Spinach and Butternut Squash Lasagna

Making homemade lasagna can be a time-consuming process that requires several steps, but many can be done in advance. Prepare the white sauce, roast the squash, and sauté the spinach; refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the dish.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

Ingredients

• 3  cups  2% reduced-fat milk
• 1/4  cup  all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce)
• 2  tablespoons  butter
• 1/3  cup  minced shallots
• 1 1/4  teaspoons  salt, divided
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 8  cups  (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 2 1/4 pounds)
• 1  tablespoon  balsamic vinegar
• 4  teaspoons  olive oil, divided
• Cooking spray
• 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 3  (6-ounce) bags fresh baby spinach
• 9  cooked lasagna noodles (8 ounces uncooked noodles)
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded Asiago cheese
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

Cook milk in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat to 180° or until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil). Remove from heat; keep warm.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Melt butter in a medium nonstick saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots; cook 2 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat; add flour to pan, and cook 5 minutes or until smooth and golden, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add about 2 tablespoons warm milk to flour mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add remaining warm milk, about 1/2 cup at a time, until mixture is smooth, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and cook until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat. Cover surface of milk mixture with plastic wrap; set aside.

Preheat oven to 425°.

Place squash in a large bowl. Add vinegar; toss to coat. Add 1 tablespoon oil; toss to coat. Arrange squash in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and thyme. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes.

Combine remaining 1 teaspoon oil, red pepper, and garlic in a Dutch oven over medium heat; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add spinach, 1 bag at a time; cook until wilted, stirring frequently. Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook until liquid evaporates, stirring frequently.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°.

Spoon 1/3 cup milk mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over milk mixture; top with spinach mixture, 2/3 cup milk mixture, 1/2 cup Asiago, and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Arrange 3 noodles over cheese; top with squash mixture, 2/3 cup milk mixture, remaining 1/2 cup Asiago, and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Arrange remaining 3 noodles on top of cheese; spread remaining 1/2 cup milk mixture over noodles. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

445 (30% from fat)

Fat:

15g (sat 8.1g,mono 4.2g,poly 0.7g)

Protein:

20.7g

Carbohydrate:

61.5g

Fiber:

7.3g

Cholesterol:

36mg

Iron:

4.8mg

Sodium:

758mg

Calcium:

599mg