summary

A warm, cheesy, comforting lasagna made with seasonal ingredients is a wonderful vegetarian main dish for the holiday season. This one is so delicious we are guessing even your non-vegetarian guests are going to want to partake. The beauty of a lasagna is that it can be made the day before, making this an easy win during a busy holiday season.

ingredients

3 cups (1-inch cubed) butternut squash (about ½ a squash)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup ricotta
¼ cup whole milk
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale, thick spine removed, chopped
1 cup ricotta
½ pound lasagna noodles
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded fontina
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper and spread out the butternut squash in a single layer. Drizzle with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast, stirring once, until golden brown and fork-tender, about 30 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 375°F.
Allow the squash to cool slightly and then transfer to the base of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the ricotta, milk and nutmeg and process until smooth. Set aside.
To make the spinach filling, warm the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the kale and sauté just until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a mixing bowl, add the ricotta and season with salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Lightly grease a baking sheet with oil and lay the noodles flat so they don’t stick together. Set aside.
To assemble the lasagna, lightly coat a 10x7-inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread ⅓ of the butternut squash filling into the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle lightly with 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of the fontina and top with a layer of noodles. Spread half of the spinach filling over the noodles and top with a second layer of noodles. Spread ⅓ of the squash filling, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons mozzarella and 2 tablespoons fontina and top with a third layer of noodles.
Spread the remaining spinach filling over the noodles and then top with the final layer of cooked noodles. Spread the remaining squash filling over the top, and finish with the remaining mozzarella, fontina and Parmesan cheeses.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 20 minutes. Allow to cool slightly and serve.

notes

This vegetarian lasagna is a guideline to be used with other vegetables including mushrooms, spinach, sweet potatoes, broccoli rabe and artichokes.

Lasagna can be assembled a day in advance and refrigerated. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while the oven preheats. For best results, assemble the day before but bake the day of service.

If you have leftovers, this freezes beautifully. Freeze in individual serving sizes for ease when reheating.