Description
This caramelised squash and spinach lasagne is a hearty, comforting vegetarian dish that layers sweet roasted butternut squash with tender spinach and creamy white sauce. Enhanced with garlic, sage, and a blend of mascarpone, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses, this recipe combines rich flavors and textures perfect for a satisfying dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Roasted Squash and Sage
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 2cm cubes (1.2kg prepared weight)
- 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- Handful of sage leaves (about 9-10 leaves)
- 1 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra for drizzling
Spinach Layer
- 600g fresh spinach
Lasagne Sheets and Cheese
- 12–15 lasagne sheets
- 125g ball mozzarella, torn or cut into small pieces
- 40g pine nuts
- 50g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated
White Sauce
- 70g butter
- 70g flour
- 800ml milk
- 250g mascarpone
- Half of the 50g parmesan (25g) reserved for sauce
- Grating of nutmeg (about 1/4 teaspoon)
Instructions
- Roast the squash and garlic: Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan)/gas mark 6. Place the butternut squash cubes and unpeeled garlic cloves into a large roasting tin or dish (approximately 35 x 40cm, 5cm deep). Tear over 4-5 sage leaves, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season well with salt and pepper. Toss everything to coat evenly. Roast for 40-50 minutes, stirring or turning the squash once or twice, until the squash is soft and caramelised.
- Mash the roasted garlic into the squash: When cooked, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and mash them together with the squash in the tin, leaving some chunks for texture.
- Prepare the white sauce: In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes until it forms a sandy paste, ensuring it doesn’t brown. Gradually add the milk a little at a time, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, until you achieve a smooth, creamy sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 1 minute more to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in the mascarpone, half of the parmesan (about 25g), salt, pepper, and a generous grating of nutmeg.
- Wilt the spinach: Place the fresh spinach into a colander and pour over boiling water to wilt it in batches if necessary. Once wilted and cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much excess water as possible. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then roughly chop the spinach.
- Assemble the lasagne: Remove half of the mashed garlicky squash from the roasting tin and set aside on a plate. Spread the remaining squash evenly over the base of the roasting tin or dish intended for the lasagne. Ladle about a quarter of the white sauce over the squash layer. Lay down a single layer of lasagne sheets, snapping them to cover gaps. Spread half of the prepared spinach on top, then pour over another quarter of the white sauce. Repeat layering with more lasagne sheets, the reserved squash, sauce, more lasagne sheets, and finish with the last of the white sauce.
- Add cheeses and pine nuts: Scatter the remaining parmesan, torn mozzarella pieces, and pine nuts on top of the assembled lasagne.
- Bake the lasagne: If the oven has cooled, preheat it again to 200°C (180°C fan)/gas mark 6. Bake the lasagne uncovered for 30 minutes until bubbling.
- Final sage topping and finish baking: Lightly rub 5-6 sage leaves with a little olive oil and place them on top of the lasagne. Return to the oven and bake for a further 15-20 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling.
- Rest and serve: Remove the lasagne from the oven and allow it to cool for 5 minutes before serving to let it set.
Notes
- Use fresh sage leaves for the best aromatic flavor; you can substitute with thyme if unavailable.
- Lasagne sheets can be fresh or dried; if using dried, ensure they are pre-cooked or suitable for no-boil baking.
- Adjust seasoning of the white sauce and spinach layers to taste before assembling.
- For a vegetarian version, use vegetarian-friendly parmesan or an alternative hard cheese.
- Leftover lasagne stores well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and freezes well for up to 1 month.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: vegetarian lasagne, butternut squash lasagne, spinach lasagne, caramelised squash recipe, creamy lasagne, meatless lasagne
