I’ve been making this easy vegetable lasagna for years. It’s layered with a smooth butternut squash puree, shiitake mushrooms, a creamy white sauce, and melty cheese to make an irresistible layered lasagna noodle you’ll love digging into.
This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo Foods
It’s not even Christmas yet and I’ve already been looking toward the new year and listing out a few of the goals I plan to hit next year.
One of the biggies in my new year goal making sessions is to eat more meatless meals. It’s easy for me to do for breakfast and lunch, but where I tend to run into a road block is when I make meatless dinners because that’s not exactly my husband’s idea of a meal. But I’ve found it’s a whole lot easier to convince the family to join me on my veggie train when I’m serving dishes like this vegetable-loaded lasagna where nobody ever misses the meat.
I used to make this vegetable lasagna every.single.year when I hosted the volunteer holiday party for my fave animal rescue, where everything had to be served vegetarian. We were an animal rescue, not an animal eatery.
So did anyone (aka my husband) miss the meat? Not a chance! Why not? Because this Italian dinner recipe is completely delicious! That, and the layers of cheese don’t hurt to convince any doubting Thomas too.
The Best Noodles for Lasagna
Noodles made with semolina flour make the best lasagna because they hold their shape and have the best texture. Semolina flour is a protein-rich flour made from hearty durum wheat and the wheat DeLallo uses for almost all its pastas.
And even better, Delallo makes a no-boil, oven-ready lasagna noodle that’s guaranteed to cook up to an al denté texture that holds up well to layering for lasagna. Their noodles also come in a regular lasagna noodle and a gluten-free lasagna noodle.
see more: 30 Easy Comfort Food Casseroles To Make In November
How to Make This Vegetarian Lasagna
This vegetarian lasagna shows off the tasty vegetable combo of butternut squash and shiitake mushrooms. This is how I cook my butternut squash in the Instant Pot, but I’ve also shared how to cook it on the stove top below too.
Shiitake mushrooms have a meatier texture and a delicious, almost smokey flavor. They’re a great compliment to the smooth butternut squash and are the secret to making this veggie lasagna more appealing to the meat lover (my husband).
This Lasagna’s Secret Ingredient
The secret flavor buzz to this lasagna is blitzed almond amaretti cookies or DeLallo’s almond biscotti processed into the butternut squash purée to lend a balanced sweetness to the squash.
Like classic lasagnas, a simple white sauce of butter, flour, and whole milk (also known as a bechamel sauce) softens the no-boil noodles as they cook, but with an added fresh flavor thanks to the blended addition of fresh basil.
see more: 17 Friday Night Homemade Pizza Recipes To Make This Fall
Gimme the Cheese Please
I’ve upped the gooey factor by adding dollops of ricotta cheese plus shredded mozzarella and a bit of Parmesan cheese for the ultimate cheese pull.
I gotta give my man something to girth on besides meat, right?
Recipe Ideas to Make This a Meal
- Italian Chopped Salad With Marinated Chickpeas + A Giveaway
- How To Make An Awesome Antipasto Salad Platter
- Garlic Butter Pepperoni Pizza Rolls
- How To Make Classic Tiramisu
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats
Vegetable Lasagna With Butternut Squash and Shiitake Mushrooms
I serve this vegetarian lasagna for parties and everyone always asks me for the recipe. The creamy white sauce adds the moisture needed to cook the no-boil lasagna noodles for even faster prep.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds butternut squash cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 amaretti cookies or almond flavored biscotti crumbled
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 13 ounces DeLallo no-boil lasagna noodles
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and season with salt and pepper and then pour the water into the skillet. Cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is fork tender, about 15-20 minutes. You could also cook it in the Instant Pot. Transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the amaretti or biscotti cookies and blend until smooth.
Wipe out your skillet and add the other tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and sauté for 8-10 minutes or until soft, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan, wipe out the pan, and set aside.
Heat the pan over medium heat and melt the butter then add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly about 5 minutes. Add the nutmeg and another 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper. Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender and add the basil. Mixture will be hot so place a towel or cloth over top of blender so the mixture doesn’t explode. Blend until smooth then return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Lightly butter a 13 X 9 X 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Arrange a layer of lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles then 1/3 of the mushrooms. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup ricotta cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times, ending with a layer of mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Cover the baking dish with foil sprayed with cooking spray and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for about 15 more minutes or until the top is golden. Remove from oven and let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
adapted from Giada DeLaurentis
More Italian Recipes You’ll Want to Make Too
- Vegetarian CrockPot Lasagna Soup
- Sausage And Ricotta Lasagna
- Baked Sausage And Cheese Rigatoni
- Turkey Bolognese Lasagna Toss
Craving more life balance, less stress, and better health? Check out my Nourished Planner, the daily planner to help create simplicity and under-schedule your life.
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Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga says
Wow…so many awesome lasagna choices! That is one thing I never make…but should. Because the planned leftovers would be perfect some nights.
Kathryn says
Lasagne is probably my all time favourite. I tend to just make a bolognese lasagne so it’s lovely to have some other options as well!
Bev Weidner says
My jaw might never be off the ground again. Everything looks freaking amaaaazing.
Kelley says
Butternut squash and mushroom…..I think I likey. Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food and looks like we’ll finally be getting some weather to match!
Laurie {Simply Scratch} says
Oh how I love lasagna… these may just be the most delicious lasagna dishes I’ve ever seen! YUM!
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
Oh my, your lasagna looks incredible. And everything else looks amazing too. I honestly have never seen so much delicious on one page. I need to go see if I can make lasagna for dinner tonight because I’m definitely craving it now!
Kalyn says
I am drooling (and I think lasagna is so hard to get a good photo of!)
heidi says
Thanks Kalyn! Do you have any South Beach lasagna recipes?
Annalise says
Yummmm! I pinned a butternut squash lasagna recipe on pinterest a while ago but hadn’t gotten around to actually making it yet. I love that you added the mushrooms. Going to the top of my dinner queue!
Delishhh says
Wow what a list of recipes – with only having 4 weeks left of pregnancy one of my craving has been lasagna – this is a fantastic list and i can just continue my streak of making different kinds. Thank you so much for including me. Love your blog as always!
Cookie and Kate says
Butternut squash with cookies? In lasagna?! Get in my belly!
heidi says
Right? Right? Lasagna and cookies combo TDF!
Maria says
This lasagna has my name written all over it!
Cassie says
I love veggie lasagnas! The shiitake mushrooms are such a wonderful addition. All of these sound (and look) awesome!
Sandy says
I have been looking for a good recipe for butternut squash. This looks amazing!
Elizabeth @Mango_Queen says
What terrific ideas for lasagna! I love them all ! Thanks for sharing these. Can’t wait to try the lasagna soup, the lasagna cups and all the rest.
cailen says
all these lasagna variations look delicious!!! i especially love the butternut squash option for meatless mondays. sounds wonderful : )
Sprigs of Rosemary says
Yes, I could eat lasagne in any shape or form! Love the soup, but I think I’m in love with the cups!
[email protected] My Sweet Tooth says
I just got the pasta maker attachment for my mixer and I am dying to make every lasagna recipe I see now! The butternut squash/shitake combination sounds amazing!
heidi says
I got one for Christmas too and haven’t broken it out yet. This recipe uses no-boil noodles so is super easy on the noodle front.
Melissa says
Yum! Lasagna is a perfect winter dish! Thank-you for sharing so many fantastic recipes! I can’t wait to try them!
Mellissa @ ibreatheimhungry says
Thanks for the shoutout FoodieCrush! It’s an honor to be included in your list with all of these amazing lasagnas! Some of these are definitely getting pinned to my must make board! Thanks again!
jerry greer says
After reading your post I am thinking to enjoy your dish as it seem to me the best tasty dish I have ever heard.But it is not possible to resist my temptation till Christmas.So I am asking to make a dish and parcel it to my address.
Have you any other types of dishes those are also tasty and enjoyable?
Thanks,
greer
a suburban kitchen says
I love this idea for lasagna. I make one with spinach and a hint of lemon.
Thanks for sharing this. Yum.
heidi says
Oh that sounds delish, I’ve never had lasagna with lemon, great idea. Do you have a link?
Kim Bee says
I absolutely love the photo for this one. Butternut squash lasagna, just incredible. It can be so hard to get a good pic of and you really nailed it. Love all the other recipes as well.
Deborah says
I have to admit – my husband brought home one of those frozen lasagnas earlier this week for dinner during our move, and that makes me crave this gorgeous lasagna even more!!
Charlene Sherman says
I am totally craving for lasagna right now. It’s a pleasure to read this post. I really want to eat lasagna but I’m on a diet. Is it possible to make your lasagna without putting meat in it?
Thanks for sharing this to everyone! I’d like to try one of these recipes.
-Charlene
Katie Masterson says
This recipe looks delish. I just made it and it’s cooking in the oven. I have to say though that I cooked the mushrooms and set them aside as directed in the recipe then completely forgot about them when assembling the lasagna because the assembly instructions didn’t include a step to add them in. I’m sure the lasagna will be delish without them but I’m disappointed that my mushrooms will have to find a home in another dish this week. Might want to adjust the instructions to include them. Thanks for the great recipe!
Carole says
I came across your recipe and awesome photo, of the Butternut Squash & Shiitake Mushroom Lasagna earlier this week while I was sitting in a all-day meeting, fooling around on my computer while the trainer was blah blah blahing. I have been talking about this recipe for three days now, and have made it my mission to make it this Sunday. It looks fabulous and I am sooooo excited to make your lasagna. I’ll let you know how it goes.
heidi says
Yeah for surfing the web, boo for meetings. So glad you found the recipe and can’t wait to hear if you like it. Which you will ;)
Angie says
The butternut squash lasagna recipe is amazing! My husband love it. But like one reader said there is no instructions of when to put the shiitake mushrooms in the recipe. Can you please edit that. Good thing I am obsessed with mushrooms I did for get. LoL
J says
My partner and I made the butternut squash lasagna for Thanksgiving. We replaced the basil with sage, and replaced the biscotti with bread crumbs. Before pureeing the squash, I sauteed some garlic and sage in olive oil briefly and added it to the squash. We also added garlic and shallots to the sauce, sauteeing them in the butter before adding the rest of the ingredients for the sauce. We used half and half instead of whole milk to make the sauce a little richer too. Added garlic to the mushrooms too. Overall, I think our changes made the dish a little more savory. It was delicious!
Lesa Cote says
I am really happy to find this blog. As HR assignment help, I am really excited.
Laurie says
Can you freeze this? I like to prep meals (full time unpredictable hours job and kids).
I usually freeze lasagna-like dishes just before baking. Then when ready to use I thaw it and bake per instructions. I just wanted to see if anyone knew if that would work with this one as well.
Heidi says
Yes Laurie, you can definitely freeze. When ready to cook, bake the lasagna from frozen for 60-70 minutes. Or, microwave until heated through.