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One of my favorite things to make on the weekend is lasagna. It takes a little time, but it’s so worth it—especially because there are almost always leftovers for lunch the next day! This Butternut Squash Lasagna is my fall take on one of the best comfort foods. It has layers of creamy butternut squash-sage puree, basil-ricotta, and plenty of melty mozzarella cheese.
Table of Contents
This butternut squash lasagna recipe starts by roasting cubes of butternut squash with herbs. The soft, browned squash is then blended with milk until smooth for a creamy, delicious puree. The other key to this lasagna is the ricotta layer. Not only does it have ricotta in it, but mozzarella cheese, fresh, chopped basil, and garlic. Every component of this butternut squash lasagna is flavorful on its own, which means the whole thing is ridiculously good.
Recipe At a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Oven
Key Flavor: Butternut squash lasagna with basil-ricotta and mozzarella
Skill Level: Easy
Why This Is So Good
- Full of fall flavor: With butternut squash, sage, and thyme, this lasagna might rival pumpkin spice lattes when I want something super fall-y.
- Feeds a crowd: This easy butternut squash lasagna recipe serves 8, which makes it fantastic for big dinners. When I make it for just my family, it also means I’ll have leftovers.
- Make-ahead: You can make this lasagna a few days ahead of time and just reheat it in the oven!
Ingredients to Make Butternut Squash Lasagna
- Butternut squash: If you can find it, feel free to use the already-peeled, cubed butternut squash sold at some grocery stores! If you need help cutting butternut squash, my tutorial is easy to follow! You could also make this recipe with pumpkin puree or even roasted acorn squash
- Olive oil: Tossing the squash with olive oil helps it brown.
- Dried sage and thyme: Adding dried herbs to the squash adds so much flavor! You can use double the amount of fresh herbs if you want.
- Milk: Adding this to the butternut squash makes for a super-smooth puree! For the best flavor, use whole milk.
- Ricotta cheese: Like the milk, I like to use full-fat ricotta cheese for its flavor and texture.
- Eggs: This helps to create a smoother, more spreadable ricotta filling.
- Garlic: Mincing the garlic allows it to mix in more easily with the ricotta.
- Fresh basil: You can use half of the amount of dried basil if that’s what you have!
- Lasagna sheets: I only tested this recipe by making using dry lasagna sheets and cooking them. But I think because of the amount of liquid in this recipe, both regular or no-boil lasagne sheets should work. I have not tested it with no-boil sheets though.
- Mozzarella cheese: Use low moisture, not fresh mozzarella. The former will grate easily, while the latter won’t. I use some between the layers and some to combine in the ricotta mixture. If you’re not vegetarian, you can replace some of it with parmesan for a more nutty dept of flavor.
How to Make Butternut Squash Lasagna
While this butternut squash lasagna has a good amount of steps, it’s actually very easy to make. It’s just layers and a bit of time in the oven!
Tips for Making the Best Lasagna with Butternut Squash
- Avoid pre-shredded mozzarella. If you can, grate mozzarella yourself. Pre-shredded cheese is often tossed with anti-caking agents, which means it won’t melt as well.
- Peel the butternut squash carefully. I have pictures for how to cut and how to peel butternut squash if you’d like to refer to them. But basically, I like to cut butternut squash into segments and use a sharp knife to peel it. However, you could also use a vegetable peeler!
- Make sure to cover the lasagna with foil during the first half of the bake. This traps heat and actually helps it cook properly before browning, especially if you’re using no-boil lasagna!
- Let it cool before slicing. Don’t slice into the lasagna immediately! It needs time to cool and set so that it can be cleanly sliced.
What to Serve With Butternut Squash Sage Lasagna
Frequently Asked Questions
Kept in an airtight container in the fridge (or covered with foil or plastic), the lasagna will last about 5 days. You can reheat the whole lasagna in a 375°F oven until warmed through. For single pieces of lasagna, I just like to use the microwave to reheat it.
I wouldn’t recommend it! Because of the amount of water in frozen squash, it won’t brown in the oven. This caramelization adds flavor and makes the puree tastier!
My recipe calls for a good amount of oven time so the lasagne sheets can cook. The lasagna is done when the pasta is tender, and the whole thing is browned and bubbling.
More Lasagna Recipes:
- Heirloom Tomato Lasagna
- Greek Yogurt Lasagna
- Easy Homemade Lasagna
- Eggplant Lasagna
- Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
- 3-Cheese Stuffed Shells
- Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups
- Zucchini Lasagna
- Lasagna Pasta Bake
- Beefy Lasagna Soup
- Heirloom Tomato Lasagna
If you try this feel good Butternut Squash Lasagna recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Butternut Squash Lasagna
Ingredients
For the Squash Layer:
- 1 large butternut squash peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 teaspoons dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon black pepper divided
- 2 cups milk
For the Ricotta Layer:
- 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese or Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup fresh basil chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Other Ingredients:
- 1 pound lasagna sheets
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Add 2 teaspoons of salt, then add lasagna sheets and cook until al dente. Drain lasagna sheets, then set overlapping on the prepared sheet pan so they don’t stick together.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss the butternut squash cubes with olive oil, sage, thyme, salt, and pepper on the prepared baking sheet. Spread them out and roast for 30-35 minutes, or until tender and slightly caramelized.
- When the butternut squash is done cooking, transfer them to a high-speed blender along with the milk and blend until smooth and creamy. It will make 4-5 cups of sauce.
- In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese, egg, garlic, basil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
- Add 1 cup of the butternut squash sauce on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish and spread into an even layer. Add a layer of lasagna sheets, followed by about ¾ cup of the ricotta cheese mixture, smoothing it into a somewhat even layer. Add 1 cup of the squash sauce on top of the ricotta cheese mixture, then top with about ½ cup of mozzarella, and finally another layer of lasagna sheets. Repeat this process two more times so you have a total of three layers. Add remaining squash sauce on top of the final layer of lasagna sheets, followed by remaining mozzarella.
- Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Let rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Amazing!
So happy you liked you liked it!!
This was so good and such a good and innovative way to use the giant butternut squash from my CSA box. My picky child even devoured it.
Aww, love that!! So glad you and your kid liked it! Thanks!
I usually love most recipes from this amazing website. This lasagna seemed like it would be good while making it. Squash sauce tasted great. Ricotta too. But the texture at the end was very dry and bland. I used whole wheat uncooked pastas as the recipe said there was enough liquid for it. I could try doing it again with cooked pastas but it would maybe still taste bland. Maybe white pastas…
So sorry for the confusion, this recipe calls for *cooked* lasagna sheets. No-boil lasagna sheets are a type of pasta that doesn’t require cooking—I haven’t tried making this recipe with them but believe they would also work. I’ve updated the copy and the recipe itself to make this more clear, cooking the pasta should make it much less dry! As for the flavor, feel free to add more spices to your taste preferences. Hope this helps!!
How many precut packages of squash do I need to equal one whole squash? Thank you!
You will need about 4 cups of cubed butternut squash to equal one large whole squash. Hope that helps!