Feeding the Family: Butternut Squash Lasagna

One word for this fall family favorite- YUM! Great for all ages and hubbies like it too! I think this was originally a Paula Dean recipe because it calls for full-fat ingredients like whole milk, butter, and whole milk cheeses. But you can use the low fat versions of all of these ingredients and it still tastes great!

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 3-4 cups of pureed butternut squash (steam it, peel it, and mash with a fork to make this puree- freeze any extra for later use)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 cups milk
• Pinch nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves (or cheat and use the tube of basil puree from the store like I do... usually kept near the carrots and bags of salad)
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. 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 (note: if you use the basil puree you can omit this step and just stir it in to the sauce). Return the basil sauce to the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
3. Lightly butter a 13X9X2 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.
4. Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake lasagna for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna and continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, approximately 15 minutes. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.