The best butternut squash lasagne

Name: The best butternut squash lasagne
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h 25 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 medium butternut squash; 2 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp to drizzle; 1 bulb/s garlic; 2 red peppers; 1 large onion, thinly sliced; 200 g cavolo nero; 260 g pack spinach; 20 g pack sage, leaves of ½ finely chopped, the rest picked and left whole; 300 g pack fresh lasagne; 290 g tub No.1 Mozzarella Di Bufala Campana DOP, drained, then torn; 2 tbsp pine nuts

Martha Collison's lasagne is the perfect entertaining dish – accomplished enough that you feel a swell of pride serving it, yet humble enough that it looks unassuming coming out of the oven.

2 out of 5 stars(1) Rate this recipe

Serves6
CourseMain meal
Prepare40 mins
Cook1 hr 25 mins
Total time2 hrs 5 mins

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1 medium butternut squash
2 tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp to drizzle
1 bulb/s garlic
2 red peppers
1 large onion, thinly sliced
200g cavolo nero
260g pack spinach
20g pack sage, leaves of ½ finely chopped, the rest picked and left whole
300g pack fresh lasagne
290g tub No.1 Mozzarella Di Bufala Campana DOP, drained, then torn
2 tbsp pine nuts

For the ricotta béchamel

50g butter
50g plain flour
400ml milk
250g ricotta
¼ tsp nutmeg, finely grated
50g No.1 30 Months Parmigiano Reggiano DOP, finely grated

Preheat the oven to 220ºC, gas mark 7. Peel and deseed the squash, then cut into small cubes. Tip onto a large baking tray, season and rub with 1 tbsp oil. Slice the top off the garlic bulb (still in its papery skin), place on a square of foil, drizzle 1 tsp oil onto the exposed cloves, then wrap loosely in the foil to create a small parcel. Add to the tray with the squash and roast for 30 minutes.
Deseed the peppers, then cut into small chunks. When the 30 minutes is up, remove the garlic from the tray and set aside to cool. Turn the squash, add the peppers to the tray, then roast for 15 minutes more until everything is tender and beginning to caramelise.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large, deep frying pan. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook over a medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes until soft and translucent. Tear the leaves from the cavolo nero, discarding the stalks. Divide into pieces, then add to the onion pan and stir fry for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and 50ml water, cook for 3-4 minutes more until wilted, then remove from the heat and stir in the sage.
For the ricotta béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the flour and stir for 3-4 minutes until the paste turns golden. Add the milk a little at a time, whisking until a smooth sauce forms. Add the ricotta, nutmeg and half the parmesan and whisk again until well combined.
Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins into a large mixing bowl, then mash. Tip in the squash and peppers. Add 3 tbsp béchamel sauce, then mix gently until combined. Some squash will mash down and some should stay chunky, so don’t overbeat.
Spoon half the butternut squash mixture into the bottom of a 26x20cm or 2L rectangular baking dish and spread evenly. Cover with a layer of lasagne sheets, then spread half the remaining béchamel over the top. Cover with half the wilted greens, then another layer of lasagne. Repeat, alternating the squash and greens layers, then finish with a layer of pasta.
Cover with the remaining béchamel sauce, then sprinkle with the mozzarella, pine nuts, remaining parmesan and sage leaves.
Cover the top with foil, bake for 20 minutes, then bake for 20 minutes more with the foil removed, until the top is golden and the cheese has melted. Allow to stand for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.

Cook’s tip

Time-saving squash
The most laborious part of this recipe is peeling and chopping the squash, so if you want convenience, try using 2 x 500g bags frozen Cooks’ Ingredients Butternut Squash.

Lasagne sheets
I’ve gone for fresh sheets here, as I find they work best in lasagne that doesn’t have a very wet sauce, and provide a more robust texture. You can use dried sheets if you prefer. Just increase the covered cooking time by 15 minutes.

Veggie swaps
Vegetables are forgiving and happy to be swapped, so it’s fine if you don’t have the varieties listed. Kale or other leafy greens will work in place of the cavolo nero, and sweet potato makes a great squash substitute.

Step by step
Prepare the different elements of the filling up to three days in advance and store in the fridge until needed. Assemble on the day you need it for stress free preparation time!

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe