Butternut Squash and Fried Sage Lasagna
8-12 servings | Prep Time: 45 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Squash Puree:
- 1 large butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into ¾” chunks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup DarigoldⓇ Heavy Cream, divided
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Bechamel:
- 1 stick DarigoldⓇ Unsalted Butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups DarigoldⓇ Whole Milk
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups shredded Cascadia Creamery Sleeping Beauty (8oz)
For the Assembly and Topping:
- 16oz dried lasagna noodles
- 1 cup shredded Cascadia Creamery Sleeping Beauty (4oz)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan (2oz)
For the Fried Sage Leaves:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 20 fresh sage leaves
- Prepare the squash puree. Preheat oven to 400℉. Line 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper.
- On prepared sheet pans toss together squash and oil and arrange squash in a single layer. Roast until squash is tender, 30-35 minutes.
- Add half of squash and 2 tablespoons cream to a food processor and puree until completely smooth. Scrape puree into a large bowl and repeat with remaining squash and cream. Season puree with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Prepare the bechamel. In a large saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk, then add salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, whisking frequently, and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Take pan off heat and whisk in cheese. Taste and add salt if needed. Set aside.
- Squash puree and bechamel can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator.
- Cook lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain well, rinse under cold water, and drain again.
- Assemble lasagna. Preheat oven to 375℉. Spray a lasagna pan with cooking spray.
- Spread a very thin layer of squash puree in the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with a layer of noodles, overlapping them slightly. Top with ⅓ of the squash puree, spreading it evenly. Spread ¼ of the bechamel over the squash. Top with a second layer of noodles, then ⅓ of the squash puree and ¼ of the bechamel. Top with a third layer of noodles, the remaining squash puree, and ¼ of the bechamel. Top with a final layer of noodles. Spread remaining bechamel on top of the lasagna, then sprinkle with Sleeping Beauty and Parmesan.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until golden brown, 25-30 minutes more.
- Make the fried sage leaves while the lasagna bakes. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add 4-6 sage leaves at a time and cook until they turn a darker shade of green (do not let them brown). Transfer to paper towels to drain, and repeat with remaining sage leaves.
- Let lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving to make it easier to cut. Serve topped with sage leaves.
