In place of pasta, butternut squash is used in this fall version of lasagna, which is then stacked with tomato sauce, mozzarella, ricotta, and chicken sausage. You won’t even miss the spaghetti since it’s so good!
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Butternut Squash Lasagna
I’ve been making zucchini lasagna without noodles for years, but since fall has here, I wanted to attempt a butternut version. This lasagna made with butternut squash turned out well, offering a healthy and nutritious comfort meal option. The taste that the Italian chicken sausage brings to the sauce is something I adore. These Butternut Squash Lasagna Roll Ups and Spaghetti Squash Lasagna are two more of my favorite winter squash lasagna recipes.
Why This Butternut-Sausage Lasagna Works
- Healthful: Compared to typical lasagna recipes, this one made without pasta has more fiber and fewer carbohydrates. It is also free of gluten.
- Good Protein: There are 29 grams of protein in it!
- Meal Prep: You only need to toss this meal into the oven for dinner the following day if you prepare it on a Sunday when you have more time.
- Cheesy: Using part-skim mozzarella and ricotta cheese keeps the lasagna creamy and cheesy without adding too many calories.
- freezer-friendly This is a fantastic baked or unbaked butternut squash lasagna without noodles that freezes well.
Ingredients
- Sausage: Take off the casings from a quarter of an ounce of chicken Italian sausage. Premio and Al Fresco appeal to me.
- Onion and Garlic: Mince three cloves of garlic and chop half of a large onion.
- Crushed Tomatoes: A 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, such as Tuttorosso, is required.
- Herbs: parsley and fresh, chopped basil
- To season the beef sauce, use black pepper and salt.
- Butterscotch Peel a large butternut squash (three pounds or more).
- Cheese: shredded part-skim mozzarella (my personal favorite is Polly-O), grated Parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan, and part-skim ricotta.
- The egg keeps the lasagna’s cheese mixture from dripping out while it bakes.
How to Make Butternut Squash Lasagna
- Meat Sauce: In a big skillet, brown the sausage. After a few minutes, add the tomatoes, basil, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes on low with a cover on.
- Sweet Potatoes Noodles for Lasagna: Using a spiralizer, mandolin, or sharp knife, slice the squash into rounds that are 1/8″ thick.
- Filling for lasagna: Mix the egg, parsley, parmesan, and ricotta.
- Arrange the Lasagna Layers: Line the bottom of a 9″ by 12″ casserole dish or baking dish with sauce. Cover the dish with 12 butternut slices arranged over the sauce. Next, keep layering in this order: tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, butternut, ricotta mixture, mozzarella, sauce, and sauce.
- For 30 minutes, bake the lasagna with the foil covering it. Take off the foil to help drain any extra liquid, then cook it for 30 minutes or until it reaches fork tenderness. Place the remaining cheese on top of the dish and bake until it melts and bubbles.
- Serving: After allowing the dish to settle for five to ten minutes, cut it into eight pieces. It will crumble if you cut it too soon.
How to Make Butternut Squash Lasagna Noodles
Butternut squash can be challenging to handle because it’s such a huge, tough veggie. Here are some pointers to help you slice it more easily.
- You can make the squash simpler to chop by giving it a quick minute or two in the microwave.
- Utilise the Whole Squash: Using a fork, scrape out the seeds from the butternut section before slicing further.
- With a high-quality spiralizer, slicing butternut squash into thin rounds is the simplest method.
- Spiralizer Advice: Before spiralizing, I made a lengthwise cut down the middle to allow the pieces to split. I then used my spiralizer with blade A.
- Other Techniques: A well-made mandolin or a sharp knife might also work, but use caution. Because mandolins can be harmful, I advise putting on cut-resistant gloves to prevent cuts.
Variations
- Crushed red pepper flakes or spicy Italian sausage can be added to the lasagna if you like it hot.
- Sausage: Instead of chicken, use Italian turkey sausage or pork.
- Vegetarian Butternut Squash Lasagna: You can either add more vegetables, such kale or Swiss chard, or use a vegan sausage substitute.
- Cheese: To get more protein, replace cottage cheese with ricotta.
- Allergy to eggs? Leave out the egg. Even though the cheese combination might taste a little runnier, it will still be tasty.
How to Make Ahead
This lasagna makes a fantastic meal prep dish.
Plan ahead by one day. Refrigerate it after covering it with foil.
Before baking, let it come to room temperature by placing it on the counter for thirty minutes.
Cook as directed.
More Butternut Squash Recipes You’ll Love
- Creamy Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup with Orzo and Spinach
- How To Make Sausage Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
- Autumn Kale Salad with Chicken
- Quinoa Vegetable Soup
Noodleless Butternut Squash Lasagna Recipe
In place of pasta, butternut squash is layered with ricotta, mozzarella, and a meat sauce made from chicken sausages for a fall twist on lasagna. Amazing, you won't even miss the pasta!
Ingredients
- 14 ounces Italian chicken sausage casing removed (Al Fresco)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 large onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 28- oz can crushed tomatoes I like Tuttorosso
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 large butternut squash peeled, at least 3 lbs
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 large egg
- 16 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 4 cups total
Instructions
- Cook the sausage in a big, deep, nonstick skillet with olive oil, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it’s done, about 5 minutes. Simmer the garlic and onions for two minutes, or until they are tender. To taste, add the tomatoes, basil, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes on low, covered.
- In the meantime, use a sharp knife, a mandolin (be careful), or a high-quality spiralizer to slice the butternut squash into 1/8-inch thick rounds. Refer to the notes.
- Turn the oven on to 375°F.
- Mix the Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, egg, and parsley in a medium-sized bowl.
- Spread 3/4 cup of sauce on the bottom of a deep 9-by-12 casserole dish, then arrange 12 rounds of butternut slices on top. Cover with 3/4 cup of the ricotta cheese mixture, then 1 cup of the sauce and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Layer 2: Arrange 12 additional butternut rounds, 3/4 cup of ricotta mixture, 1 cup of mozzarella, and 1 cup of sauce. Layer 3: 12 butternut slices, 1 1/2 cups sauce, and a foil-covered top.
- Bake for thirty minutes with a cover on.
- Take off the foil and cook for 30 minutes without a cover to help remove any extra moisture. After adding the remaining cheese on top, bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Before serving, let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut into eight pieces.
- Lasagna with butternut squash
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