Butternut Lasagna? Where’s the Pumpkin Spice?
Can you believe it’s almost Halloween? October is almost over you guys! Fall is in full swing (kinda-snowing today and 81 degrees last week) and we are all being bombarded by pumpkin spice this or pumpkin spice that. I know pumpkins are “in season” right now , but seriously, do we need pumpkin spice flavored potato chips? Let me tell you about the next best flavor for fall…Butternut Squash. I get it, it’s kinda the same thing, only not. And so much better.
Having just returned from a great trip to Italy (look for my Italy guide soon), we had our fair share of lasagna and pasta. And, if you’re anything like me, you don’t stick to a strict diet on vaycay. It’s been a struggle since we got back. Blame it on eating out for every meal for 2 weeks straight or the daily quota of gelato we had to meet, but my sugar addiction right now is real! And it doesn’t seem to help that the Halloween candy is around every corner!
I decided to make this recipe for three reasons. 1). Eating squash is a must in the fall 2). I needing to get back into healthier eating while still craving pasta and 3). Lasagna always makes for great leftovers meaning there is no struggle to pack a healthy lunch for work. I am loving the sweet and creamy taste with a little added crunch on top. Plus it’s packed with spinach so you’re really getting two veggies in one meal. Bonus!
Weeknight Meal
I was a little hesitant to tackle this recipe on a weeknight because I was afraid it would be too time consuming. I found that the most time-intensive part was peeling and cutting up the squash. If you are pressed for time, grab a pre-cut container of butternut squash in the produce section of the supermarket. Or cut up your squash on Sunday and have it ready to use in the fridge. Either way, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Butternut Squash- peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 3 cups water
- 1 Tbs. Coconut Oil
- 1 Cup White Onion- Diced
- 2 lbs Ground Turkey Sausage
- 2 Cloves Garlic- Minced
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Pepper
- 1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
- 1 Can Coconut Milk (Full fat is best)
- 6 oz Fresh Spinach
- 1 6-9 Almond Flour Lasagna Sheets (I like Cappello's)
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Add cubed butternut squash and water to a large skillet pan and bring to a slow simmer. Cover and cook about 10-15 minutes or until the squash is soft.
- In a separate large skillet, add coconut oil, chopped onions and garlic. Cook over medium for about 5 minutes or until soft and fragrant. Add turkey sausage to onion/ garlic mixture and brown. Remove from heat when the sausage is cooked through.
- Using a slotted spoon, scoop out butternut squash and put softened cubes into a blender or food processor. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and coconut milk. Blend until smooth. If your blender isn't large enough, you may have to do this in 2 batches.
- To assemble the lasagna, spread a thin layer of the butternut squash mixture in the bottom of an untreated 9x13 glass pan. Layer with 2-3 lasgana noodles, then 1/3 sausage and 1/3 spinach, Cover the spinach with about 1/3 of squash mixture and repeat layering 2 more times. Top with chopped pecans.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes.
This looks so yummy! What a fun twist on traditional lasagna!
Thanks! Its such a great fall recipe!