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Food

Squash and Spinach Lasagna Recipe

This vegetarian lasagna is packed with sweet squash, baby spinach, and lots of cheese.
Squash and Spinach Lasagna Recipe
Photo by Heami Lee

Servings: 8
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

for the lasagna:
1 (3-pound|1361-gram) kabocha squash, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound|454 grams dried lasagna sheets
1 ½ pounds|680 grams baby spinach
1 cup grated pecorino romano
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

for the mornay:
12 tablespoons|1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups|946 ml whole milk
¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and salt and cook until golden and soft, 30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  2. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the lasagna sheets and cook until al dente, 6 minutes. Drain, then cool under cold running water. Toss with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and set aside.
  3. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium. Working in batches, add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, then cool completely. Drain, squeezing out any liquid, and set the spinach aside.
  4. Make the mornay: Melt the butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium. Add the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then slowly whisk in the milk. Stir in the cheese until melted then season with salt and pepper. You should have 4 cups. Keep warm.
  5. Assemble the lasagna: Place 3 pieces of lasagna in the bottom of a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with ⅓ of the squash and spinach, and sprinkle with ⅓ cup of the pecorino. Grind some black pepper over the top and spread about 1 cup of mornay over it all. Top with another 3 pieces of lasagna and repeat until you have used all of the squash and spinach. Finish with another 3 pieces of lasagna and the remaining cup of mornay. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese and bake until the cheese is golden and bubbling, about 30 minutes.

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