Divas on a Dime: Humble ingredients, showstopping lasagna

Some recipes get dinner on the table. Others make you want to stand beside the table and announce, “I made this!” This butternut squash lasagna is shamelessly the second one.

It’s simply roasted squash, garlic, sausage, ricotta and browned butter bechamel. Humble ingredients; technique makes them shine. Roasting concentrates the squash and garlic’s sweetness; browning the butter gives the sauce rich, nutty flavor.

Choose Italian sausage, sweet or hot, or a favorite breakfast sausage. Sage, maple or apple varieties fit beautifully here, too. For a vegetarian version, skip the sausage and keep the onion-ricotta filling.

Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna with Browned Butter Bechamel

Yield: 8 servings

Total Time: 2 hours, including resting

Ingredients:

Squash filling:

1 butternut squash (3 to 4 lbs.), halved

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

4 to 6 garlic cloves, peeled

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk or cream

Sausage-ricotta filling:

1 lb. Italian or breakfast sausage

1 large onion, thinly sliced

Pinch of sugar

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 (15-oz.) container ricotta

Bechamel:

¼ cup butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk, warmed

½ cup grated Parmesan

½ cup shredded mozzarella

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon dried thyme, sage or a combination

¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Assembly:

12 regular lasagna noodles

2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella

½ cup grated Parmesan

Butter or cooking spray for greasing

Directions:

1. Roast the squash and garlic. Heat oven to 400º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Scoop seeds from squash, rub cut sides with 2 tablespoons oil and place cut side down. Wrap garlic and remaining oil in a foil packet; place alongside squash. Roast about 45 minutes, until squash is tender and garlic is soft. Let cool enough to handle. Reduce oven to 350º.
2. Prepare the sausage filling. While squash roasts, brown sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking into crumbles. Add onion, sugar and pepper; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sausage is cooked through and onion is soft and golden. Add a little oil if needed. Remove from heat; stir in ricotta.
3. Make the bechamel. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, swirling frequently until golden brown and nutty-smelling. Whisk in flour; cook 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in warm milk. Cook, whisking, until thick enough to coat a spoon. Remove from heat; stir in cheeses, nutmeg, herbs and salt. Mash roasted garlic into a paste and stir into sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Prepare noodles and squash filling. Boil noodles in salted water until pliable, about 5 minutes. Drain; lay separately on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Scoop cooled squash flesh into a bowl; mash with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Beat egg with cream; stir into squash.
5. Assemble. Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Combine assembly cheeses; reserve 1 cup for topping. Spread a thin layer of bechamel in dish. Add three noodles, one-third each of squash and sausage filling, a thin layer of bechamel and one-third of the remaining cheese mixture. Repeat twice. Top with the last three noodles, remaining bechamel and reserved cheese.
6. Bake. Cover with foil, tented above cheese. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake another 10 – 15 minutes, until bubbling and golden. Rest 20 minutes before slicing.

Yes, this takes time, but most of the preparation happens while the squash roasts. Save it for an afternoon when you can enjoy the process. The reward is a bubbling pan of autumn comfort, and every right to say, “I made this and it is divine.”

by Patti Diamond, the penny-pinching, party-planning, recipe developer and content creator of “Divas on a Dime – Where Frugal Meets Fabulous!” Visit Patti at divasonadime.com and join the conversation on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom. Email Patti at divapatti@divasonadime.com.

Featured photo: Roasted butternut squash, sausage and browned butter bechamel bring autumn comfort to every cheesy layer. Photo by www.JasonCoblentz.com

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