For dinner tonight, I decided to make a completely different kind of lasagna after seeing a few variations of butternut squash lasagna on food network. They were made with butternut puree and a béchamel, rather than marinara. As I’ve said a million times, fall is my favorite season because I love the wonderful flavors. Rather than just use butternut, I decided to use many fall flavors.
Now I have to warn you, when I set out to make this, I didn’t think about how many different elements were in the dish, and the multi-tasking necessary. It seemed as I pulled more and more ingredients out, they had to be prepped and cooked before I could use them! Before I knew it, I had 7 pots/pans/bowls out! Now I know that sounds a little intimidating, but I think I have mild ADD so I was loving the million things doing on – but you can break it down and do 1 thing at a time, you don’t need to do everything at once.
Believe me, you want to make this. It is so delicious, and showcases 10 fall flavors/ingredients – apple, maple, acorn squash, butternut squash, pumpkin, caramelized onions, sausage, nutmeg, thyme, and wheat! (And quite possibly 11 when you count the smoked fontina, but that’s your call!)
Now I have to warn you, when I set out to make this, I didn’t think about how many different elements were in the dish, and the multi-tasking necessary. It seemed as I pulled more and more ingredients out, they had to be prepped and cooked before I could use them! Before I knew it, I had 7 pots/pans/bowls out! Now I know that sounds a little intimidating, but I think I have mild ADD so I was loving the million things doing on – but you can break it down and do 1 thing at a time, you don’t need to do everything at once.
Believe me, you want to make this. It is so delicious, and showcases 10 fall flavors/ingredients – apple, maple, acorn squash, butternut squash, pumpkin, caramelized onions, sausage, nutmeg, thyme, and wheat! (And quite possibly 11 when you count the smoked fontina, but that’s your call!)
The Very Best of Fall Lasagna
1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 package apple maple chicken sausage (trader joe’s)
1 can of organic pumpkin puree
2 c. part skim ricotta cheese
¼ tsp. cinnamon
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. thyme
1 acorn squash
1 butternut squash
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
½ c. chicken stock
1 c. 2% milk
Fresh grated nutmeg, to taste
2 c. shredded smoked fontina cheese
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt heavily.
Combine pumpkin puree, ricotta, cinnamon, salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside until ready to construct lasagna
Cook sausage according to package directions. Slice and set aside until ready to construct lasagna.
In a nonstick skillet over low heat, sauté onions for 15 minutes, or until tender. Add thyme, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Cook until vinegar is a glaze onions, turn heat off and set aside until ready to construct lasagna.
Place a steamer basket over boiling water. Peel, seed, and slice acorn and butternut squash. Place in steamer basket and steam for 3-4 minutes, do not overcook! They should be al dente. Set aside until ready to construct.
Drop the pasta noodles, and cook for 7 minutes.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add in flour and cook out over medium heat. Add stock, milk and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer. Add ½ of the cheese. Whisk until combined, turn off heat.
Drain noodles when they’re very al dente.
To construct lasagna:
Ladle cheese sauce into the bottom of a lasagna dish. Place noodles in the bottom, top with ricotta mix, then slices of squash, then slices of sausage, some balsamic onions, and a ladle full of the cheese sauce.
Repeat beginning with noodles for 2 more layers, using up squash, sausage, and onions.
At the 4th layer, spread on ricotta mixture, remaining cheese sauce, and then top with the remaining 1 c. of fontina cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.
1 package apple maple chicken sausage (trader joe’s)
1 can of organic pumpkin puree
2 c. part skim ricotta cheese
¼ tsp. cinnamon
2 yellow onions, sliced
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. thyme
1 acorn squash
1 butternut squash
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
½ c. chicken stock
1 c. 2% milk
Fresh grated nutmeg, to taste
2 c. shredded smoked fontina cheese
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt heavily.
Combine pumpkin puree, ricotta, cinnamon, salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside until ready to construct lasagna
Cook sausage according to package directions. Slice and set aside until ready to construct lasagna.
In a nonstick skillet over low heat, sauté onions for 15 minutes, or until tender. Add thyme, salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Cook until vinegar is a glaze onions, turn heat off and set aside until ready to construct lasagna.
Place a steamer basket over boiling water. Peel, seed, and slice acorn and butternut squash. Place in steamer basket and steam for 3-4 minutes, do not overcook! They should be al dente. Set aside until ready to construct.
Drop the pasta noodles, and cook for 7 minutes.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add in flour and cook out over medium heat. Add stock, milk and nutmeg. Bring to a simmer. Add ½ of the cheese. Whisk until combined, turn off heat.
Drain noodles when they’re very al dente.
To construct lasagna:
Ladle cheese sauce into the bottom of a lasagna dish. Place noodles in the bottom, top with ricotta mix, then slices of squash, then slices of sausage, some balsamic onions, and a ladle full of the cheese sauce.
Repeat beginning with noodles for 2 more layers, using up squash, sausage, and onions.
At the 4th layer, spread on ricotta mixture, remaining cheese sauce, and then top with the remaining 1 c. of fontina cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.
(The inspirational fall ingredients)
(The 7 elements to construction!)
(Layer 1 minus the cheese sauce topping)
(The not pretty, but gooey, delicious shot)
5 comments:
This is definitely an interesting dish. The flavors sound like they really go well together!
That looks AWESOME!!!
That looks absolutely yummy!!
Yummy. That looks exceptionally comforting and delicious. I just bought a ton of butternut squash on sale at Whole Foods yesterday and was trying to think of creative dishes to make. That looks exceptional.
wow, awesome!!
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