Butternut Squash Lasagna with Sage and Browned Butter Béchamel
Lasagna might have to be one of the most comforting dishes of all time and this version is no exception. Luxurious layers of nutty browned butter béchamel, creamy butternut squash, savory sage, gooey cheese and tender noodles come together perfectly...I was legit almost brought to tears with this one. I originally shared this in a previous newsletter but want to bring it to my main site this year, so it’s easily accessible for anyone looking to cook it!
Serve this in front of the fireplace on a chilly fall evening or even cook it as part of your Thanksgiving spread— definitely a crowd pleaser!
PS —I highly recommend making your own pasta if you have the time (or buying homemade pasta sheets from a specialty grocery store) but as queen Ina Garten would say, store bought is fine!
Serves 6-8.
INGREDIENTS
For the butternut squash:
1 large (3 lb) butternut squash
1 whole head garlic
Olive oil
Kosher salt
For the browned butter béchamel:
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
Pinch of nutmeg
1 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
To assemble:
1 lb pasta (either fresh pasta or dried works)
16 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated
2 cups grated Parmesan Cheese (using a microplane)
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 bunch sage, leaves removed
METHOD
Make the butternut squash filling:
Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut the butternut squash in half, lengthwise and transfer to a sheet tray. Drizzle the flesh side with olive oil and a generous pinch of kosher salt and rub it around to distribute. Place the squash flesh side down on the baking sheet.
Cut ~1/4 to 1/2 of an inch from the top of the garlic head, exposing the top of the cloves. Drizzle with EVOO + sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Place on the baking sheet with the butternut squash.
Bake in the oven for ~40-45 minutes, or until the flesh of the butternut squash is fully cooked through and tender and the garlic is soft + golden brown. When you insert a paring knife into the thickest part of the butternut squash, it should come out very easily.
Allow to cool for 15-20 minutes, then use a spoon to remove the seeds from the center of the butternut squash (it’s way easier once the squash is cooked!).
Scoop the squash from the flesh and transfer to a blender. Squeeze out the roasted garlic cloves from the skin and add to the blender as well. Add a 1.5 tsp of Kosher salt along with ~ 1/2 cup of water. Blend until smooth and homogenous, adding additional water as needed. The mixture should be thick, yet spreadable. Set aside.
Make the browned butter béchamel::
Brown the butter in a saucepan.
Add the flour to the browned butter and cook for 1 more minute over low heat to cook off the raw flour flavor.
Slowly stream in the milk while whisking constantly to get the lumps out. The mixture will be really thick at first, but once you add all of the milk, it will thin out.
Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat and once it’s reached a simmer, cook for another 2 minutes while whisking until the mixture has thickened substantially. The mixture should coat the back of the spoon. Finish with a pinch of nutmet. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Assemble + bake the lasagna:
Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.
In a 9x13 inch baking pan:
Spread a thin layer of the butternut squash mixture, just to coat the bottom of the pan.
Top with one layer of noodle sheets*, 1/3 of the remaining butternut squash mixture, 1/4 of the béchamel, 1/4 of the mozzarella and 1/4 of the parmesan. Repeat this two more times (noodles, squash, béchamel, cheeses).
Top with one more layer of noodles, the last 1/4 of béchamel and the last 1/4 of each of the cheeses.
Transfer to the oven to cook for 45 mins-1 hour or until the lasagna is bubbling + golden brown on top.
While the lasagna is baking, heat up the 2 Tbsp of butter in a large skillet and add in the sage leaves. Fry the sage leaves on both sides until crispy.
Finish the lasagna with the crispy sage leaves, serve and enjoy!
NOTES
*If you’re using regular store bought lasagna noodles, par-cook the noodles ahead of assembling the lasagna. If you buy the oven-ready dried lasagna noodles or if you’re using fresh pasta sheets, no need to par-cook.
