Roasted Butternut Squash, Rosemary, & Garlic Lasagne
Submitted by Betty Beau
Roasted butternut squash, rosemary, and garlic lasagne: a vegetarian fall pasta layered with roasted squash bechamel, parmesan, and a billowy whipped cream top that bakes into a golden crust.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsThis lasagne makes a case for the vegetable-forward pasta that doesn’t feel like a compromise. Roasted butternut squash folds into a rosemary-infused bechamel that becomes both the sauce and the filling. Parmesan layers add sharp, salty depth. And instead of a top layer of pasta or cheese, whipped cream gets spread across the top and baked into a golden, souffle-like crust.
The squash gets two treatments for the price of one: roasted at high heat until tender and starting to caramelize, then folded into a butter-and-garlic roux that’s been thinned with rosemary-steeped milk. The result is sweet, savory, and aromatic without being heavy.
The whipped cream trick is what makes this dish stand out. Beaten to soft peaks with a little salt and spread over the top pasta layer, it bakes into something between a gratin lid and a light cloud, so thin and crisp on top it shatters when you cut into it.
Pro Tips
- Roast the squash on two sheet pans in a single layer. Crowding steams rather than caramelizes, and you want the golden edges.
- Strain the rosemary-steeped milk well before making the bechamel. Stray rosemary needles in the finished sauce turn chewy and woody.
- Make sure the whipped cream fully covers the top pasta layer. Any exposed noodle turns leather-dry during the bake.
- Tent the foil loosely so it doesn’t touch the cream. Contact will dent and deflate the puffy top you’ve just created.
- Let the lasagne rest 5 full minutes before cutting. Straight from the oven it oozes; after 5 minutes it holds clean slices.
Variations
- Swap butternut for pumpkin or kabocha squash for a similar sweet-roasted base with different flavor notes.
- Add a handful of toasted walnuts or pine nuts between layers for crunch.
- Stir a handful of torn sage leaves into the sauce with the rosemary for a deeper autumn aroma.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 450℉ (230℃). and oil 2 large shallow baking pans.
In a large bowl toss squash with oil until coated well and spread in one layer in pans.
Roast squash in oven 10 minutes and season with salt.
Stir squash and roast 10 to 15 minutes more, or until tender and beginning to turn golden.
While squash is roasting, in a saucepan bring milk to a simmer with rosemary.
Heat milk mixture over low heat 10 minutes and pour through a sieve into a large pitcher or measuring cup.
In a large heavy saucepan cook garlic in butter over moderately low heat, stirring until softened.
Stir in flour and cook roux, stirring, 3 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and whisk in milk mixture in a stream until smooth.
Return pan to heat and simmer sauce, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes, or until thick.
Stir in squash and salt and pepper to taste.
Sauce may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap.
Reduce temperature to 375℉ (190℃).
and butter a baking dish , 13×9×2 inches.
Pour 1 cup sauce into baking dish (sauce will not cover bottom completely) and cover with 3 lasagne sheets, making sure they do not touch each other.
Spread half of remaining sauce over pasta and sprinkle with ½ cup Parmesan.
Make one more layer in same manner, beginning and ending with pasta.
In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream with salt until it holds soft peaks and spread evenly over top pasta layer, making sure pasta is completely covered.
Sprinkle remaining ⅓ cup Parmesan over cream.
Cover dish tightly with foil, tenting slightly to prevent foil from touching top layer, and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes.
Remove foil and bake lasagne 10 minutes more, or until top is bubbling and golden.
Let lasagne stand 5 minutes.
Garnish each serving with rosemary.
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