I follow Southern Cast Iron on Facebook and I’d say that nine out of 10 recipes they share look fabulous. A while back, I saw one for butternut squash and mushroom lasagna that looked appetizing, so I bookmarked the link for later use. A few days ago, I made the lasagna. All I can say is, wow, what a dish. Cooking is a wonderful thing. It’s generally not difficult to do; I just wish I had more time to make insanely delicious plates like this one. It’s out of this world good.
The Recipe
If you enjoy the more traditional spaghetti sauce and noodles lasagna, I implore you to give this one a try. Yes, it’s more complex and will require more prep than you might expect, but the end result is awesome. If you approach the prep in pieces, you can easily take your time and relax. I tend to rush through my cooking, so there’s not much relaxing going on. When the oven is warming up, I’m a storm in the kitchen.
For this recipe, I used spinach, a creamy mushroom sauce, butternut squash, and swiss and mozzarella cheese. Those were the highlights. There are obviously other ingredients involved, but what I just mentioned above define the dish. It’s definitely a cheesy and tasty lasagna – there’s no doubt about that. The reason I made this particular lasagna is because I made a similar one over the holidays that was just as good. I’m now an ardent supporter and evangelist of vegetable lasagnas. I will always love my more traditional lasagnas, but the veggie ones allow for so much creativity and flavor.
Ingredients
Serves 6
1 Butternut Squash, Peeled & Sliced into ¼” Thick Disks
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 ½ Teaspoons Salt, Divided
1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, Divided
2 (12 Ounce) Packages (24 Ounces Total) Frozen Spinach
¼ Cup Water
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
¼ Cup Butter, Divided
12 Ounces Mushrooms, Sliced
1 Teaspoon Dried Sage
1 Medium Sized Onion, Diced
1 Teaspoon Garlic, Minced
3 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
½ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
3 Cups Whole Milk
½ Cup White Wine
2 Cups Swiss Cheese, Shredded, Divided
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded
12 Lasagna Noodles, Cooked According to Package
Pre-Heat Oven
Arrange your oven racks so one is in the middle position and one is in the top position. Then, pre-heat the oven to 375°.
Roast the Butternut Squash
In a large bowl, add the squash slices, olive oil, one teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Toss so all of the squash is coated in oil, salt, and pepper. Then, arrange the squash in a single layer on a large baking sheet and place in oven for 15 minutes or until the squash is just tender. When finished, remove the tray from the oven and let cool. Leave the oven heat on.
Cook the Spinach
Add the spinach to a large pot and place on your stovetop over medium-high heat. Add the lemon juice, water, and ½ teaspoon salt to the pot and cook for a few minutes until the spinach is hot and soft. Drain any excess water from the spinach and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
Cook the Mushrooms
Add the mushrooms to the pot you just used for the spinach. Place the pot on your stovetop over medium-high heat and add in one tablespoon butter and the dried sage. Mix and cook for about 10 minutes or until the water has been released from the mushrooms and they’re slightly browned. When finished, transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.
Make the Sauce
Again in the same pot over medium-high heat, add the remaining three tablespoons butter, onion, and garlic. Let simmer for a few minutes until the onion is soft. When ready, add in the flour, nutmeg, remaining one teaspoon salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir until all these ingredients are combined. Add in the milk and the wine and mix frequently until the liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer (mixing continuously) for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
When finished, turn off the heat and add 1 ½ cups of the swiss cheese to the pot. Stir until all the cheese is melted. Reserve 1 cup of sauce and then transfer the remaining to the bowl that’s holding the mushrooms. Mix everything together.
Build the Lasagna
Add the one reserved cup of sauce to a large 12″ cast iron skillet. Spread it around the bottom and then add a layer of lasagna noodles on top of that. You may need to cut the noodles to make them fit correctly. You may also use a square pan to make life easier.
Next, add a layer of half the spinach and then a layer of half the butternut squash pieces. On top of that, add ⅓ of the mushroom sauce. Spread out evenly.
After that, add another layer of noodles and repeat the layers of the spinach, squash, and sauce. You should have no more spinach or squash left and you should have ⅓ of the sauce left. Add the third and final layer of noodles.
Finally, add the remaining mushroom sauce on top of the top layer of noodles and spread the sauce evenly. Then, spread the remaining swiss cheese as well as the mozzarella cheese on top as well.
Cook the Lasagna
Cut a piece of aluminum foil to size and spray the underside of it with cooking spray. Then place the foil on top of the lasagna. Put the skillet on the center rack of the oven and let cook for about 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil from the top and place the skillet on the top rack and broil for a few minutes until the cheese begins to turn brown. When that happens, turn off the heat and remove the cooked lasagna from the oven. It should look something like the photos below.
Plate & Serve
Let the lasagna cool for a few minutes before you try to plate it. Everything needs to firm up a bit. When ready, cut into pieces, plate, and serve. Enjoy!
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