Butternut Squash Lasagna

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Italian Thanksgiving

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (304)

Cook Time:
1 hr 25 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
8 to 10 servings

Times:

Prep: 30 min
Inactive Prep: 15 min
Cook: 1 hr 25 min
Total:: 2 hr 10 min

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
3 amaretti cookies, crumbled
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
Pinch nutmeg
3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet and then cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the amaretti cookies and blend until smooth. Season the squash puree, to taste, with more salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg. Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender*. Add the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.

Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times.

Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Butternut Squash Lasagna
Cathy Missoula, MT 11-06-2009
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Fantastic
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This Lasagna was wonderful. I made it for the rehearsal dinner for my son's wedding and it was a huge hit! I was a little... concerned because I made it ahead of time and froze it. Thawed it in the refrigerator and then baked it according to the recipe. Turned out great. I will definitely make this again. Read more
recipe Butternut Squash Lasagna
SALLY Woodland, CA 11-05-2009
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Everyone LOVED It!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

First I tried a half recipe for my hubby & I - YUM! So then made it for 30 people for a church lunch with the addition of... some homemade turkey sausage. Everyone raved about it. I roasted the butternut; so tasty with the amaretti cookies - who'd have thought?. This recipe is a keeper! (note: I had some butternut mixture leftover which I used to make ravioli that I served with a fresh sage-brown butter sauce, toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, Italian parsley & parmigiano. Read more
recipe Butternut Squash Lasagna
stephanie statham, GA 10-29-2009
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Excellent!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I love love love this recipe! I normally make a recipe as written the first time, but I had to make do with what I had on... hand. I used frozen butternut squash puree instead of fresh, skim milk instead of whole milk and omitted the amaretti cookies. It was wonderful!! I'll definitely be making this again. I think this would be an awesome dish to serve during the weekend after Thanksgiving, instead of a third day of turkey and dressing. Read more
recipe Butternut Squash Lasagna
Amy Dallas, TX 10-28-2009
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Amazing!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have made this twice for friends and they still ask for it. I use frozen cubed butternut squash, cook in boiling water for... a few minutes and puree in a blender. So easy. I wrap leftover pieces in plastic wrap and then grab one on the way to work or for a quick dinner. Thanks Giada!Read more
recipe Butternut Squash Lasagna
Susan Eden Prairie, MN 10-23-2009
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Lazzaroni Amaretti di Saronno
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this using fresh lasagna noodles (really good!). The squash puree was a little dry and hard to spread on the lasagna... (I should have added some olive oil). I think you could even up the squash to 2 1/2 - 3 lbs. Also, I don't think I had the best amaretti cookies. I think I've discovered the cookies Giada used. They are available on Amazon.com and called "Lazzaroni Amaretti di Saronno". Still, everyone loved this dish and there were no loftovers. I can't wait to make this again for Thanksgiving using the correct cookies!Read more
recipe Butternut Squash Lasagna
Katie Hoboken, NJ 10-23-2009
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Surprisingly Delicious
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

My friend made this for our fall dinner party last night. I was really afraid that it was going to be too starchy. Somehow... the lasagna comes together beautifully. It was a big hit!Read more