Butternut Squash Lasagna

Spicy Sweet Potato has over 300 recipes on it at this point and today's recipe for Butternut Squash Lasagna might just be my favorite! In this dish, thin slices of butternut squash replace gluten filled noodles in to form an amazing variation on traditional lasagna. The tasty squash is topped with a slow simmered marinara sauce and a cheesy vegetable layer to create a flavor packed lasagna  that is perhaps better the original. The instructions may look a little lengthy but if you make the marinara sauce and roast the vegetables ahead of time, the remaining steps take only minutes.

Butternut Squash Lasagna
Gluten Free
Serves 1
Click Here for Printable Recipe

Ingredients--
4 thin square slices of butternut squash (about 1 oz each), sliced from the "neck" of the squash (try to slice them so that two slices will fit side by side in your mini loaf pan)
1/4 of a medium head of cauliflower, broken into florets
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1.5 cups (packed) of baby spinach
1 wedge Light Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese
1/4 tsp. oregano
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
1/2 cup Homemade Marinara Sauce*  or your favorite gluten free store bought marinara sauce
1 tbsp. crumbled goat cheese
salt and pepper

Roasting The Vegetables--

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick spray.

2. Place butternut squash slices on one baking sheet and cauliflower florets on the other. Spray all vegetables with nonstick spray and season with basil, salt and, pepper (be sure to season both sides of squash slices).

3. Transfer vegetables to oven and roast 8 minutes. Flip butternut squash slices, and roast 7-8 minutes more or until tender and golden around the edges (leaving cauliflower in the oven during this time). Remove squash from the oven and set aside.

4. Stir cauliflower florets, and continue to roast 18-22 minutes more, or until tender and beginning to caramelize. Remove from oven.

5. If making ahead of time, let vegetables cool, then cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to assemble lasagna (can be made up to 3 days ahead of time). If you prefer, you can also roast squash and cauliflower at separate times.

Preparing the Cauliflower & Spinach Layer--

1. Place spinach in a large microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Stir in roasted cauliflower and microwave 30-35 seconds more or until spinach is wilted and cauliflower is heated through. Add in cheese wedge, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Stir until all ingredients are coated in cheese (microwave for 5 seconds more, if cheese wedge isn't melting). Set aside until you are ready to assemble lasagna.

Assembling the Lasagna--

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a mini loaf pan or mini rectangular casserole dish with nonstick spray. Spoon about 2 tbsp. of marinara onto bottom of pan and spread into an even layer.

2. Place 2 squash slices on top of marinara. Spread half of the spinach mixture on top of the squash.

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2. Repeat the layers--

                                                      -2 tbsp of marinara sauce

                                                           -2 squash slices


                                                 -Remaining Spinach Mixture

3. Finish with remaining marinara sauce, then sprinkle goat cheese evenly on top.

4. Bake lasagna for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through and turning golden brown on top.
Let cool for a few minutes prior to serving.

Nutrition Information--approximately 255 calories per serving (entire recipe)


* Homemade Marinara Sauce Recipe-- http://spicysweetpotato.blogspot.com/2013/01/homemade-marinara-sauce.html