ba ba black sheep, have you any lasagna?
yes sir, yes sir, i'm hoarding a whole pan.
when it's just as dark when you go into work as it is when you leave work, lasagna pan hoarding is so completely fine.
feck you skinny pregnant gisele.
butternut squash lasagna.
three cheeses showed up. ricotta, parmesan, and mozz. and they are all friends and love each other.
there is spinach and caramelized onions and béchamel.
my favorite part about making béchamel is stirring in the nutmeg. it just smells like you are doing things right.
Butternut Squash Lasagna
adapted from the kitchy kitchen
4 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
20 oz spinach, washed and dry
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup red or white wine, i used white
1 lb lasagna sheets
12 oz ricotta
2 balls fresh buffalo mozzarella
1-2 cups regular mozzarella, grated (depending on how much cheese you'd like)
few handfuls of parmesan, grated
chili flakes
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup basil, julienned
olive oil
butter
hot sauce
for the béchamel:
1 3/4 pints milk
few sprigs of parsley
1/4 tsp nutmeg
10 peppercorns
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 bay leaf
6 tbsp butter
1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup grated parmesan
preheat the oven to 425 degreesF. drizzle the butternut squash with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with coarse salt and fresh black pepper. roast for half an hour, until tender and browned. meanwhile, over medium heat saute spinach in a few tbsps of olive oil, 2 cloves of minced garlic, and a pinch of chili flakes. let the spinach wilt down, then remove from pan onto a plate lined with a couple paper towels. next caramelize the onions. melt 1 tbsp butter and a tbsp olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. add the onions and a large pinch of salt and cook down for about 30-40 minutes, halfway through caramelizing, stir in the wine and the remaining 2 cloves of minced garlic. the onions are done when they are a rich brown color, sweet and caramely. set aside.
boil the lasagna sheets until al dente. set them aside in a bowl of water.
to make the béchamel: bring the milk and all the ingredients except the butter, flour, and parmesan to a simmer. in a separate sauce pan, melt the butter and add the flour. stir until doughy and nutty smelling, about 1 minute. strain in the milk mixture a cup at a time, whisking to incorporate with the butter and flour. it should be smooth and velvety. add the parmesan and set aside.
slice the buffalo mozzarella.
preheat the oven to 375. in a large baking dish, place a layer of noodles, some onions and spinach, the mozzarella, dot with a third of the ricotta, some basil, and then cover with 1/4 of the béchamel. repeat 3 times, and finish with remaining béchamel and parmesan. bake for 25 minutes, or until bubbling. turn the broiler on and bake for another 5 minutes until browned and crisp on top. allow to sit for a little and then dig in.
serve with a bunch of hot sauce.