The Yiddish expression, “bashert” or “beshert” (transliteration) means destiny or pre-ordained. While its modern usage is typically in the context of romance or matchmaking and finding one’s soulmate, it’s the perfect description of how this three cheese butternut squash lasagna came to be.
First, Whole Foods invited me to be part of a celebration of a Parmigiano Reggiano. They asked me to use this fabulous cheese in a recipe and blog about it. As part of this celebration, Whole Foods is also providing a $50 Gift Card to one lucky reader, so check at the bottom of this post for details on how to enter this giveaway.
I love Reggiano and regularly buy it, so this was a great opportunity. But how to choose my dish? Too many choices left me momentarily at a loss.
Then, I saw Kirsten Madaus’s butternut squash and spinach lasagna, which inspired me to head in that direction. As luck (or fate) would have it, I had a butternut squash on my kitchen counter, spinach in the refrigerator, grated mozzarella from a homemade pizza extravaganza, and leftover fresh lasagna noodles from a previous lasagna. Why I have so much food around is a whole other story, but needless to say, I don’t like to waste anything. So three-cheese butternut squash lasagna with spinach it would be!
But first, a note about Reggiano. If you’ve never had it, you are in for a treat. There are many types of parmesan or parmigiano cheese, but only those made in five Italian provinces can be called Reggiano. It is more crumbly than most other parmesan cheeses I have tried and incredibly flavorful. I save the rind to use in soup (especially minestrone and ribollita) for an extra flavor boost. While I grate it for lasagna, I also love it shaved over salad or on grilled bread.
Three-Cheese Vegetarian Lasagna
Servings – 8-10 Cost – $15-20 (about $2 per serving)
Ingredients
- Approximately 48 ounces of pasta sauce (homemade or store-bought) – I prefer a light sauce, without too much salt or heavy seasoning.
- 1 medium butternut squash (approximately 2 pounds), peeled and thinly sliced into pieces about 1/4 –inch thick
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 ounces (approximately 5 cups) fresh baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)
- 3 cups (24 ounces) ricotta cheese (homemade or store-bought)
- 1 egg
- 12 ounces (approximately 3 cups) grated mozzarella cheese
- 4 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
- 1 package fresh or no-boil lasagna noodles
- Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Pastry brush
- Ramekin or tiny bowl (for olive oil)
- 9 x 13 inch pan
- Pot with cover or microwave container for cooking spinach
- Ladle
- Large spoon
- Spatula
- Immersion blender
- Measuring cups (or scale to weigh ingredients)
- 4 bowls (one each for sauce, spinach, ricotta and egg mixture, and parmesan Reggiano)
- Fork or knife for spreading ricotta
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly brush the butternut squash slices with olive oil and roast them for about 20-30 minutes, turning them over halfway through. When they are browned and soft, set aside and turn off oven.
- Mix the ricotta cheese, egg, a sprinkling of salt and a few turns of freshly ground pepper.
- Steam or microwave the spinach just until it is barely cooked. I rinse the spinach with cold water, then drain off the water and steam it in a covered pot for a few minutes under a low light. The water left on the leaves is all that is needed. Alternatively, microwave the spinach in a closed container (with vent hole) for about 1 minute or 90 seconds, stirring and then letting it sit for another 2-3 minutes to continue cooking. Add half the ricotta and egg mixture to the spinach, plus the optional dried basil and blend. Set the spinach/ricotta mixture aside.
- Pour about 2 generous ladles of sauce into the pan and spread it around.
- Then layer the rest of the ingredients in the following order:
- Strips of pasta,
- A few mores ladles of sauce spread over the pasta,
- Roasted squash pieces placed over the sauce
- Mozzarella tossed over the squash
- Parmesan Reggiano sprinkled on the mozzarella and the squash
- Spinach/ricotta mixture dotted and then gently spread over the mozzarella/Reggiano
- Ricotta dotted and gently spread over the spinach/ricotta mixture
- Repeat, ending with mozzarella/Reggiano
Note: Don’t crowd the pasta strips, leave room on the ends and sides of the pan. The fresh pasta I bought at Whole Foods – a local brand called La Pasta, fit beautifully. I cut the strips in half width-wise with a scissor. If you use no-boil, just break the pieces.
- Cover the lasagna with foil and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. This resting period is necessary to give the lasagna noodles time to soak up the sauce.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the lasagna, covered, for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and lower the heat to 350 degrees F. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until the lasagna is bubbling. Let it sit for 5-8 minutes before cutting it into pieces. Serve with additional sauce and Reggiano on the side.
Whole Foods provided me with a $50 gift card to buy groceries and is also providing the gift card offered in the Giveaway. As always, the post and all opinions contained in it are my own.
David Lintz says
I love dry spaghetti with parmesan on it. That is my preferred use.
motherwouldknow says
David – Ah, simple but classic. If you add a bit of pancetta and an egg you’ve got spaghetti carbonara.
Arman @ thebigmansworld says
You had me at three cheeses….then the fact that it’s veggie packed too!
motherwouldknow says
Arman – Three cheeses and veggies galore is a good start on any recipe to be sure! Once you get the hang of the layering, this recipe is simple too.
Faith (An Edible Mosaic) says
Both the cheese and the lasagna are absolutely beautiful. I was drooling over Kirsten’s lasagna too – love the veggies in there. I definitely believe in destiny, even when it comes to food, and I love when a dish falls into place like this!
motherwouldknow says
Faith, I’m so glad you enjoyed Kirsten’s lasagna post and mine. so much of my food (blogging and preparation) has an element of "food destiny." When I read other people’s blogposts, I realize that I’m not the only one who finds these connections fun and interesting.
Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
I can never say no to a lasagna! This looks fabulous!
motherwouldknow says
So true – lasagna is irresistible, especially on cold evenings. thanks for stopping by.
rust says
I love fresh grated reggiano on my spaghetti and in salads.
motherwouldknow says
Rust, Yes freshly grate Reggiano goes so well on both spaghetti and salad. Have you tried it on top of soup?
Rita A says
Reggiano is a must with my mom’s homemade spaghetti sauce on any type of pasta. It enhances her sauce!
motherwouldknow says
Rita, I love the idea of your mom’s homemade spaghetti sauce. Any chance she’ll share the recipe?
Karen Petersen says
This looks yum! I love lasagna 🙂
motherwouldknow says
Karen – Thanks – we love lasagna but I had stopped making it because it took so long, until I discovered fresh lasagna noodles in my local Whole Foods. They are amazing – much better than "no-boil" if you can find them.
Nutmeg Nanny says
What a fabulous looking lasagna! I love taking traditional dishes and making them veggie filled….yum!
motherwouldknow says
Thanks – this type of veggie-filled dish is a great way to get a healthy dinner that doesn’t leave you wishing there had been meat in the meal:)
Stephanie Stuart says
Wow I really love the way you do your step-by-step photographs for this delicious vegetarian lasagna recipe! Lasagna is one of those dishes you just can’t ever get enough of, and I love freezing this recipe for those nights when time is short! Love this post and thank you!
motherwouldknow says
Stephanie – Many thanks. I do try to do the photos for those who are visual learners, like me and who can read a recipe multiple times and not "get it", then look at one picture and understand the process perfectly. I’ve frozen a couple of pieces of this lasagna and we’re looking forward to having them next week – no muss, no fuss on a weeknight!
Holly says
What a great dish– I love this vegetarian option and I don’t think I’d miss the meat sauce one bit!
motherwouldknow says
Holly – Many thanks. We didn’t miss the meat either. Amazing how vegetarian dishes can be the equal (or better) of their more traditional meat-based counterparts.
manda says
In soups.
motherwouldknow says
Manda, I love using grated reggiano in soups too, and as I mentioned, leaving the rind in makes the soup even richer.
HONEY BEAR says
I LIKE TO COAT THE OUTSIDE OF THE BREAD WITH REGGIANO WHEN I MAKE GRILLED SANDWICHES.
motherwouldknow says
What a creative suggestion – does it burn when you grill? I’ll have to try it.
Meghan Buchman says
I love to use Reggiano on top of my spaghetti & on top of baked ziti!
motherwouldknow says
Meghan – Nothing like grated Reggiano on top of spaghetti (cue the camp song) or baked ziti – wonderful comfort food.
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
Love your recipe! I really like the idea of the roasted squash – yum! Bring on the tasty cheese!
motherwouldknow says
Patricia – Thanks. Roasted squash is delicious and with the cheeses, it’s melt-in-your-mouth wonderful.
Sandra Meaders says
In Pasta or with Chicken
motherwouldknow says
Sandra – Reggiano goes so well with either or both pasta and chicken.
Ashley Kolpak says
On top of baked Ziti
motherwouldknow says
Wonderful idea Ashley – I love ziti!
Holly Denise Edwards says
I love it on baked chicken.
nicole dziedzic says
I love to use it in stuffed shells, one of my families favorites.
Carla S says
I like to use it in pasta salad the most.
Alice says
I love lasagna, and I like the addition of the butternut squash 🙂
Kelly D says
I like to use it in baked ziti.
Aviva Goldfarb says
I would love to try this recipe! I usually top salads and pastas with freshly grated Parmesan or Reggiano.
Brittany Bell Koelmel says
This looks delish! I use Reggiano to top baked ravioli:)
Catherine says
I love a vegetarian lasagna. This looks and sounds wonderful. Believe it or not, I have never been to Whole Foods. I use Reggiano in almost all of my dishes…I really like to shave it onto my salads. xo, Catherine
CEZOVSKI says
I would use it for my Roasted Cauliflower and Mushroom Carbonara recipe!
RAFFLECOPTER: CAROLSUE
cezovski says
MY RAFFLECOPTER NAME IS: CAROLSUE
Holly says
I love reggiano as a topper for pretty much any pasta dish 🙂
HS says
Great with zucchini
Linda F. says
I like it on my pasta.
Elle says
I like to use it on different Italian dishes like lasagna or ravioli.
Jaclyn Reynolds says
With pasta dishes!
Leidy ruiz says
I like to use it as a topping for my pastas
GB says
I like to use it with pasta!
Lauren says
I like to use it in pasta dishes.
Evie B. says
I love to use it on grilled vegetables.
Liv @ Healthy Liv says
YUMMM how good does this lasagna look?! Lasagna is my all-time favorite meal (I have it for my birthday every year!) so I’d definitely make lasagna with Reggiano cheese.
motherwouldknow says
thanks – this version is simple and way more interesting than the traditional meat and cheese.
Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life says
The kids love lasagna and butternut squash so this is sure to be a hit here! I love having a good hearty meatless meal option! Thanks Laura!
Laura says
Delighted that I’ve given you a meatless option your kids will enjoy.