Butternut Lasagna - Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free

we recently went to a party where butternut squash lasagna was being served... i of course couldn't eat any, but my husband raved about it and i was intrigued.  i have always been a lover of all things with pasta, lasagna being one of my favorites.  i looked up a few recipes online but they all use tofu so that was a big no-no.

so for my recipe i made two layers- a butternut layer and a "creamy" layer: a bechamel-type filling.  it was a really rich lasagna, and quite frankly, you can't eat huge amounts of it because it's so rich, but tasty nonetheless ;)

one thing to note about the butternut layer- it's definitely going to taste different depending on the ripeness of your squash.  mine was a little old and not as soft as one in its peak.  canned butternut will also work (i like trader joe's), but it will be a little runnier than if you use fresh.

for my noodles i used tinkyada brand brown rice lasagna.  definitely watch your cooking time, and it should be al dente because it will cook in the oven more.  i overcooked mine this time and it stuck together and ripped apart a lot.  it works best if you cook it right before you're about to start layering, rinse with cool water and go. 

Butternut Squash Lasagna


Butternut filling

6 cups cubed butternut squash roasted in the oven with a dash of olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground sage
1 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp (or more if too thick) almond milk
3 Tbsp olive oil


Roast your butternut in the oven at about 400 degrees until soft- mine took about 20 minutes.  Once it is done, add all of the butternut filling ingredients into your food processor and blend until smooth and creamy (but not too watery). If you need more almond milk or olive oil, add it.  Remove from the food processor and set aside while you make your creamy filling.



Bechamel (creamy) filling

1 cup pine nuts soaked for a few hours
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano


Drain your pine nuts and add them to your (clean) food processor along with the nutritional yeast and lemon juice.  Blend until smooth(ish).


In a small pot on the stove, heat your olive oil over medium-low heat and slowly add the sweet rice flour mixing it with the oil but not allowing it to burn. Stir for a few seconds and then add the milk slowly, stirring continuously (a wire whisk works well here).  Add the rest of the seasoning and cook for a minute or so to get rid of the floury taste.  Add the flour mix to the pine nut mixture in the food processor a little at a time, mixing in between additions.  once it is well blended, taste the seasoning- does it need more of anything? Also, is it too thick? If so, add more milk or olive oil.



Assembly:

I started with a light layer of the bechamel, followed by a noodle layer, butternut layer topped with bechamel, noodle, and then butternut topped with bechamel.  i sprinkled some more dried basil and oregano on top as well.

Bake in the oven at 350F until bubbly - i cooked mine for about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!