Butternut Squash Lasagna

This butternut squash lasagna is the ultimate Fall dinner recipe your whole family will love. It’s vegetarian, with a homemade butternut squash sauce and spinach ricotta. It’s herby, cheesy and packed with flavor.

It’s cozy dinner season and this butternut squash lasagna needs to be on your weekly rotation! I has a base of brown rice lasagna noodles to keep things gluten free, a homemade roasted butternut squash sauce, garlicky spinach ricotta and finished with lots of shredded mozzarella.

It’s vegetarian comfort food at its finest and even freezer friendly so it’s great for meal prep. You can serve it exactly as is because it has plenty of veggies right in the dish, or try my air fryer green beans if you want some extra!

Tips before we cook!

• Before you begin, check to see if your lasagna noodles require boiling or not first. Some you can use just straight out of the package (I used Jovial brown rice lasagna and these did not require boiling) and some you need to cook first.
• This is an easy recipe to prep ahead of time. You can get everything prepared and assembled, then just cover with foil and stick in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.

Key ingredients & swaps

Lasagna noodles. I used brown rice noodles by Jovial. If you are not gluten free, feel free to use regular lasagna noodles!

Butternut squash. You need one standard butternut squash here. If you’re using pre-cubed squash (no shame in this, it cuts back on some prep time!) you need about 8 cups cubed.

Yellow onion. I love yellow onion here, but white onion also works great. For the best flavor, I don’t recommend red onion.

Ricotta. Key for our spinach ricotta! We’ll mix it with some parmesan as well to balance the flavor and some garlicky sauteed spinach. So simple but so good!

Spinach. I recommend fresh spinach for best results!

Mozzarella. We’ll layer the mozzarella within the lasagna and finish the top with lots of shredded mozzarella. key for those gorgeous cheesy pulls!

How to make butternut squash lasagna

Add the cubed butternut squash, chopped onion, whole cloves of garlic to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with the olive oil and toss to combine.

Roast for about 40 minutes or until squash is tender. Decrease the oven to 375 Fahrenheit.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil for the spinach ricotta in a skillet and add the minced garlic and spinach. Saute on medium high heat for about 3 minutes or until the spinach wilts. Set aside to cool. I like to then finely chop the spinach but you can leave it as it. Mix with all remaining ingredients for the ricotta.

When the squash is done, transfer to a blender with the salt, pepper, thyme, veggie broth, heavy cream, and parmesan. Blend until smooth. Start with 1 1/2 cups of broth and add more as needed.

In a 9×13 baking dish, add a layer of sauce to the bottom, then add on a layer of Lasagna noodles (mine did not require pre-cooking, but if yours does require that, make sure to cook first!) add a layer of the ricotta cheese mixture, 1/2 cup mozzarella, then the sauce, noodles and repeat. Add the remaining mozzarella to the top.

Cover with foil and bake for about 45-50 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Top with some freshly grated parmesan, and fresh thyme, sage or other herbs as desired. Enjoy and try my gluten free shepherd’s pie next!

Variations

Add meat. I love a spicy Italian sausage here. You need 1 pound of ground meet, cook it in a hot skillet and then mix it into the sauce before layering with the rest of the lasagna. Also great with shredded rotisserie chicken. Just shred it up and mix it into the sauce before assembling.

Make it dairy free. You can make this butternut squash dairy free if you need/prefer, but it does require a few swaps to do so! First, swap the heavy cream in the squash sauce for a dairy free version- I like a cashew cream. Swap the ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella for vegan version! They don’t melt quite the same but will still work and taste great.

How to store and freeze

Once prepared, this butternut squash lasagna will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days. I usually store it right in the baking dish. Just let it cool, then cover with foil. To reheat, you can use the microwave if you’re heating up just one serving at a time, or just stick the whole baking dish back in the oven until warm through the center.

You can also freeze it after cooking! Just let it cool, then I like to slice into individual servings so I can thaw what I need at time. You can place each slice in a container, wrap in plastic wrap or place in a freezer safe ziplock bag. Whichever method, just make sure it is very tightly wrapped. Let thaw and then reheat in the oven until warm through the center.

Dinner recipes to try next!

• Lasagna Soup
• Mini Meatball Soup
• Gluten Free Vodka Pasta

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