Butternut Squash Lasagne
Layers of tender lasagne sheets, silky butternut squash sauce, browned chicken sausage, kale and fresh sage, all topped with golden, bubbling cheese. This Butternut Lasagne is cosy, comforting and packed with veggies. It feeds a crowd and makes the best leftovers!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 633kcal
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken sausages
- 1.7 kg butternut squash peeled, seeds removed and cubed (1.4kg peeled and deseeded)
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 500 grams cottage cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1 bunch sage
- 420 grams fresh lasagne sheets
- ½ cup cheddar cheese grated, firmly packed
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese grated, firmly packed
- 1 cup finely chopped kale
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F (conventional). Grease a large baking dish with olive oil and set aside.
- Add the cubed butternut squash to a steamer basket atop a large saucepan of water. Place the lid on and bring to a boil to steam the butternut squash. Once the squash is tender enough to break up with a fork, turn off the heat. Transfer the squash to a food processor along with the chicken broth, onion powder and garlic powder and blend until smooth a creamy. Set aside.
- While the butternut squash steams, bring a large frying pan to a medium heat. Drizzle with olive oil and then squeeze the chicken sausage meat out of the casings. Use a spatula to break up the sausage meat as it browns. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Add the cottage cheese to a bullet blender along with the eggs and blend until smooth and creamy.
- To assemble the lasagne, place a layer of lasagne pasta sheets on the bottom of the large baking dish to cover the entire base. Top with a layer of butternut squash puree, then sausage meat, then scatter over the kale leaves. Spoon one third of the cottage cheese mixture onto the kale and then add more sheets of pasta. Repeat this step to create a second layer. Repeat this a third time but instead of spooning the cottage cheese over the kale, layer lasagne sheets and then pour the remaining cottage cheese mixture over the lasagne sheets. Spread into an even layer.
- Mix together the cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese and scatter over the top of the lasagne and arrange some sage leaves on top.
- Place the lasagne into the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes and the cheese is golden brown and bubbling. Remove from the oven, slice and serve warm alongside some leafy greens.
Notes
Lasagne sheets: this recipe uses fresh lasagne sheets, which don't need to be cooked first. If using dried sheets, check the packet instructions, as some need to be boiled until al dente before layering. Use gluten free lasagne sheets to make this gluten free.
Swaps: ricotta can replace the cottage cheese, baby spinach can replace the kale, and pumpkin can replace the butternut squash.
Browning: if the top browns too quickly, loosely cover with foil for the rest of the bake.
Spice: add chilli oil or red pepper flakes for a little heat.
Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition facts are an estimate only.
Nutrition
Calories: 633kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 197mg | Sodium: 1916mg | Potassium: 962mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 23591IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 272mg | Iron: 5mg