Finally! After 2 months of snow dances, dismay and downright worry, snow has lit upon the bare tree branches and is gracing us with its presence. What happened Mr. Snow Mizer? Did you get too much of us last year with your record snowfall last year? Huh? Huh?
Well, we’re happy you’re here. And so I’m throwing a party in your honor and serving up some gooey, homey delicious love.
Say it with me. Laaaa-saaaannnnyyyaaa. Gooey.
Yes sir, lasagne. And in keeping with my NYR (new years resolution) I’m going meatless on Mondays, so this week I made a fave, go-to veggie option.
I used to make this dish every Christmas when I was the hostess for the volunteer holiday party for my fave animal rescue, where everything had to be served veggie. Hello, we’re an animal RESCUE, not eatery. So did anyone miss the meat? Not a chance! Why not? Because this recipe is delicious! Oh, and the layers of cheese don’t hurt much.
The secret? Well, Giada blends almond amaretti cookies with the butternut squash to lend a balanced sweetness and then adds fresh basil to the bechamel sauce. I didn’t get to my favorite specialty store so I used almond flavored biscotti and it turned out just as well.
My twist on Giada’s tastiness is to load up on the cheese and goo factor by adding ricotta to the mozzarella and parm mix and then heft it up by adding a few layers of sautéed shiitake mushrooms. Giving my man something to girth on besides meat, right?
I usually double the recipe so it stacks up real high, and because I have a lovely, deep baking dish.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pounds of butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- ½ cup water
- 4 amaretti cookies or almond flavored biscotti, crumbled
- 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3½ cups whole milk
- 4-5 good grates of fresh nutmeg
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1 package no-boil lasagna noodles
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper
- Preheat to 375 degrees F.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash, toss with oil, season with salt and pepper and then pour the water into the skillet. Cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender about 15-20 minutes. Cool slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the amaretti or biscotti cookies and blend until smooth.
- Heat another large skillet over medium heat and add the other tablespoon of olive oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat and add flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat then reduce heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly about 5 minutes. Add in grated nutmeg. 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 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 ¾ cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange a layer of lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread ⅓ of the squash puree over the noodles then ⅓ of the mushrooms. Sprinkle with ½ cup of mozzarella cheese and ⅓ cup ricotta cheese. Drizzle ½ 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 Pam or other cooking spray and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Remove 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.
And now for more homey Italian comfort love.
photo > Foodjimoto
Curly noodles, ground turkey and mixed beans and ricotta make up Foodjimoto’s Lasagna Soup, a healthier version of the soupy, highly slurpable, spoon-lovin’ recipe of Farmgirl’s Dabbles Lasagna Soup.
photo > Simply Delicious
Like I’ve said before, I’m a fan of anything in a cup like my Baked Apple Cuplettes and Ham & Cheese Baked Egg Cups. Ally adds to my obsession thanks to her creation of a simple bechamel sauce with creme fraiche and marscarpone to make Simply Delicious’ Lasagna Cups an easy weeknight dinner. I can see the kids going NUTS over these little devils.
photo > Whipped the Blog
No-cook noodles and a garlic flavored bechamel flavor Caroline’s elegant enough for entertaining White Vegetarian Lasagna http://whippedtheblog.com/2010/01/25/white-vegetarian-lasagna/ from Whipped the Blog.
photo > FatFree Vegan
I had to include a recipe with the ‘it-girl’ Mila Kunis ‘it-ingredient’ of the moment equivalent:—KALE—by including FatFree Vegan’s Polenta Lasagna with Portabellas and Kale. Hey lookie there, Susan made lasagna healthy!
photo > I Breathe…I’m Hungry
Mellissa’s tenacity is a gluten-free lasagna lover’s savior! Subbing sometimes lame gluten free pasta for garbanzo bean crepes, layer up your faves like classic bolognese, marinara and gooey cheeses to create I Breathe…I’m Hungry’s Gluten-Free Lasagna with Garbanzo Bean Crepes .
photo > Delishhh
We all need a classic, and this one might be it: the bomb-daddy, the go-to Lasagne Bolognese thanks to Eva at Delishhh .
And to continue loving our meatless meals goals for the year, we’re going to help make yours a little easier by announcing the winner of the Pam Anderson/Three Many Cooks giveaway.
And thanks to Random.org, the winner is: Stacie from the blog Foodie Two Shoes. Congrats Stacie, thank you Pam for the book and swag and cheers to all for a year of healthy eating.
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Wow…so many awesome lasagna choices! That is one thing I never make…but should. Because the planned leftovers would be perfect some nights.
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!
My jaw might never be off the ground again. Everything looks freaking amaaaazing.
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!
Oh how I love lasagna… these may just be the most delicious lasagna dishes I’ve ever seen! YUM!
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!
I am drooling (and I think lasagna is so hard to get a good photo of!)
Thanks Kalyn! Do you have any South Beach lasagna recipes?
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!
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!
Butternut squash with cookies? In lasagna?! Get in my belly!
Right? Right? Lasagna and cookies combo TDF!
This lasagna has my name written all over it!
I love veggie lasagnas! The shiitake mushrooms are such a wonderful addition. All of these sound (and look) awesome!
I have been looking for a good recipe for butternut squash. This looks amazing!
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.
all these lasagna variations look delicious!!! i especially love the butternut squash option for meatless mondays. sounds wonderful : )
Yes, I could eat lasagne in any shape or form! Love the soup, but I think I’m in love with the cups!
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!
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.
Yum! Lasagna is a perfect winter dish! Thank-you for sharing so many fantastic recipes! I can’t wait to try them!
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!
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
I love this idea for lasagna. I make one with spinach and a hint of lemon.
Thanks for sharing this. Yum.
Oh that sounds delish, I’ve never had lasagna with lemon, great idea. Do you have a link?
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.
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!!
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
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!
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.
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 😉
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
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!