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Butternut Squash, Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna Recipe

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★★★★★

4.9 from 113 reviews

This Butternut Squash, Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna is a delicious vegetarian twist on classic lasagna, featuring roasted butternut squash, sautéed mushrooms, and fresh spinach layered with creamy cauliflower-based sauce and ricotta filling. Perfectly seasoned and topped with mozzarella and asiago cheese, it’s a hearty and comforting dish that satisfies with a healthy vegetable boost.

Ingredients

Scale

Cream Sauce

  • 1 pound frozen cauliflower florets
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese (plain)
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Vegetable Filling

  • 1–2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
  • 1 ½ pounds (about 5 cups cubed) butternut squash (peeled, seeded, cubed)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt (divided)
  • 4 cups fresh spinach
  • 4–6 cloves fresh garlic (crushed)
  • 1 small onion (diced)
  • 1 ½ pounds baby bella mushrooms (sliced)

Ricotta Filling

  • 1 pound part skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Assembly

  • 12–16 ounces no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 3 cups low-moisture, part skim mozzarella cheese (shredded)
  • ½ cup asiago cheese (grated)
  • 6–8 leaves fried sage (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C) to prepare for roasting the butternut squash and baking later.
  2. Make the Cream Sauce: In a large pot, add the frozen cauliflower florets and almond milk. Cover and cook over medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes until the cauliflower is very soft and mushy. Add in the reduced fat cream cheese, dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper. Stir until the cream cheese melts completely. Use an immersion blender to blend the mixture until smooth, adding more milk if it’s too thick. Stir in the nutmeg, then remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Prepare the Vegetable Filling: Drizzle a large baking sheet with olive oil and spread the cubed butternut squash on it. Season with garlic powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, oregano, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Toss to coat the squash evenly. Roast for 15 minutes, then remove and toss the squash. Roast for another 13 minutes or until the squash is soft and slightly crisp on the edges. Remove from oven and gently mash the squash using a potato masher. Top the mashed squash with fresh spinach and return to the oven for 2-3 minutes until the spinach wilts.
  4. Sauté mushrooms and onions: In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add a little olive oil and cook crushed garlic and diced onion for 4-5 minutes until translucent. Add sliced baby bella mushrooms and cook for about 3-5 minutes until they start to brown. Remove from heat, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, and combine with the roasted squash and spinach mixture. Toss everything gently.
  5. Prepare the Ricotta Filling: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, ricotta cheese, minced garlic, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
  6. Adjust oven temperature: Lower the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) for baking the lasagna layers.
  7. Assemble the lasagna: Grease a 13 x 9 inch (2.5-3 inch deep) casserole dish. Spread about one-third of the cauliflower cream sauce evenly across the base. Layer one-third of the no-boil lasagna noodles on top to cover the bottom. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, followed by half of the vegetable filling. Sprinkle with 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layering with another third of the noodles, the remaining ricotta, the remaining vegetable filling, and another cup of mozzarella cheese. Top with the last noodles layer.
  8. Finish assembly and bake: Pour the remaining cauliflower cream sauce over the top noodles. Sprinkle the last cup of mozzarella cheese evenly on top. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle grated asiago cheese on top, and bake uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes. For a golden crust, broil for the last 2 minutes if desired.
  9. Garnish and serve: Remove from oven and garnish with fried sage leaves (optional), fresh parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, and a little cracked black pepper. Serve hot and enjoy your hearty, flavorful lasagna.

Notes

  • No-boil noodles allow you to skip pre-cooking and soften during baking, but breaking pieces to fit the pan helps make even layers.
  • Fried sage leaves add an optional crispy herb topping that enhances flavor and texture.
  • Adjust seasoning to taste, especially salt and pepper, since cheese and vegetables contribute to the overall flavor.
  • Adding a splash of extra almond milk to the cream sauce can help achieve your desired consistency.
  • Broiling the lasagna at the end creates a nicely browned and bubbly cheese topping.

Keywords: butternut squash lasagna, vegetarian lasagna, mushroom spinach lasagna, healthy lasagna, vegetable lasagna, creamy cauliflower sauce

Find it online: https://platedandproud.com/butternut-squash-mushroom-and-spinach-lasagna-recipe/