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Butternut Squash, Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna Recipe

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★★★★★

4.8 from 65 reviews

A hearty and nutritious vegetarian lasagna featuring roasted butternut squash, sautéed mushrooms, and fresh spinach layered with creamy cauliflower-based sauce and a ricotta cheese mixture, baked to perfection with mozzarella and asiago cheeses for a comforting, low-fat twist on a classic Italian favorite.

Ingredients

Scale

Cream Sauce

  • 1 pound frozen cauliflower florets
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese (plain)
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Vegetable Filling

  • 1–2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 ½ pounds (about 5 cups) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt (divided)
  • 4 cups fresh spinach
  • 4–6 cloves fresh garlic, crushed
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 ½ pounds baby bella mushrooms, sliced

Ricotta Filling

  • 1 pound part skim ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper

Assembly

  • 12–16 ounces no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 3 cups low-moisture, part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • ½ cup asiago cheese, grated
  • 6–8 leaves fried sage (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 425°F to begin the roasting process for the butternut squash.
  2. Make Cream Sauce: In a large pot, combine the frozen cauliflower florets and almond milk, cover, and cook over medium-high heat for 12-15 minutes until cauliflower is soft and mushy. Add reduced fat cream cheese, salt, pepper, and dijon mustard, stirring until melted. Use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until smooth, adding more milk if necessary. Stir in ground nutmeg, then remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Prepare Vegetable Filling: Drizzle olive oil on a large baking sheet and add the cubed butternut squash. Sprinkle garlic powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt over the squash and toss to coat evenly. Roast for 15 minutes. Remove, toss again, then roast another 13 minutes until the squash is soft and slightly crispy. Remove from oven, gently mash the squash, top with fresh spinach, and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes until the spinach wilts.
  4. Sauté Mushrooms and Aromatics: Heat a large saucepan with a little olive oil over medium-high heat. Add crushed garlic and diced onion, cooking until the onions are translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms and cook an additional 3-5 minutes until mushrooms develop color. Remove from heat, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, and combine with the roasted butternut squash and spinach mixture.
  5. Prepare Ricotta Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese, egg, minced garlic, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Refrigerate the mixture until ready to assemble.
  6. Adjust Oven Temperature: Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F in preparation for baking the lasagna.
  7. Assemble Lasagna: Grease a 13×9-inch casserole dish (2.5-3 inches deep). Spread approximately one-third of the cauliflower cream sauce evenly on the bottom. Layer one-third of the no-boil noodles over the sauce, fitting and breaking pieces as needed to cover the bottom. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, followed by half of the vegetable filling, then sprinkle with one cup of mozzarella. Repeat layering with another third of noodles, remaining ricotta, remaining vegetable filling, and another cup of mozzarella. Top with the remaining noodles.
  8. Add Final Layers: Pour the remaining cauliflower cream sauce evenly over the top noodles and sprinkle with the last cup of mozzarella cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes.
  9. Finish Baking: Remove foil and sprinkle grated asiago cheese on top. Bake uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Optionally, broil for the last 2 minutes for a crispier top.
  10. Garnish and Serve: Top the lasagna with fresh parsley or fried sage leaves and crushed red pepper flakes if desired. Add extra cracked black pepper before serving hot.

Notes

  • For a vegan version, substitute ricotta and cream cheese with plant-based alternatives and replace the egg with a flax egg.
  • No-boil lasagna noodles save prep time; ensure even layering for best results.
  • Fried sage leaves add a crispy, aromatic garnish but are optional.
  • Use an immersion blender for smooth cream sauce; a regular blender will also work but requires caution with hot ingredients.
  • Adjust seasoning according to taste, especially salt and pepper.
  • Allow lasagna to rest 10-15 minutes after baking for easier slicing and serving.

Keywords: butternut squash lasagna, mushroom lasagna, spinach lasagna, vegetarian lasagna, roasted vegetable lasagna, low fat Italian recipe, creamy cauliflower sauce, no-boil noodles

Find it online: https://recipeswithria.com/butternut-squash-mushroom-and-spinach-lasagna-recipe/