Roasted Squash and Spinach Lasagne

madnad

After serving this lasagne, my husband proclaimed it to be his favourite dish of #SquashAppreciationMonth so far. It has quite a few steps in it, but the resulting dish is extremely tasty, making it very worthwhile. Despite being vegetarian, you could easily serve this to the most ardent meat eater and you won’t hear any disappointment.

I used  half of a large culinary pumpkin, which are in shops now, but as with all the squash recipes this month, you can use any winter squash.

Roasted Pumpkin and Spinach Lasagne

Ingredients

  • 1kg Winter Squash (peeled & deseeded)
  • Olive Oil
  • 1 tablespoon Dried Sage
  • 500g Baby Spinach
  • 1 tablespoon Butter
  • Ground Nutmeg
  • 6 Fresh Lasagne Sheets
  • 100g Grated Parmesan
  • 1 Large Onion (diced)
  • Olive Oil
  • 3 cloves Garlic (crushed)
  • 400g Can of Cherry Tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
  • 75g Butter
  • 75g Plain Flour
  • 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
  • 750ml Full Fat Milk

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6
2. Using a sharp knife, slice your squash into slices about ½" thick
3. Place the squash on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil. Using your hands, make sure all the pieces are covered, then sprinkle in dried sage
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the squash is softened, and starting to caramelise. Place to one side
5. While the squash is roasting, make the tomato sauce. Sauté the onions in a little olive oil until the start to turn translucent
6. Add the crushed garlic and stir through
7. Add in the tinned cherry tomatoes and sprinkle in sugar, and stir through. Leave to simmer over a low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce resembles a thick purée. Set aside
8. Wilt the spinach in a large pan with a few teaspoons of water. Remove from pan into a sieve, and use the back of a spoon to press out any excess water. Drop the spinach back in the pan with the butter, and stir until it is all coated, then sprinkle with a little grated nutmeg. Leave to one side
9. In a clean pan, melt the butter and add in the flour and stir over the heat for a minute or two
10. Turn down the heat, and stir in the onion powder. Add in the milk, a little at a time, whisking constantly between each addition and ensure no lumps remain. Continue heating the béchamel until it has thickened
11. Heat the oven again to 200°C / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Now you are ready to assemble. Start by buttering an oven proof dish, at least 2 litres/3½ pints capacity
12. Spread half of the tomato on the base, then lay 2 sheets of the lasagne, cutting to fit if necessary
13. Layer half of the pumpkin then half of the spinach. Drizzle over half of the béchamel, then sprinkle a third of the parmesan
14. Layer another 2 sheets of lasagne, then the rest of the tomato, pumpkin, spinach and another third of the parmesan
15. Layer the 2 final sheets of lasagne, the last of the béchamel, and the last of the cheese. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden

Author:

Leave me a comment...

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.