Butternut Squash Lasagna with Mushrooms and Spinach

It’s Fall, and it’s getting chilly here, so it’s all squash all the time.  And this time, it’s a lasagna!

I changed up the squash, and this time sliced a butternut squash lengthwise and popped it in the oven.  (If you’d like proper directions, check out: my post on how to roast squash).

Along with the squash I used a combination of shitake and cremini mushrooms, and a big, fresh bunch of spinach.

I served the butternut lasagna as the veggie main dish at a dinner party with good friends last night, where we had Canadian cheese fancy enough for the cashier to ask me if I was hosting a cheese party (stinky triple creme on the left, BC chevre with pretty flowers on the right):

I recommend serving this with a salad to get an extra hit of veggies in, and you’re good to go.   A couple slices of baguette can be helpful to mop up leftover juices.  Mmmm.

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Mushrooms and Spinach
Inspired by a Weight Watchers Recipe, Serves 8-10

• 500ml (2 c.) milk (skim or almond)
• 3 cloves roasted garlic (or raw, peeled garlic)
• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tsp. seasoned pepper (a store-bought blend of black pepper, parsley, basil, onion & garlic — feel free to replace with your favourite herbs)
• 1 roasted butternut squash
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 250g (about 8 oz.) cremini and shitake mushrooms
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 bunch spinach
• 1/2 a box (about 12) whole wheat lasagna noodles
• 250g pressed cottage cheese (I use 0.5% milk fat), optional
• 3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast or shaved parmegiano reggiano

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a medium pot over low heat, heat the milk along with the garlic, nutmeg, and seasoned pepper. Once it has come to a boil, remove from the heat.

Scoop the flesh out of a butternut squash and pop it into a blender.  Add the infused milk, and blend.

In a large pan, heat the olive oil and shallots.  Sweat the shallots until they are translucent, about five minutes.  Add the mushrooms and sautée until tender.  Season with salt and pepper, then top with the spinach.  Keep the heat on until the spinach has wilted down, then set aside.

In a large casserole dish, begin to layer the ingredients: noodles, then squash, then mushrooms/spinach.

Continue to layer the ingredients until you have run out of veggies, ending with a layer of squash.  If you are using cottage cheese, sprinkle it over the top of the dish.

Cover with the lid of the casserole dish, or aluminum foil, and bake at 400F for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 20 minutes more.  Serve topped with nutritional yeast or parmesan and enjoy!