Fall has arrived and for me, that means bring on all the squash recipes. There’s nothing more comforting than a warm and cheesy slice of butternut squash lasagna. Layers of mashed butternut squash (with lot’s of ricotta), a garlic sage fontina béchamel, grated mozzarella, and lasagna noodles combine for the perfect fall dinner. It’s creamy, extra cheesy, with hints of sage, cinnamon, and honey. Top it off with crispy, buttery fried sage leaves to take it over the top.

Tip: Make it simple by using oven-ready lasagna noodles! No pre-boiling necessary!

SAGE & BUTTERNUT SQUASH LASAGNA

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 teaspoons honey

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 2/3 cup whole milk ricotta

• 1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon salted butter

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves

• 10 whole sage leaves

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 cups whole milk

• 1 1/3 cups fontina, freshly grated

• Oven-ready lasagna noodles

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside.

2. On a large baking sheet, toss the squash with the olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bake for 40 minutes until squash is tender. Once done, transfer to a large bowl. Add the ricotta and roughly mash together. Set aside.

3. In a large pan over medium heat, melt the 1/2 cup butter. Add the garlic, chopped sage, and flour. Whisk together until smooth and fragrant. Slowly whisk in the milk, then the fontina, until smooth and creamy. Remove from heat.

4. To assemble, spread a thin layer of cheese sauce in the prepared pan. Arrange three noodles over the sauce, leaving some space in-between. Spread about 1/2 cup cheese sauce on top of noodles. Evenly spread 1 cup of the butternut squash mixture on top of the sauce. Then sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella on top of the squash.

5. Repeat these layers 2 times. Then, end with another layer of noodles, cheese sauce, and mozzarella.

6. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cover with foil during the last 15 minutes if necessary to prevent cheese from burning.

7. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a pan over medium-low heat, add the whole sage leaves and fry for 1-2 minutes on each side.

8. Top the lasagna with the fried sage leaves and enjoy!