Sunday, November 27, 2011

Creamy Butternut Squash Lasagna

Ingredients
basic pasta dough recipe
butternut squash, halved and seeded
olive oil
salt and pepper
3 tbsp butter
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely crushed amaretti cookies
1/4 cup chopped fresh sage
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Bechamel...
6 tbsp butter, chopped
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp flour
6 cups milk
salt


To make lasagna...
Make the filling: Preheat oven to 400F. Drizzle squash halves with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast squashes cut side down, on a baking sheet until tender and browned, about 1 hour. Let cool. Scoop flesh from skins, and puree until smooth. 
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook until browned and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. 
Combine 3 cups of squash puree, 1 cup parmesan, 2 tbsp amaretti, the sage, brown butter, 1 tsp salt, and the nutmeg in a bowl. Adjust seasoning as desired with more parmesan, amaretti, sage, salt, and nutmeg.
Make the bechamel: Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Reduce heat to low, and cook, whisking often, for 3 minutes(do not let brown). 
Gradually add milk into the flour mixture, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Season with salt to taste. Raise heat to medium and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking until thickened, about 10 minutes. 
Reduce heat to low and cooke for 5 more minutes or until the raw flour taste is gone. Season.


Reduce oven temp to 375F. Assemble the lasagna: Coat bottom and sides of baking dish with bechamel. Arrange cooked pasta sheets on top, to cover bottom and sides of dish( edges of pasta should hang over sides about 2 inches).
Top with 3/4 cup squash filling and sprinkle over some amaretti. Top with sheet of pasta, trimming edges as needed so pasta fits neatly in the dish. 
Top pasta with 3/4 cup bechamel and 2 tbsp parmesan. Continue layering in this order until you reach the top of dish, ending with one sheet of pasta. Fold the overhang from the first layer pf pasta to create a package. Then spread remaining bechamel over the top. 
Bake covered with parchment lined foil for 20 minutes. Uncover, and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake until top is browned, about 35 minutes. Let cool slightly then serve. 

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