…..of squash! I’m so excited. I love squash. Butternut and Delicata are my two favorite but I do like a nice spaghetti or acorn as well. Mmmm. Creamy, rich and still a vegetable! What could be bad?
As a result, I’m constantly looking for new recipes to go with the squash. My standbys are soup and risotto. This weekend I wanted something more. I’ve had butternut squash lasagna before but wasn’t sure I wanted anything that heavy. I read this blog on a free-style squash and goat cheese lasagna but I don’t love goat cheese. So I decided to improvise and make a hybrid of the two.
Hybrid Squash Lasagna
Ingredients
1 butternut squash
1 box no-boil lasagna noodles
1 onion
olive oil
1-2 cups chicken or veg broth
1-2 cups light cream
grated parmesan and/or mozzarella cheese- how much? up to you- how cheesy do you want this? I probably used about 1-2 cups combined.
salt, pepper to taste
Directions:
I started by roasting my squash. I cut it in half, scooped out the seeds and put it face down- skin side up- on a baking sheet with some olive oil, salt and pepper. It roasted at about 425 degrees for maybe 30-40 minutes. And it filled the house with such a nice, squashy smell. Mmmm. I set it aside to let it cool. Then I peeled it and threw it into the food processor, then into a medium sized pot. I put it over low heat.
Meanwhile, I sliced up two onions pretty thinly (ok, I’ll admit it, I used the food processor. I’m so lazy!) and put them in a saute pan with some olive oil over medium-low heat.
I let these sit over medium to low heat for a loooooong time. Don’t let them brown up or burn but do let them cook down and get all caramelized. You could help the process along by adding a teaspoon of sugar but there’s really no need- if you have the time, they’ll do their thing. Cook them until they look like this:
Meanwhile, to the squash on the pot on the stove, whisk in about 1-2 cups of chicken or veg broth and about 1 cup of cream. Let that all sort of melt and meld together. Season a bit with salt and pepper if necessary.
Once your onions are done, you could throw in a bit of Marsala to deglaze the pan. I love Marsala and find it worked well with the squash- a sort of sweet and slightly acidic undertone. 
Ok, time to assemble. Start by putting a bit of the squash sauce on the bottom of your pan. Top with the lasagna noodles (I had to break mine up a bit to make them fit- It was not the best pan choice) and some of the cheese.
I had some fresh mozzarella to use up but regular would probably be just as fine. Add a layer of your delicious onions.
Cover with more noodles.
Then more squash sauce.
Repeat until you run out of ingredients or room. Finish with a layer of sauce and some parmesan and mozzarella cheese on top.
Bake at 375 for about 30-50 minutes or until it’s all golden and bubbly around the edges. Mmmmm.
This was good- rich, creamy and not as dairy-ful as others I’ve had. A little bit lighter and more squashy, I think because the squash wasn’t diluted with the cream sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some good cream sauce, this was just a nice alternative.
And for the record, it’s taken me five days to write and post this! Talk about a busy week! Hopefully with an extra day off this week, I’ll be able to post something else.
VERY YUMMY.