With flavors from the fall, this lasagna with sausage and butternut squash is guaranteed to be a success.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved lengthwise and seeded
- 3 tbsp. salted butter
- 8 oz. sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 tbsp. chopped fresh sage
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- Black pepper, to taste
- 2 c. heavy cream
- 1 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
- 5 no-boil lasagna noodles
- 1 1/2 c. grated mozzarella cheese
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425 ̊. Brush the olive oil on the cut sides of the squash and place the cut-side down on a baking sheet. Roast until soft and turning brown in some spots, 35 to 40 minutes. Scoop out the flesh into a small bowl and mash with a fork.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Remove to a medium bowl.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and melt over medium heat. Add the onion, sage, salt, and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened and caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes. Add to the bowl with the sausage.
- Add the heavy cream to the pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk in the mashed butternut squash and return to a simmer. Remove from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until very smooth (or scrape into a blender in batches and puree, then return to the pan). Return to medium heat and stir in 1 cup parmesan until melted.
- Assemble the lasagna: Spoon 1/2 cup of the cream sauce into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Top with 1 noodle, a quarter of the sausage mixture, a quarter of the mozzarella, and another 1/2 cup of the cream sauce. Repeat 3 more times, then place the remaining noodle on top. Top with the remaining cream sauce and 1/4 cup parmesan.
- Bake until the noodles are soft and the cheese on top is bubbly and browned, about 20 minutes. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.