Butternut Squash Lasagna

 Photo Credit: http://pinchofyum.com

Butternut Squash Lasagna

(serves 6 HUGE pieces)

Original Recipe: http://pinchofyum.com/butternut-squash-lasagna

Ingredients:

•     4 cups butternut squash puree (i.e. Farmer’s Market Organic canned)
•     1 1/2 tbs. sel de cuisine (features cinnamon, rosemary, and salt)
•     1 tsp. minced garlic
•     salt and pepper to taste
•     15 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese
•     1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
•     8 short whole wheat lasagna noodles
•     sliced cheese to top pieces (optional – but not really)

Direction:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine squash purée, sel de cuisine, garlic, salt, and pepper; mix well. Combine ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, salt and pepper in second bowl and mix well.
2. Coat 8×8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Put a little butternut squash on the bottom of the pan.  Place 2 noodles in bottom of dish, overlapping slightly. Spread half of squash mixture over noodles. Layer 2 more noodles on top, and spread with half of ricotta mixture. Repeat layers—noodles, squash, noodles, ricotta—then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
3. Bake for 45 minutes.  Top with sliced cheese and bake/broil an additional 5-10 minutes.

Tip: covering the lasagna might help the top not to get so crispy looking – especially if you don’t plan on melting cheese over each piece.  It might also help keep some of the moisture in.  I made this uncovered and it tasted great, but next time I would either cover it while baking or add a little more liquid, like vegetable stock or something, to keep it super creamy!

Breaking News: Bjork just walked by me eating a jumbo bowl of Fruity Pebbles (30 minutes after eating lasagna).  Maybe the squash didn’t quite do it for him after all.

But if you’re a butternut squash lover (and looking for healthy comfort food), I promise you will love this as much as I did!

Or at least you’ll tell me you love it before you go for the Fruity Pebbles.