Name: Butternut Sausage Spinach Lasagna
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 5 lb. butternut squash; 1 T. olive oil; 1/2 t. salt; 1 lb. sausage; 10 oz. spinach (roughly chopped); 1 large onion (diced); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 1 t. fennel seed; 1/2 t. basil; 1/2 t. oregano; 1 t. salt; 27 oz. ricotta cheese; 2 cups mozzarella (shredded)

You know when you’re trying to eat more vegetables, but it’s December and you’re surrounded by so much insanely good food like cranberry brie pull-apart bread and vanilla bean sweet potato waffles that you want to cry? Yeah. That’s where we’re at.

So I roasted a butternut squash to make it candy-sweet and layered it with a big bunch of spinach and spicy sausage and of course lots of cheese. We’re calling it lasagna because lasagna is cosy and comforting, even if there are no noodles to be found. Healthy still counts if there are lots of bright veggies, right?

Ohhhhh those melty cheese strands. Please and thank you.

Ricotta balances the squash/onions/spinach with rich mozzarella and sausage. Add a little (lot) more ricotta to max out the creaminess – no need for heavy cream – and we’re in business.

This makes a hella-big pan to cover dinners for a couple nights – or I guess your family of eight? – but you could easily halve the recipe to make an 8×8 dish instead. It might look like too much squash, but all the water is sucked out during roasting so don’t be afraid to grab the biggest one!

Butternut Sausage Spinach Lasagna

Mountain Cravings

Candy-sweet roasted butternut squash layered with a big bunch of spinach and spicy sausage and of course lots of cheese.

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 1 hr 5 mins

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine Italian

Servings 8

Calories 532 kcal

Ingredients

5 lb. butternut squash
1 T. olive oil
1/2 t. salt
1 lb. sausage
10 oz. spinach roughly chopped
1 large onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 t. fennel seed
1/2 t. basil
1/2 t. oregano
1 t. salt
27 oz. ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella shredded

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°.
Cut the top and bottom off the butternut squash and peel remaining skin. Slice lengthwise into large 1/4-inch strips, cutting out the stringy center.
Lay squash slices in a single layer on foil-covered baking sheets. Lightly brush the tops with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Roast squash at 400° for 15 minutes, until centers are soft and edges are beginning to brown. Flip slices over, brush with oil and salt, and roast another 15 minutes.
While squash is roasting, brown the sausage in a large pan. Drain any excess grease until there is about a tablespoon remaining, then add spinach, onion, garlic, and spices. Cook over medium heat until the spinach is wilted and the onion is cooked.
Transfer the sausage mixture to a large bowl. Cream together with ricotta and 1 cup mozzarella.
Layer sausage mixture and eggplant slices in a greased 9x13 pan, starting with sausage and ending with eggplant. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella on top.
Bake at 400° for 15-18 minutes, until edges are bubbling and cheese is beginning to brown.