Today marks the beginning of something I’ve been looking forward to, and I don’t mean that my kitchen renovation is underway—we are still waiting, but we do at least have good news today. After a few false starts related to the delivery of our new cabinets, we finally got word from Matt, our contractor: “We have the cabinets!!” So that hurdle is cleared and now the real chaos (the tearing out of the existing kitchen) is slated to begin on Friday (Yay)!
The delay gave me enough time to whip up a few dishes that I would have otherwise missed, including this one, which is a flavorful shout out to the significance of this day.
What I’m referring to is Autumn Equinox, otherwise known as the first full day of fall, but affectionately known at my house as the start of soup and stew season, the unpacking of my favorite sweaters, the countdown to the first flick of the switch on the gas fireplace, and the return of the hot toddy, and I am loving all of the above.
In fact, it feels like the perfect time to introduce you to one of my favorite homemade autumn-themed dishes, this butternut squash lasagna, which I first started making almost 10 years ago. This comforting casserole is layered, not with Italian seasonings or tomatoes or mozzarella, but with flavorful, seasonal vegetables, including onions and kale, two kinds of mushrooms and oven-roasted butternut squash. Nestled between the vegetable layers you’ll find a lemon-scented ricotta, shredded fontina and a creamy, cheesy bechamel that is spiked with even more butternut squash. It is rich and satisfying, even without meat, and makes my taste buds very happy.
There is nothing complicated about this meal but, like any lasagna, it does take some time to pull together. My suggestion is to break it up into two days; prep the separate components ahead of time, so assembly and baking will be a snap on the second day. The other thing that is great about this dish is that you can customize it to increase the amounts of favorite ingredients and reduce any of the others that are not favorites. If you prefer more squash and less kale, just swap the amounts and change up the layering.
Ingredients
1 medium or large butternut squash, peeled and cubed* (see notes)
1 large bunch curly kale, washed and stripped of heavy stems*
12 oz. fresh mushrooms (I used a combination of cremini and shiitake)
1 medium onion, chopped
14 oz. whole milk ricotta, strained of excess liquid
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
Zest of one lemon (organic is best)
1 large egg
4 Tbsp. butter (either salted or unsalted is fine)
4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 bulb roasted garlic
1 cup shredded gouda cheese*
A few shakes ground white pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg (about 6 passes on a microplane)
Enough lasagna noodles or sheets for three layers of it in your preferred pan*
2 cups shredded fontina cheese*
About 1/3 cup grated parm-romano blend
*Notes
Part of the squash will be cubed and roasted, and the rest will be simmered and mashed to be blended into the bechamel. I usually use the smooth neck part of the gourd for roasting, and the round part, which usually appears stringy after cleaning out the seeds, gets boiled and mashed to be added to the bechamel sauce. Keep this in mind as you prep the squash.
Nilla can smell butternut squash from miles away. 
Cube and roast the “pretty” part of the squash, and cook and mash the rest. 
Good catch!
I cannot refuse this dog! ❤
For this year’s version of my recipe, I went heavier on the kale than usual. It would be perfectly fine to use half as much, and perhaps double the mushrooms or increase the butternut squash to make up some of the volume. You could also substitute swiss chard or spinach; it all depends on your palate.
I know this seems like a ton of kale… 
But that whole pile cooks down to fit in this one bowl.
I chose Gouda and fontina cheeses for this dish because of their creamy, meltable texture and rich, nutty flavors. Some other cheeses would work well in this dish, including Havarti, Gruyere, raclette, mild white cheddar or Monterey jack. I do not recommend mozzarella, which has too much “pull.”
Normally, I use a special square lasagna baking dish, but we are in the middle of planning for this remodel, and darned if I can find it! No worries, I pulled out a glass 9 x 13 and it worked great. The noodles do not have to be boiled first; I usually just moisten them for several minutes in hot water while I get everything else into place. If the noodles are layered next to ingredients with plenty of moisture, they will cook just fine.
Prep the Squash
Divide the squash so that you have uniform cubes from the neck of the squash, which you will toss in olive oil, salt and pepper, and then roast at 350°F until evenly browned, about 40 minutes. Allow it to cool on the pan before transferring to a separate bowl. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble the lasagna.
Add the remaining squash (from the bulb end) to a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until fork tender, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
The solid neck of the squash is easily cubed. 
Go for extra flavor with mushroom and sage olive oil! 
Roast the cubes until they are nicely browned. 
Simmer the rest, then drain and mash.
Prep the Kale
Strip the heavy stems and wash the kale leaves. Working in batches, pulse handfuls of the kale about six times in a food processor, until kale is a fine texture. Sauté in olive oil until wilted and lightly browned on some of the edges. Just before cooking the last batch, sauté the chopped onion in the skillet first, then add kale. Season this final batch with salt and pepper and combine with previously cooked kale. Set aside.
This is actually easier than buying kale in bags. Just zip the leaves right off the stems. 
Give the kale a thorough rinse under running water. 
Pulse in a processor until the leaves are small bits. 
Lemon-fused olive oil brightens the flavor!
Prep the Mushrooms
Clean and dry the mushrooms, then trim the stems and slice evenly. Brown the mushrooms, about one-third at a time, in olive oil. Season the last batch with salt, pepper and a few sprinkles of dried thyme leaves. Combine all mushrooms in a separate bowl and set aside.
I use my trusty egg slicer to make easy, uniform slices. 
This is 8 oz. cremini and 4 oz. shiitake. Use your favorites! 
Cook them in batches for even browning.
Prep the Ricotta Mixture
Drain the ricotta in a mesh strainer over a bowl. Stir occasionally to evenly strain the excess liquid from the cheese. Different brands will release varying amounts of liquid, but 30 minutes should do it. Discard the drained liquid. Add lemon zest, fresh garlic and black pepper to the ricotta. Stir in egg. Set aside for now if you’re working ahead.
Depending on the brand, draining will release a little moisture, or a lot. 
Lemon zest, fresh garlic and black pepper are my add-ins. 
And stir one egg into the mixture for extra protein and even baking.
Make the Bechamel
Remember, this is just a fancy French word that means “thickened cream sauce.” It’s easy to make! I prefer to make the bechamel just before assembling the lasagna, but if you are pressed for time, it’s fine to make it ahead and then re-heat in a pot until it is a smooth, pourable consistency. There are several steps for this component, and several flavorful add-ins, so I’ll describe it in pictures.
This is a typical bechamel, with equal parts melted butter and all-purpose flour. 
When the mixture is blended and bubbly, you may add the milk. 
This time, I let it cook a few minutes longer until the butter was browned and very fragrant. 
Add the milk, half at a time, and whisk after each addition until mixture is blended and thickened. 
For layers of flavor, there are several add-ins to this bechamel. First, nutmeg, and freshly grated is best. 
A whole head of roasted garlic also gets whisked in. Mine went straight to the bottom before I could snap a photo! 
About 2/3 cup of the boiled and mashed butternut squash also gets mixed in. 
Finally, one cup of the shredded cheese. 
There is nothing wrong with proceeding directly from this point, because the lumps in this sauce will never be seen inside the lasagna. 
But I love hitting my bechamel with the immersion blender. About 60 seconds will do it. 
There, much smoother and so creamy! 
White pepper will give the sauce some undernotes of heat.
Heat a large sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter until melted. Whisk in flour and cook until it is bubbly, lightly browned and fragrantly nutty. Add the milk, about half at a time, whisking the first amount until smooth before adding the rest. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened and bubbly. Whisk in about 2/3 cup of the mashed butternut squash and cook until heated through. Stir in shredded gouda, whisking until melted. Use an immersion blender, if you have one, to blend the bechamel sauce to a super-smooth consistency. This is not an essential step, but I love the silky texture that is achieved with the blender. Keep the sauce warm enough to be pourable and spreadable for assembling the lasagna.
Assemble and Bake
Ladle about 1/2 cup of the butternut-bechamel sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Then, layer the individual components as follows:
Begin with a thin layer of bechamel, then noodles, and ricotta mixture spread on top. This first layer is always a little tricky because everything is slippery, but it gets easier. 
Layer half of the kale-onion mixture, then some of the shredded cheese and a few spoons of the bechamel. Time for a second layer of noodles. 
Gently press down each new layer of noodles, to squish the bechamel sauce into the crevices of the other ingredients. 
Ricotta goes on top, and the moisture in it will help ensure even cooking of the noodles. 
I am crazy about roasted butternut squash, and it is very high in beta carotene. There’s no harm in using lots of it in this layer. 
More shredded cheese, and a little more bechamel if you have enough. I reserved mine for the top layer this time. 
The last of the ricotta goes on next. 
The final layer has the remaining kale-onion mixture and the browned mushroom slices. And, of course, the rest of the bechamel. 
Scatter on the remaining shredded cheese, then a handful or two of parm-romano blend. Cover the dish with foil and let it rest for at least 30 minutes to help the noodles soften. 
Remove the foil and bake the casserole at 350° F for about 45 minutes, until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is beautifully browned. 
Happy fall, y’all! 🙂
Cover casserole with plastic wrap or foil and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes, to give the noodles time to absorb some of the moisture from the other ingredients. Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in center position.
Remove wrap or foil and bake about 45 minutes, or until layers are bubbly throughout and cheese on top is browned in several places.
Let the lasagna rest about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Comfort du Jour 
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