Hetty Lui McKinnon's Butternut Squash Lasagna

Recipes & Cooking

ingredients

Butternut Squash Lasagna

  • 1 Butternut Squash About 2lb
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Sea Salt and Black Pepper
  • 1 Yellow Onion Finely diced
  • 4 Garlic Cloves Finely chopped
  • 3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1 Can (28 OZ) Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1 Cup Vegetable Stock
  • 1 Tsp Sugar
  • 1 3/4 Cup Ricotta
  • 2 1/4 OZ Hard Cheese Such as cheddar, pecorino, or parmesan, finely grated - plus more to serve
  • 12 OZ Fresh Mozzarella Finely sliced or torn
  • Handful of Basil Leaves To serve

prep

INSTRUCTIONS: 



 



Preheat the oven to 400F. 



 



Separate the “neck of the butternut from the rotund body. Slice both sections in half lengthwise. Slice the neck into slices 3/8-inch (1 cm) thick. Remove the seeds and membrane from the body (keep the seeds and roast them, see page 347) and slice into half moons 3/8-inch (1 cm) thick. Arrange the squash across two sheet pans, drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper. Position on the middle and lower racks of the oven and roast for 20 minutes, switching racks halfway through cooking. Remove from the oven and set aside. 



 



Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, along with the onion, and cook for 2 minutes until softened, then add the garlic, tomato paste and red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes longer. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, vegetable stock, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and the sugar, then cover with a lid and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. 



 



Combine the ricotta and grated cheese in a bowl. Season with sea salt and black pepper. 



 



Spread a little of the tomato sauce in a baking dish (I use a 10-inch/25 cm square dish, but you could use a slightly larger or smaller dish; rectangular dishes work great, too). Start layering: lay one-third of the squash slices on the tomato sauce, dollop with one-third of the ricotta mixture (it won’t spread as it’s thick, so I just dot little blobs), then add one-third of the remaining sauce and top with one-third of the mozzarella. Repeat these layers two more times – butternut, ricotta, sauce, mozzarella. You should finish with a layer of mozzarella.  



 



Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the mozzarella is golden and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. 



 



Wait for 10 minutes before serving. Serve topped with torn basil leaves and extra grated cheese.  


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