Butternut squash lasagna with Spinach and Ricotta

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Spinach and Ricotta is amazing, not just fall casserole. This delicious vegetarian lasagna recipe showcases seasonal vegetables, and butternut squash brings a sweet richness. At the same time, spinach gives it a nutrition and flavor boost, and creamy ricotta cheese adds an extra creamy touch. Use regular noodles, zucchini noodles, or any pasta on hand. The whole family loves this incredible lasagna. It’s a delicious make-ahead recipe for Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving; leftovers make for an easy weeknight dinner, too. One of my most popular recipes, this is one lasagna recipe you’ll want to make again and again!

Lets get cooking

I love butternut squash, and it is always welcome on our dinner plate! For the first time, I came across butternut squash in the USA. I learned a couple of different ways how to cook it since I had it for the first time and Butternut squash lasagna is one of my favorites for sure.

How to prepare Butternut squash filling

Butternut Squash – This is obviously the key ingredient for the lasagna, and you will need one medium to large squash. I love to use Instant Pot for this step. It is super easy, and I do not need elbow grease to cut raw Butternut squash. My trick for peeling butternut squash is to peel it AFTER roasting it in the oven or cooking in Instant Pot.

Instant Pot cooking

Put trivet on the bottom of Instant Pot and add about 1 cup of water. Wash Butternut squash and cut in half to make sure it fits in the pot. Close the lid and set it on manual for 15 minutes. When done cooking, let it sit for another 10 minutes before opening the lid. Once the butternut squash is cooled, peel it. The skin will literally separate and makes it very easy to peel, unlike peeling raw butternut squash.

Oven roasting

First, roast the butternut squash in the oven to soften it. You don’t need to peel it. Peel the butternut squash after it’s cooked and soft—Preheat oven to 400 Fahrenheit. Cut the whole squash in 2 halves, scrape out the seeds and the fiber out of each half. Brush the baking sheet with vegetable oil. Place the 2 halves of the whole butternut squash on the baking sheet cut side down.

Roast the squash for about 30 minutes in the preheated oven at 400 F. Remove it from the oven and let it cool.  Flip the butternut squash so that the cut side faces up. That will speed up the cooling. Once the butternut squash is cooled, peel it. The skin will come off really easily.

At this point, you have several options to puree the roasted butternut squash:

• Use a food processor or blender to finely mash the butternut squash
• Use a potato masher to also get more texture
• Cut with knife into cubes

• 2 cups butternut squash puree (about half of squash)
• salt and pepper to taste 
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

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How to prepare spinach filling

I used to use fresh spinach and cook it. I would literally buy a Costco size bag of spinach and cook most of the bag as the spinach always cooks down to nothing.

Cooking spinach and garlic –  While squash is cooking, sauté the spinach and garlic in olive oil until spinach is wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste. This should only take a few minutes. Remove spinach to a mixing bowl.

Now I cut corners and use frozen spinach. It is much faster and easier.

Using Frozen spinach – Mix frozen bag of spinach, Ricotta cheese, Mozzarella cheese, minced garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.

• 8 oz spinach (1 cup/bag frozen spinach)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste

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How to prepare ricotta filling

Ricotta Cheese – I always use full-fat ricotta for an extra creamy taste, but you could also use a lighter version. Ricotta cheese makes this recipe so unbelievable creamy and delicious!

Combine creamy Ricotta in a bowl with parmesan, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste.

• 2 cups of Whole Ricotta cheese
• 1/4 tsp of fresh grounded nutmag
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese

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How to Combine all layer ingredients together

Pasta – Using any pasta shape or lasagna makes this dish very easy. Many recipes call for already cooked pasta or lasagna nuddles. I see this as unnecessary. I have always been using uncooked pasta. The key is to cover the whole dish with aluminum foil while baking to create steam for cooking pasta well. I am using Gluten-Free pasta, but sometimes I do get Gluten-Free lasagna nuddles.

Using a square 13×9 dish or similar, spread a small amount of the butternut squash sauce over the bottom of the dish with pieces of mozzarella cheese. Then lay three lasagna noodles or sprinkle pasta on top of butternut squash and spinach layers. Add more pasta or lasagna nuddles and cover with Creamy Ricotta cheese.

Repeat the lasagna noodles, squash layer, and Spinach layer. Then top with the remaining Creamy Ricotta and parmesan cheeses over the last pasta layer.

Optional: reserve some spinach and lay that on top for presentation purposes!

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Baking and finishing lazagna

Bake the lasagna at 350 degrees, covered with aluminum foil, for approximately 60 minutes or until cooked through and piping hot. I also check if my pasta is fully cooked before I take the dish out of the oven.

I do not like cheese sticking to foil, so I make a toothpick tent by putting a little bit of foil at the end of a toothpick, that way, foil won’t puncture through, and steam still stays inside cooking all those delicious layers and pasta together.

When the pasta is all cooked and ready, take it out of the oven and let it chill for 10 – 20 minutes. The cheesy parts will cool down, and it will be easier to serve as it won’t fall apart too much.

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Can you Freeze Buternut squash lazagna?

This is the kind of meal you will want to make all winter long, one you’ll want to be stashed in your freezer, ready to take to a friend in need, the crowd-pleasing recipe you’ll turn to for your next holiday party, one proven to please both carnivores and vegetarians alike.

The recipe itself isn’t hard to make, but it’s quite lengthy, so I highly recommend doubling the recipe so that you’ll have leftovers to freeze for later. If you decide to freeze, prep the dish, but do not bake. Just cover with foil very well and store in the freezer till you are ready to bake it. Pull it out of the freezer and let thaw overnight in the fridge. Bake and whole dinner are on the table in no time!

Cooking tips

• No time to bake but time to meal plan? Prep all layer and keep them in fridge, or even prep the whole dish cover and store in the fridge and bake later.
• Feel free to use fresh spinach, but count on buying huge bag or multyple bags. When you cook spinach it cooks into nothing.
• I prefere to use whole milk riccota, as the dish is more creamer.
• Always use fresh nutmeg, the flavor and aroma is so much stronger!

Who inspired me?

Suppose you wonder who inspired this delicious recipe. It is hard to find the original recipe, as one day, I clipped the recipe from a magazine or newspaper and have been making it ever since. That happened a good 10 years, and it is still on our fall rotation of favorite recipes!

I hope you did enjoy this Gluten-Free recipe. If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, please. Thank you so much!

Traditional Czech recipes to try

• Stuffed pepper with Tomato sauce Looking for a delicious pepper recipe? Stuff peppers are one of the traditional Czech recipes you should try.
• Chicken in Paprika Sauce Creamy and very easy dish to make. A favorite in our family.
• Rabbit in vegetable cream sauce Creamy, vegetable sauce with delicious meat! Perfect hearty dinner in the fall season.
• Czech Schnitzel – Pork Rizek – Who does not like schnitzel? one of my favorite meals.
• “Svickova” – Beef in Vegetable Sauce – Svíčková is a traditional Czech dish and one of the most popular Czech meals.
• Sweet Fruit GF dumplings – One of the best Czech national dishes! Czech people love their Sweet Fruit Dumplings! (in my case Glute-Free)Whether they are strawberry, apricot, blueberry, or blackberry, you can never go wrong.

Until next time…!

DOBROU CHUT!

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