Butternut Squash Lasagne  

By So Vegan

Ingredients

  Serves 6 / Prep 30 mins / Cook 60 mins / Total 1 hr 30 mins  

  • Butternut Squash Lasagne

    1 medium butternut squash

    olive oil

    2 onion, peeled + finely chopped

    4 garlic, peeled + finely chopped

    2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes

    20 fresh sage leaves

    3 tbsp red miso paste

    1 tbsp red wine vinegar

    2 x 250g pouches of cooked lentils, we use puy

    salt + pepper

    2 large handfuls of spinach

    15-18 lasagne sheets

  • For the béchamel

    5 tbsp plain flour

    1 litre unsweetened soy milk

    6 tbsp nutritional yeast

    1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

Method

Trim the ends and peel the butternut squash. Cut the long top stem off the squash and set it aside for later. Cut the remaining bulbous end in half, use a spoon to scoop out and discard seeds, then finely chop the flesh.

Head a drizzle of olive oil in a large casserole pot or high-sided frying pan on a medium heat. Add the chopped squash and onion to the pot, then cook for 6-8 minutes or until softened. Next add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes to the pot, then fill half of the empty tins of tomatoes with water and swirl it around to collect any leftover tomato juices, before pouring the water into the pot. Next, finely chop 12 of the sage leaves, saving the rest for later, then add the chopped sage to the pot, followed by the miso, vinegar, lentils, a small pinch of salt and a large pinch of pepper. Stir well, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add 5 tablespoons of olive oil to a separate pan on a medium heat. When the oil is hot, whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Next, gradually pour in the soy milk, whisking as you go to avoid any lumps, then add the nutritional yeast, nutmeg and pinches of salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the mixture thickens into a creamy consistency, whisking regularly.

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.

To build the lasagne, add roughly a third of the ragu along the bottom of a deep oven dish approx. 32cm x 22cm in size, then add enough lasagne sheets to cover the ragu. Depending on the size and shape of the dish, we’ll usually snap lasagne sheets into pieces to fill any gaps. Then add roughly a third of the béchamel, just enough to cover the lasagne sheets, followed by a handful of spinach leaves and another third of the ragu. Top again with lasagne sheets, followed by another third of the béchamel, a handful of the spinach and the remaining ragu. Finally, top again with lasagne sheets, followed by the remaining béchamel.

 

Now slice the remaining top stem of the butternut squash into 2-3mm rings. Add the rings on top of the lasagne and brush with olive oil. Brush the remaining sage leaves with oil, then scatter them over the top of the lasagne, followed by pinches of salt and pepper.

Cook in the oven for 40 minutes, then remove it from the oven and leave it to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Notes:

  • This lasagne freezes really well. After cooking, simply store each slice in an airtight container and pop it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost fully, then reheat in the oven until piping hot before serving.
  • You can also make this lasagne the day before and store in the fridge, covered, before cooking the following day.
  • We use pouches of cooked puy lentils, but you can also use 2 tins of green lentils. Simply drain and rinse them before adding to the ragu.
  • We use red miso paste, but white or brown will also work well.
  • The size and shape of your butternut squash will determine how many ‘rings’ of squash you can add on top of the lasagne. If the top stem of your squash is small, you’ll have fewer rings which you’ll need to space out on the lasagne.