There are some dishes that everyone seems to love and there are also vegetarian dishes which meat eaters find sooo delicious that they don’t feel they are missing out. My butternut squash & ricotta lasagne falls into both of these categories.
I’ve been making this lasagne for years and my partner (a vegetarian herself) has badgered me for a long time to share the recipe here at Food on the Blog. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long…but lucky for you I’m giving you probably the best vegetarian lasagne recipe you’ll ever make!
The marriage of sweet butternut squash and creamy Parmesan laden ricotta is nothing short of sublime. With its hit of rich tomato sauce and crispy Parmesan topping…I can tell your mouth is watering already, so let’s get on and make it.
Butternut Squash & Ricotta Lasagne
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 x Italian Tomato Sauce*
- 1 x Butternut Squash
- 500g x Ricotta
- 150ml x double Cream
- 400g x Parmesan
- 250g x Spinach
- 1 x Pack Pasta Lasagne Sheets
- 1 x Whole Nutmeg
- Salt
Method
*Click the link to make a batch of Italian Tomato Sauce
Peel and dice your butternut squash and boil in salted water until tender. Drain and put back in the pan, add salt and about 6-7 grates of nutmeg. Mash thoroughly and set aside. Taste for seasoning and adjust if you need to…we want a nice hint of nutmeg and not for it to become overpowering.
In a large bowl add you ricotta and half the Parmesan. Mix together well, add the cream bit by bit as the consistency should smooth but nowhere near runny. Taste it – we want rich, creamy ricotta flavour with a back hint of Parmesan, add more Parmesan if you need (or want) to.
In a deep baking dish spread half of your tomato sauce evenly across the bottom. Now add a layer of lasagne sheets.
TIP: Don’t snap your lasagne sheets, it never works. Instead if you need to adjust the shape drop them into a dish full of boiling water after 1 minute remove and place on a chopping board and carefully cut to the required shape.
On the layer of pasta sheets carefully spread out half of you ricotta mix. Start from the middle and work your way firmly but slowly to the edges.
Once done layer half of your fresh spinach onto the ricotta. Now I know what you’re thinking…
“That’s way too much!”
Trust me it isn’t, it will collapse during cooking.
Give the spinach a good seasoning of salt.
Add a layer of lasagne sheets on top of the spinach and spread all of your butternut squash in a nice thick and even layer over them.
Now reverse the process:
- Lasange sheets
- Ricotta mix
- Spinach
- Lasagne sheets
- Tomato sauce
Simply top the tomato sauce with a good layer of Parmesan and you are ready.
Place in preheated oven at 180C (350F or Gas Mark 4) for about 45 minutes. Keep checking and if you need to, cover the top with foil to stop it looking overdone.
Now tuck in!
I know you are going to love this recipe so please remember to tell me how it worked for you in the comments below.
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Hey Michael,
It looks seriously amazing ! I wish I could have tried ti right now ! Looks yummy !
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