Harvest Vegetarian Lasagna

For Supper Challenge this week, the theme is “layers.” With fall in full swing, I’m looking for comfort food and a challenge – so harvest vegetarian lasagna??!! If I’m going to all veggie, those veggies better stand out and be full flavored.

Alright, veggies, layer up!

Harvest Vegetarian Lasagna – Butternut Squash, Mushrooms & Spinach

Harvest colors, healthy options and comfort food, says "Yes, please!"

Makes 2 8×8 pans

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Servings: 8 people

Course: Main Course, Vegetable

Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients

  

• 6-8 sheets of Lasagna noodles 2 layers to cover 2 x8x8 dishes

Butternut Squash

• 2 medium sized butternut squash peeled and cut into ¾ to 1” cubes (~6-8 cups)
• ¾ cup of chicken broth or water

Onion Mushroom Mixture

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion diced fine
• 4 cloves of garlic minced fine
• 10 large brown cremini mushrooms diced
• 1 teaspoon fresh sage

Bechamel Cheese Sauce

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 2 cup Full fat or homo milk
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• 1 ½ cup meltable cheese mozzarella, cheddar, gouda, Monterey jack, Havarti etc.

Spinach Mixture

• 2 packages of 500g frozen spinach thawed in a bowl
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage minced fine
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced fine
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

Cottage Cheese Mixture

• 3 cups of cottage cheese dry curds or strained if using “regular”
• 1 large egg

Sour Cream Garnish

• ½ cup sour cream to garnish – adds fresh zing when serving

Equipment

• 2 pans of 8"x8" glass or metal pans

Method

 

Butternut Squash

1. In a large pot on medium heat, cook butternut cubes with chicken broth (or water) with lid on put until tender about 10-15 minutes. Take off the heat and set aside to cool. Most of the water or broth will have cooked off or been absorbed by butternut squash.

Onion Mushroom Mixture

1. In a large frying pan on medium heat, add one tablespoon vegetable oil. When oil is hot and shimmering, add onions and garlic and cook until starting to be softened, about 5 minutes.
2. To the frying pan, add mushrooms and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
3. To onion mushroom mixture, add 1 teaspoon fresh sage, ¼ teaspoon salt and stir to combine. Take onion mushroom mixture off the heat and set aside to cool.

Bechamel Cheese Sauce

1. In small saucepan on medium heat, whisk butter and flour together to create paste as butter melts. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute to cook the flour.
2. To prevent lumps, constantly whisk while slowly pouring milk into saucepan to create a milky sauce.
3. Allow the sauce to thicken on the heat for 2-3 minutes and gently stir from time to time. Sauce should coat the back of spoon.
4. Remove saucepan off the heat and add salt and cheese and stir to combine. Set aside

Spinach Mixture

1. Squeeze out moisture from defrosted spinach by squeezing out handfuls or by placing in a fine strainer and pressing moisture out. Place spinach into a medium sized bowl
2. Add salt, sage, parsley and thyme to spinach mixture
3. Stir to combine.

Cottage Cheese Mixture

1. Add 1 egg to the cottage cheese container and stir to combine.

Pasta

1. In a large saucepan, boil water and cook lasagna noodles before it reaches al dente, about 4-6 minutes depending on the noodles used.

Lasagna Assembly

1. Layer Butternut Squash on bottom of both pans
2. Layer Lasagna Noodle on top
3. Layer Spinach Mixture on top
4. Layer Onion Mushroom Mixture on top
5. Layer Butternut Squash on top
6. Layer Spinach Mixture on top
7. Layer Onion Mushroom Mixture on top
8. Pour/ ladle Bechamel Cheese Sauce across the top of lasagna, ensuring the top surface is fully coated.
9. Cook lasagna in 350F oven for 20-30 minutes until warmed through. Broil for 2 minutes for bechamel to brown the top.
10. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving, otherwise allthe layers will slide away from each other on the plate. 
11. Serve with teaspoon of sour cream for added freshness.