking to the dish
- Place the first layer of already cooked noodles (or no-boil lasagna noodles). I use 3 sheets of noodles in each layer, I did 3 layers so a total of 9 sheets of noodles. (you can do more if you want just double the ingredients if that's the case)
- Add the spinach, basil, sun-dried diced tomatoes, and some white sauce (I use more basil than spinach in mine just cause basil is my favorite:)
- Add some shredded fontina cheese on top and continue assembling the other layers the same way add some fontina cheese on top and bake for an extra 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned
Notes
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate).
Nutrition
*Nutritional Disclaimer: Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
This look so good, I can’t wait to try it
aww thanks, Oana!
This looks so good! I have to try it!
Thank you Cara!