Butternut Squash Lasagna
I love traditional lasagna with gluten free noodles but that added sweetness from the butternut squash makes this dish one of our family favorites that have been in our weekly rotation lately. My whole family usually goes back for seconds or thirds! Butternut Squash Lasagna is similar to traditional lasagna but the noodles are subbed out for thinly sliced butternut squash rounds. You can easily play around with the veggies. Sometimes I like to add in zucchini, garlic, or any other leftover stir fries that are hiding out in the back of my fridge.
There are many ways to tackle cutting a squash but what I find easiest it to cut them in half horizontally, and then cut them in half again, creating a flat surface, making it easier to cut.
After the squash, veggies, and meat are cooked, start by adding a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of your glass dish. Then layer on squash, meat/veggie mixture, sauce, ricotta, another layer of squash, sauce, and then sprinkle with cheese on the top.
Ingredients:
2 butternut squash, peeled and thinly chopped into half circles
avocado oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
4 cups baby spinach
ground meat of choice (I recommend grass finished beef)
1 25 oz. jar pasta sauce (Ideally look for a sauce that is free of sugar and seed oils)
1 cup goat cheddar, or cheese of choice
1 cup dairy free ricotta cheese *
salt and pepper to taste
If you want to save on time I recommend buying Kite Hill Ricotta cheese for a clean, delicious option. If you want to save on money, making your own dairy free ricotta cheese is very easy. You will need to plan ahead and soak your cashews for a couple of hours, prior to blending. I used for Cashew Ricotta Cheese from Simple Veganista. Alternatively, if you tolerate dairy, you can do a full fat, organic ricotta cheese.
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Drizzle avocado oil and sea salt over chopped butternut squash. Lay out the squash on several cookie sheets. Cook for about 20 minutes or until soft. Times will vary, depending on thickness. They key is to try to get the thickness uniform so they cook evenly.
While squash is baking, heat up a large pan on medium heat. Once heated, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of avocado oil.
Once oil is heated add onions and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, until softened.
Push the veggies to the side of the pan and add meat. Cook meat until fully cooked. No pink spots.
Mix the veggies and meat together and then add the spinach. Cook until wilted.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add 1/2 cup of sauce to the bottom of a glass dish. Spread out evenly.
Layer, squash on top.
Then add veggie/meat mixture on top.
Add 1 cup of sauce and spread out evenly.
Then dollop with ricotta cheese.
Layer squash on top.
Add remaining sauce and then sprinkle with cheese.
Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes.
