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Serving a lasagna made with butternut squash, zucchini, spinach and cheeses in a large casserole dish
4.83 from 79 votes

Butternut Squash Lasagna Recipe

See the top of this post to watch a VIDEO showing how to make this butternut squash lasagna recipe.
Made with layers of creamy butternut squash, zucchini noodles, no-bake noodles, cheese, and spinach, this Butternut Squash Lasagna is the most delicious of all autumn comfort foods.
Tip- Double the recipe and freeze one for later.
Prep Time1 hr
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time2 hrs
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 414kcal
Chef: Jessica Randhawa

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Butternut Squash Filling

  • 1 large butternut squash - peeled, seeded and cubed (see notes)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1.5 cups ricotta cheese
  • 5 cloves garlic - minced
  • ½ cups milk - more if needed
  • ½ teaspoon salt - or more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Spinach Ricotta Filling

  • 48 ounce frozen spinach - thawed and squeezed of all extra water
  • 1.5 cups ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese
  • ¼ cup chopped basil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Pepper

Other

  • 3 zucchini - sliced into 1/8" thick noodles
  • 10+ sheets no-boil lasagna noodles - or lasagna noodle of choice
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese - for the top
  • Fresh basil or fresh sage leaves - for topping

Instructions

For the Butternut Squash Filling

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (skip this step if you're using canned pureed butternut squash).
  • Cut, peel, and chop your butternut squash into small, 1-inch cubes. Transfer to your prepared baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Roast in the oven for approximately 25-35 minutes, or until fork-tender. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
  • Place the cooked (or canned) butternut squash, ricotta cheese, garlic, milk, salt + pepper, and nutmeg in the bowl of a large food processor. Puree until completely smooth.  Add more milk if needed- you want the butternut squash filling to be thick and creamy, but too liquidy or runny. Season with salt, pepper, and additional nutmeg, to taste.

For the Spinach Ricotta Mix

  • Remove excess water from the thawed spinach; you can do this using a mesh wire strainer, cheesecloth, or tea cloth. Transfer the spinach to a medium bowl with the ricotta cheese, mozzarella, fresh chopped basil, salt and pepper.  Mix until fully combined.

Build your Lasagna

  • Prepare your baking dish (I usually use a large, deep casserole dish, 12.38"L x 9.25"W x 2"H, but the one shown in the images is slightly larger). Spray dish with non-stick cooking spray of choice.
  • First layer - Spread 1/3 of the butternut squash puree on the bottom of the dish.  Sprinkle with a thin layer of mozzarella cheese and cover with a single, non-overlapping layer of no-boil lasagna noodles (approximately 5 lasagna sheets). Gently spread half the spinach ricotta mixture over the noodles and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Top with a layer of sliced zucchini (see notes).
  • Repeat layering (second layer) - Spread 1/3 of the butternut squash mixture over the sliced zucchini layer.  Sprinkle with a light layer of mozzarella cheese and top with a single, non-overlapping layer of no-boil lasagna noodles (approximately 5 lasagna sheets). Spread the second half of the spinach ricotta mixture on top of the lasagna noodles.  Top with mozzarella cheese and top with a layer of sliced zucchini.
  • Final layer - Spread the remaining 1/3 of the butternut squash filling over the zucchini and sprinkle with grated Parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle fresh basil leaves on top of the cheese.
  • Cover the baking dish with a large foil "tent" and bake for approximately 20-30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
  • Top with additional fresh basil or sage leaves, if desired.

Notes

  • If you prefer not to roast your butternut squash in the oven, you may also cook it using your Instant Pot or purchase it pre-cooked, pureed, and canned from the market. You will need three cans (15-ounces each) of pureed butternut squash per large lasagna.
  • If butternut squash isn't available, pumpkin or pumpkin puree (unsweetened) will work just as well.
  • If your zucchini noodles are super thin, you can make a layer 2-3 noodles thick.
  • Feel free to substitute the lasagna noodles for more zucchini noodles and vice versa.
  • I used whole milk ricotta, but fat-free ricotta or half fat-free and half whole milk ricotta will both work. Some readers have also mentioned substituting some or all of the ricotta for cottage cheese.
Helpful posts about butternut squash:
How to Roast Butternut Squash
How to Cook Instant Pot Butternut Squash (Whole and Cubed)
All About Butternut Squash: How to Pick, Peel, and Prepare Plus Recipes
Updated October 14, 2017 and again on August 15, 2020

Nutrition

Calories: 414kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 578mg | Potassium: 818mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 16725IU | Vitamin C: 18.6mg | Calcium: 586mg | Iron: 3.7mg
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