Butternut Lasagna with Wild Mushrooms and Sage- a cozy vegetarian (or vegan) main dish, perfect for your holiday feast! This can be made with no-boil noodles and can be made ahead! Or make it stages- see notes.
We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.~ Thorton Wilder
Here’s a delicious vegetarian or vegan main dish, worthy of your holiday table – Butternut Lasagna with Mushrooms and Sage. So comforting and homey.
What I love about this recipe is the butternut lasagna can be made ahead (or in stages) and stored in the fridge until ready to bake. When it comes out of the oven, beautifully golden and bubbly, your house is sure to smell amazing!
Butternut Lasagna | 30-second Video
A delicious cozy recipe, for Butternut Lasagna – full of fall flavors. And it’s easily made vegan! Butternut squash is roasted in the oven and becomes the silky sauce that infuses the lasagna with such goodness. I know you will love it! Perfect for vegan thanksgiving.
Butternut Lasagna Ingredients
- Small butternut squash
- onion and garlic
- olive oil
- mushrooms (cremini, button, shiitake, portobello, or wild mushrooms, etc.)
- spinach – fresh or frozen
- sage- fresh is best
- ricotta cheese (or sub vegan tofu ricotta)
- egg (optional)
- mozzarella cheese or sub vegan “meltable” cheese
- Romano or parmesan
- no-boil lasagna noodles (uncooked)
- salt, pepper and nutmeg
How to make Butternut Lasagna
Butternut Lasagna starts with a roasted butternut puree, which becomes the “sauce”.
You could roast this off the night before and cool in the fridge until ready to assemble. Or cook the butternut whole, in a instant pot for 22 mintues.
I use no-boil lasagna noodles to save time- such a godsend!
Layer with ricotta and mushrooms, shallots and sage…..or substitute this vegan tofu ricotta!
For extra luxuriousness, drizzle with a little optional, but tasty, truffle oil.
You’ll repeat the layers a couple of times and then bake!
Top the butternut lasagna with cheese for added richness if you like, keeping in mind all the amazing “meltable” vegan cheese out there these days.
Expert tips
Sometimes, instead of adding a final layer of grated cheese, I’ll make a light, quick béchamel sauce…. purely because I prefer the look of it ( from my catering days) compared to the grated cheese “look”. See recipe notes for more info. 🙂
When the Butternut lasagna comes out of the oven it will smell heavenly. Beautifully golden and fragrant!
Expert Tip #2
For a special dinner, an added touch is to make crispy sage leaves as a garnish over the butternut lasagna. You could also drizzle with your favorite pesto, for a little color. Both optional. I love this with Arugula Pesto!
So hearty and delicious! Serve the butternut lasagna with a tasty fall salad and you have a yummy meal!
Hope your Thanksgiving is beautiful….. and you enjoy this Butternut lasagna! I know for sure, you will love the leftovers.
Cheers friends!
xoxo
More recipes you may like!
- Roasted Eggplant Lasagna with Arugula Pesto
- Broccoli Manicotti with Burrata
- Butternut Squash Gratin with Leeks, Sage and Walnuts
- Butternut Risotto with Leeks (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
- Roasted Butternut Enchiladas with Mole Sauce
- Roasted Butternut Tikka Masala
Butternut Lasagna with Mushrooms and Sage
- Prep Time: 60 mins
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 9 1x
- Category: vegetarian, main,
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: northwest
Description
Butternut Lasagna with Wild Mushrooms and Sage, – a delicious vegetarian or vegan main dish, perfect for your holiday table! This can be made ahead, and baked right before serving! Try using Smoked Mushroms!
Ingredients
- Small butternut squash ( 2.5lbs – 3lbs) (you’ll need about 4 cups, roasted)
- 1/2 a sweet onion, sliced into big wedges
- olive oil for drizzling
Mushroom Filling:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 1 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced (cremini, button, shiitake, portobello, wild mushrooms, etc.)
- 1 fat shallot or 1/2 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- optional – feel free to add a couple of handfuls baby spinach or greens and wilt them.
Ricotta Mixture:
- 1 lb ricotta cheese (or sub vegan tofu ricotta) If using the tofu ricotta, no need to add more salt or egg. Just nutmeg 🙂
- one egg (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Butternut Puree:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3–6 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1 /2 cups grated mozzarella cheese ( about 3–4 ounces) or sub vegan “meltable” cheese
- 1/2 cup romano or parmesan ( about 1 ounce) or sub vegan
- no-boil lasagna noodles (uncooked)
- Garnish with 9 crispy sage leaves (optional, see notes) or Arugula Pesto
Optional Quick Béchamel Sauce:
Instructions
START THE BUTTERNUT. Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and place open side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place sliced onion next to it and drizzle it with a little olive oil. Roast until fork-tender, about 30-40 minutes. Let cool. You could do this a day before or cook whole in an instant pot for 22 minutes.
Lower oven to 375F
Make the mushroom filling. In a large skillet, heat the oil or butter. Add mushrooms and shallots and salt, and saute over medium heat, until the mushrooms release their liquid and begin to brown. Add the garlic, sage and pepper. Cook until garlic is fragrant, about 2-3 more minutes, turn the heat off. You could toss in some spinach at the end and wilt for extra nutrients. Taste and make sure the filling has enough salt and pepper. You could also add a little truffle oil. You could make this 1-3 days ahead and refrigerate.
Using a fork, mix the ricotta cheese with the egg, nutmeg and salt. ( You really don’t have to add the egg, but it adds a nice richness.)
Make the BUTTERNUT SAUCE: When the butternut is cool enough to handle, scoop all the flesh out into a food processor. You should have about 4 cups. Add the roasted onion, olive oil, water, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Puree until smooth. You will need at least 3 1/2 cups pureed and you want it to be almost saucy, like a marinara sauce ( so add water if need be!). This will act as the “sauce”.
Assemble the lasagna. In a greased 9 x13 inch baking dish, add 1 cup of the butternut puree and spread out into a thin layer. Top with lasagna noodles. Add ½ of the ricotta mixture and spread out evenly. Top with half of the cook mushrooms. Sprinkle with ½ cup grated mozzarella and a couple tablespoons romano cheese. Add more lasagna noodles. Spread out the rest of the ricotta mixture as evenly as possible. Spoon half of the remaining butternut puree, erring on the side of less than half, so you have enough to cover the top (save at least 1 ¼ cups for the top.) Add the remaining mushrooms and all the good bits ( onions and sage) and sprinkle with another ½ cup shredded mozzarella and couple tablespoons parmesan. Place the final noodles over the top. Lather with the remaining butternut puree and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese ( or make the creamy béchamel sauce.- See notes. ) You could assemble this 1-2 days before baking.
Cover tightly with foil and bake in 375 F oven for 40 minutes. (If the foil touches the lasagna, place a layer of parchment between the foil and lasagna). Uncover and continue baking 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbly. Cut into 9 servings.
Garnish with optional crispy sage leaves.
Notes
Optional Béchamel: So instead of sprinkling the remaining cheese on top (which is totally fine, especially if pressed for time) I’ll make a quick light béchamel sauce to pour over the final layer of butternut puree using the remaining cheese. This just gives it a creamier look and feel (compared to the look of melted, grated cheese). This is just a personal preference, that makes it look more appealing (from my catering days). Totally up to you. 😉
To make the bechemel: heat the oil or butter in a small pot over medium heat. Add the flour, and toast it for 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk, whisking out any clumps and browned bits. Stir in salt, pepper and cheese, stirring until melted and incoporated.
A great way to conquer this is to make the compenents in stages. Make the butternut puree one day, the filling the next (storing in the fridge) assembling the next day, baking the next etc. OR Feel free to make this all ahead (refrigerate) and bake before serving, remembering to pull it out of the fridge for at least one hour before baking to let it come to room temp, for even baking.
This can also be baked and frozen.
To make the crispy sage leaves, generously coat the bottom of a small skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Place each leave ( leaving a little stem is cute) into the hot oil and fry each side, around 30 seconds, or until crisp. Place on a paper towel to blot. Do one tester first, to get the timing right. You want them crisp, but still green, not too brown.)
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 304
- Sugar: 4.4 g
- Sodium: 669.8 mg
- Fat: 11.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 4.6 g
- Protein: 16.5 g
- Cholesterol: 47.6 mg
Keywords: Butternut lasagna, Butternut lasagna recipe, vegetarian lasagna, vegan main dish, vegan thanksgiving recipes, vegan christmas recipes, vegan thanksgiving, vegetarian lasagna recipes, butternut recipes, mushroom lasagna, mushroom lasagna recipes
An excellent recipe! I used Gruyère cheese in place of mozzarella…fantastic flavour. I didn’t have a shallot so I roasted a whole onion. Next time I’ll roast another onion along with the squash. Squash had a beautiful flavour but I did notice that I had to add more water than was indicated. I know my squash was a fair size. I’ll definitely sauté more mushrooms next time and will try caramelizing the onions that are fried with the mushrooms. My husband and I love the flavour of caramelized onions. Baking time was perfect. I let mine sit for 5 minutes out of the oven to firm up a little. It cut perfectly. Thank you for a fabulous recipe.
★★★★★
Thanks Karen, love all your tweaks! Caramelized onions are the BEST!
This was delicious! I used Barilla no bake noodles, next time I would like the texture of the no boil pasta to be a bit firmer. Has anyone had success with a shorter bake time?
Hi Wendy, I think you could absolutely go shorter especially with the thin no-bake noodles- just as long as they get tender. I used regular lasagna noodles here (not pre-cooked) which are quite thick- so increased the baking time. You can always check as you go- insert a sharp knife into the center to see how done the noodles are. 🙂
wow! this was a delicious hit on girls night. I did have to almost double the salt- especially for the mushrooms (I was using Diamond kosher) and I always add a little more seasonings than what most recipes call for. I ended up baking uncovered almost 25-30 mins but I like a little browned edges. All in all, delicious and seasonal. Will def make again! Great for entertaining!
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed!
FABULOUS. Thank you so much Sylvia for such detailed information–from the video, to the clear process steps, to the expert tips. Since I’m an “anxious” cook I love meals with gourmet flare that can be prepared in advance. This will become a staple in the repertoire.
★★★★★
Love that you know your cooking style. I am with you, good food that can be made ahead is definitely a win. Glad this worked out for you!
This is my all-time FAVOURITE recipe period. It is honestly quite a lot of work to make, but straight forward at the same time. Worth it every time though!!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Sarah! It does help to make it in stages. 🙂
I was looking for a good recipes to make when my vegetarian daughter comes to visit and this was great! (Your website is really easy to use with great videos. Thank you!)!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Bill. Great to have you here!
This was awesome 👌🏼
Only thing is I’ll have to double, if not triple the amount of mushrooms next time.
★★★★
Thanks Dee- yes feel free to add more!
What a wonderful recipe! We made the vegan version with the tofu ricotta, amazing! Thank you for sharing, we will definitely be making this one again 🌱
Glad you enjoyed this Rowena!
A great recipe, I have added it to my usual cooking list!!! This is a phenomenal recipe and the butternut squash adds such impeccable taste!! Thank you so much for sharing!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Maddie!
This lasagna is a work of art. My husband and I look forward to making it every fall. 5 glowing stars.
★★★★★
Love it Susie! Thank you for sharing.
This one was a miss for me. No one loved it.
★★★
Sorry to hear that Lindsay. Can you be more specific about why it didn’t work for you? Did you make any changes to the recipe?
This is the first time I have ever made any type of lasagna. I was really nervous because I was making it for my boyfriend’s family including his three college age kids two of which are vegetarian. It was REALLY amazing!!!! Zero leftovers! And I made it exactly to recipe other than increasing amounts for fit a larger baking dish. Thank you so very much for sharing this wonderful recipe! I cannot wait to make it again!
★★★★★
Wow Andra, so happy this worked for you!! Love it.
Another great recipe! Made everything including the bechemel sauce, the pesto and the crispy sage and it was perfect. Added some French bread and garlic butter on the side and my family raved about it.
★★★★★
Great to hear Ragna!
Another outstanding recipe. Followed the recipe as directed, using Sylvia’s tofu ricotta. Thanks, Sylvia!
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed it!
This was WONDERFUL even my sweetie, a committed meat and potatoes guy, loved it.
Takes a while to prep, I cooked the mushrooms and squash the day before which made for a more relaxed cooking day.
Next time I’ll make a double batch and freeze one.
★★★★★
Thanks and sounds perfect Jane!
I want to make this for my vegetation boyfriend but we aren’t crazy on mushrooms. Is there another vegetable we can use?
Hi Missy, I’m having trouble coming up with a good substitute! Can anyone else think of something?
i used lentils instead of mushrooms, common replacement for me. worked great!
Love that Makenzie!
This is one heckuva tasty and hearty dish – even the confirmed meat eaters loved it! And the presentation is impressive with the crispy sage leaves on top of the creamy béchamel sauce.
It included lots of steps but as pointed out they could be completed individually beforehand. Then it goes together in minutes. I used a kabocha squash because it was what I had on hand and it was perfect. I was worried I wouldn’t have enough for leftovers as everyone had seconds but I managed to squirrel away a big slice for lunch the next day. Divine!
★★★★★
Thanks so much Penelope- glad everyone liked it.
How long will this last in the fridge?
This will last 4 days in the fridge- or can be frozen.
Absolutely divine! I have yet to serve it to anyone who doesn’t rave about it. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Awww 🥰 thanks Bobbie!
This is scrumptious and fancy enough for company. A wonderful fall recipe! I didn’t make the bechemel or the fried sage leaves but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Will definitely be making this again.
★★★★★
Awesome Loise!
Making it again right now! I’ve made this a handful of times now and it always turns out so dang good! Sure, it takes forever the first time, but it’s so worth it! I use Kite Hill almond milk ricotta because my partner is allergic to soy. Or I make my own cashew ricotta. Violife mozzarella and Parmesan are a must for dairy-free people like me. So good. I had to write a review! Thank you!
★★★★★
I’m so happy you like this one and thanks for sharing your adaptions Raina!
I also use Kite Hill ricotta and Violife mozzarella. It’s the best!! I am dairy and soy free.
Thanks so much Ali!
I halved the oil, used tofu and plant based shredded mozzarella and it’s still crazy good. I can only imagine how mind blowing the original recipe must be. Sylvia, you’re incredibly gifted. Thank you fir sharing your gift!
★★★★★
Awww….Thanks Meg! And glad you are adjusting to your needs. xo
This was terrific! My household has dietary preferences from avowed near-daily meat-eaters to near-vegetarians, and everyone loved it.
I made a couple of tweaks based on what I had on hand, in order to avoid a separate trip to the grocery store (of course, once I found the recipe, I had to make it THAT DAY).
1) I had bricks of frozen squash purée but not a fresh whole squash, so I just went with it. The two 400g bricks got me just over 3 cups of squash purée, but I had to add nearly a cup of water to get to a sauce-like consistency, so I got to 4 cups of sauce just fine. Will definitely try again with a roasted fresh squash!
2) I had only about 1lb of mushrooms, but did have four small zucchini left over that needed using up (plus ~250g spinach), so I did! I cut the zucchini into -1cm slices, then the slices into quarters. I cooked the mushrooms for a bit first, then added the zucchini for the last few minutes (cooked just until tender-crisp) and wilted the spinach. I bumped up the seasoning a bit in this layer to compensate for the extra veggies. The resulting lasagna JUST fit in my deeper 9×13 pan, but did still fit!
I made the optional bechamel for the top, and the final lasagna was wonderfully creamy.
As a side note, I’ve been using the shorter, flat Molisana no-boil lasagna noodles lately instead of the longer, wavy noodles. I really like how they fit my pan and have had good success with the top layer cooking through reliably. They also have a nice finished texture. Someone recommended them to me and I’ve been really happy with them, so thought I would pass on the tip!
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Thanks for sharing Ashley! Glad your additions worked out- sounds tasty. Also I really like those noodles too!