With over 100 5-star reviews, this Butternut Squash Lasagna recipe is such a crowd-pleaser! A cozy and heartwarming vegetarian meal made with roasted butternut squash, easy no-boil lasagna noodles, mushrooms, spinach, ricotta, and sage. Video, vegan-adaptable.
We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.
Thorton Wilder
This butternut squash lasagna is one of our favorite fall meals. It came to be during fall wedding season when our client requested lasagna without tomato sauce, because of a tomato allergy.
So we made the lasagna sauce out of butternut squash! Butternut squash is roasted in the oven and becomes the creamy sauce that infuses the lasagna with goodness.
We add mushrooms, spinach, and sage- all cozy and warming and full of fantastic fall flavor. Over the years, this chef’s perfected recipe has become one of our most popular vegetarian recipes on the blog!
Table of Contents
- Why you will LOVE this!
- Butternut Squash Lasagna Ingredients
- How to make Butternut squash Lasagna
- Ways to Elevate (optional)
- FAQS
- Serving Suggestions
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- Savory Leek Bread
- Easy Roasted Broccoli
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- More favorite lasagna recipes
- Butternut Squash Lasagna | 60-sec Video
- Butternut Squash Lasagna Recipe
Why you will LOVE this!
- Veggie-loaded Vegetarian meal– full of wholesome vegetables, it’s hearty enough for meat eaters!
- Make it ahead (or in stages). The butternut squash sauce (and filling) can be made up to 4 days ahead. Or make the whole thing up to 4 days ahead, refrigerate and bake.
- No Boil lasagna noodles– makes this faster & easier!
- It is vegan– adaptable! Make our tofu ricotta and substitute vegan cheeses- easy peasy! It can be made gluten-free with gluten-free noodles.
- Freeze it! Lasagna is one of the best meals to put in the freezer for later- thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat it. A gift to your future self!
- Tomato-Free. It doesn’t have tomatoes or tomato sauce-for those who can’t tolerate the acid or who are allergic, this recipe is a godsend!
Butternut Squash Lasagna Ingredients
- Small butternut squash– you can also use almost any winter squash ( pumpkin, Hubbard, delicata, acorn squash) except spaghetti squash. In a pinch, you can even use canned pumpkin puree.
- Mushrooms -cremini mushrooms, button mushrooms, oyster, shiitake mushrooms, portobello, or wild mushrooms.
- Spinach – fresh or frozen spinach both work here! Feel free to use other wilting greens- kale, chard, etc.
- Onion, garlic and sage- fresh is best!
- Cheeses: ricotta cheese (or sub vegan tofu ricotta) mozzarella cheese, romano cheese or parmesan cheese. Can sub with vegan cheeses!
- Egg (optional) for enriching the ricotta. Feel free to leave it out.
- No-boil lasagna noodles (dry, uncooked) make this much easier to make- no boiling pasta water! Feel free to use regular lasagna noodles that are parboiled.
- Seasonings -Salt, black pepper and a whisper of nutmeg, heavenly!
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – or butter.
- Optional Garnishes: For the top, you can make a quick bechamel sauce (for an extra creamy lasagna) and/or crispy sage. Arugula Pesto is nice too.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make Butternut squash Lasagna
Step one: Make the Butternut Squash Sauce. Cut the butternut squash in half, and place open side down on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Place sliced onion next to it and drizzle it with a little olive oil. Roast until fork-tender, about 30-40 minutes and let it cool. Once cooled, scoop out the seeds, and place 3- 3 ½ cups flesh out into a food processor. Add the roasted onion, olive oil, water, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Puree until very smooth. You will need at least 4 cups of butternut sauce and we want it to be very saucy, like a marinara sauce. The butternut squash puree should pour out of the food processor.
Step 2: 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. 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.
Step 3: Make the Ricotta Mixture: 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.)
Step 4: Assemble the lasagna. In a greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish, add 1 cup of the creamy butternut sauce and spread out into a thin layer. Top with lasagna noodles.
Add half of the ricotta mixture and spread out evenly. Top with half of the cooked mushrooms ( and spinach).Sprinkle with ½ cup grated mozzarella and a couple tablespoons romano cheese.
Add 2nd layer of lasagna noodles. Add 1 cup of butternut sauce, spread out the rest of the ricotta mixture as evenly as possible.
Add the remaining mushrooms and all the good bits (onions and sage) and sprinkle with another ½ cup shredded mozzarella and a couple tablespoons of pecorino cheese. Place the 3rd and final layer of noodles over the top. Lather with the remaining butternut puree and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. (See ways to elevate below!)
Step 5: Bake! Place a layer of parchment over the lasagna, then wrap it tightly with foil to create a tight seal ( you especially need this with no-boil noodles). Bake 40 minutes. Uncover and continue baking 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbly.
When the Butternut lasagna comes out of the oven it will smell heavenly. Beautifully golden and fragrant! Let it stand 10 minutes, then cut into 9 servings.
Ways to Elevate (optional)
- Make a Bechamel Sauce for the top. 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.
- Add truffle oil! If you love truffle oil, drizzle the mushrooms with a little truffle oil – a nice touch.
- Make crispy sage leaves as a garnish over the butternut lasagna. See recipe notes. Or drizzle with our Arugula Pesto.
- Sprinkle Pangrattato over top for a crunchy addition!
FAQS
Butternut squash lasagna can easily be made up to 4 days ahead. Let it come to room temperature before baking. You can also make it in “stages”- for example, roast the butternut squash on day one and refrigerate it; on day two, make the creamy butternut sauce; on day three, make the filling; on day four, assemble and bake. All components will keep up to 4 days. The sauce can also be frozen.
Yes! This butternut squash lasagna is easily adaptable for vegans. You can make a tofu ricotta as a substitute for the traditional ricotta cheese and use vegan cheeses instead of mozzarella, romano, or parmesan.
Yes, you can make this butternut squash lasagna gluten-free by using gluten-free lasagna noodles.
Yes, this lasagna is freezer-friendly. Once baked, you can let it cool, cover it well, and freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it, simply thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and reheat it in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Butternut Squash Lasagna with our fall pear salad, roasted veggies, and crusty bread!
Looking for more vegetarian dinner ideas? Check out our 65+ Best Vegetarian Dinner Recipes!
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
More favorite lasagna recipes
Butternut Squash Lasagna | 60-sec Video
Butternut Squash Lasagna Recipe
- Prep Time: 60 mins
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 9
- Category: vegetarian, main, dinner idea, vegetarian dinnser
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Butternut Squash Lasagna is a delicious vegetarian meal, perfect for fall. Made with mushrooms, spinach, sage, and easy, no-boil noodles. Vegan adaptable. Video.
Ingredients
Creamy Butternut Squash Sauce:
- 1 medium butternut squash (2 1/2 lbs- 3 lbs), about 3 cups, cooked
- 1/2 a sweet onion, sliced into big wedges
- olive oil for drizzling
- 1/2–1 cup water or veggie broth
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Mushroom Spinach 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, rough chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped sage ( or sub thyme, or rosemary)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- optional – 2-3 handfuls of baby spinach or other greens, to wilt.
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
Lasagna
- 1 1 /2 cups grated mozzarella cheese ( about 3–4 ounces) or sub vegan “meltable” cheese
- 1/2 cup pecorino cheese or parmesan ( about 1 ounce) or sub vegan
- No-boil lasagna noodles (uncooked) – or use regular boiled lasagna noodles cooked to al dente. ( you’ll need enough for 3 layers)
- Optional: Crispy sage leaves ( see notes) or Arugula Pesto
Optional Quick Béchamel Sauce:
Instructions
- Make the Butternut Squash Sauce. Preheat oven to 425 F. Cut butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and place them open-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the onion ( cut into large wedges) next to it and drizzle it with a bit of 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. When the butternut is cool enough to handle, scoop out 3 -3 ½ cups of the flesh into a food processor. Add the roasted onion, olive oil, water, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Puree until very smooth. TIP: When using no-boil noodles, you want this to be extra loose & saucy, like a marinara sauce (so add more water if need be!). It should pour out of the food processor and you’ll need at least 4 cups of sauce. This can be made up to 4 days ahead.
- 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, and 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 to elevate. Make this up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate.
- Ricotta Mixture: Using a fork, mix the ricotta cheese with the egg, nutmeg and salt. ( You really don’t need to add the egg, but it adds a lovely richness.)
- Lower oven to 375F
- Assemble the lasagna. In a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish, add 1 cup of the butternut puree and spread out into a thin layer. Top with the first layer of lasagna noodles. Add half of the ricotta mixture and spread out evenly. Top with half of the cooked mushrooms/spinach. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the grated mozzarella and 2-3 tablespoons of pecorino cheese. Add the 2nd layer of lasagna noodles. Drizzle with 1 cup of butternut sauce; spread out the remaining ricotta mixture as evenly as possible. Add the remaining mushrooms and all the good bits (onions and sage) and sprinkle with ½ cup shredded mozzarella and 2-3 tablespoons pecorino cheese. Place the 3rd, final layer of noodles over the top. Lather with the remaining butternut Sauce and either sprinkle with the rest of the cheese or make the creamy béchamel sauce, spreading it over top. (See notes.).
- Cover with parchment, then wrap tightly with foil and bake in 375 F oven for 40 minutes. You want a tight seal when using no-boil noodles. (You never want the foil to touch your food, especially something wet- the aluminum will leach into your food.) Uncover and continue baking 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes, cut into 9 servings.
- Garnish with optional crispy sage leaves.
Notes
Tip: when using no-boil noodles, be sure your butternut sauce is extra saucy ( it’s ok to add more water) so the noodles have more moisture to soak up. If using boiled noodles, cook only to al dente (don’t overcook).
Optional Béchamel: Instead of sprinkling the remaining cheese on top (which is totally fine, especially if pressed for time) 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 bechamel: 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 the cheese reserved for the final layer, stirring until melted and incorporated.
A great way to conquer this is to make the components in stages. Make the butternut puree one day, the filling the next day (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, or frozen unbaked.
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: 1/9th
- Calories: 363
- Sugar: 5.3 g
- Sodium: 663.8 mg
- Fat: 16.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 37.4 g
- Fiber: 5.4 g
- Protein: 16.8 g
- Cholesterol: 57.6 mg
Absolutely amazing- made it for my family this evening and we all went back for seconds and thirds!
Hi, I am going to make this for when family comes over. I was wondering if you bake it first then freeze it or put it in the freezer unbaked and how long can it be frozen?
I think you could do it either way, freeze it baked or unbaked. Just make sure to thaw completely before baking or reheating. It will last 3 months, sealed well.
Made this for my daughter, who is vegetarian, and the whole family loved it! I get lots of butternut squash in my CSA basket, so I am always looking for new ways to use it. This recipe fit the bill perfectly. Delicious!
Thanks Christine, Happy you liked it!
This is a very savory dish that tastes even better a day or 2 later 😀 My neighbor, who has boycotted butternut squash since I’ve known her, was converted by this lasagne.
Love hearing stories like this! Yay, another convert! 😉
Can this be made in advance and frozen?
Yes! For sure.
Absolutely loved It! And bonus was that my husband (always a good sport when I try out new recipes) loved it too!
Oh Sue, great to hear!!!
This dish is soo delicious! I rarely find myself repeating a recipe because I like to try new dishes, but I have made this twice in the last few weeks. I am already craving it and can’t wait to make it a third time soon.
Thanks so much Kari! Im so glad you enjoyed it and appreciate you letting us know!!!
I’m making this and the mushroom wellington for a Thanksgiving dinner being hosted by friends and family,…Forget the bird, bring on the mushrooms!! Both dishes are loaded with flavor and don’t get me started on the wonderful smells coming from my oven!!!
So awesome Karen! Thank you so much! Happy Thanksgiving. xo
I’m looking forward to making this for Thanksgiving in 2 days. I think you forgot to list “shallots” in your ingredients even though it’s mentioned in the article. I didn’t notice this until just after I got home from the grocery store. I might use a little fresh garlic and onions instead. Let me know what you think if you get a chance.
I updated the recipe, thanks!
I recently began a vegetarian diet and found your website – so many amazing recipes I made this dish, and while it is time consuming, it was so worth the effort. May I suggest you add directions for making the bechamel sauce? I needed to go online for instructions. Also, once I followed your baking instructions, I broiled it for a few minutes to brown up the sauce topping. Can’t wait to have leftovers today!
Thanks Michele! Gald you liked it. I added the directions- thank for suggesting!!! Enjoy your leftovers!
It took tremendous willpower not to moan audibly while eating this! It is well worth the effort.
Hahaha, love it!
Delicious and seasonal
Oh my goodness this was good. My 5-year-old picky eater loved it! So glad I found a new way to use up garden squash.
Delish….
The butternut in this recipe just transforms the lasagne, the best one I have ever made!!! Thanks Sylvia, another fantastic recipe!!!
yum
Another delicious recipe, Sylvia! Made this with baby bella mushrooms and baby spinach. The roasted sweet onion really adds a depth of flavor to the butternut purée. I like the hint of nutmeg in both the ricotta mixture and the creamy béchamel sauce. And, this reheats nicely for another dinner or two. Thank you!
Served this to my vegetarian niece for Thanksgiving- big hit! After eating, she commented that she loves eating at my house as she always gets something wonderful. Thanks for the recipe.
This makes me so happy! Glad your niece enjoyed it!!!
Yum
Hi Sylvia,
I usually like to follow a recipe as written the first time I make it but this time I changed it up. We have some local wild mushroom companies here in Maine so I went with them. The problem is that a pound and a half of organic wild mushrooms can be a little pricey so I compromised. I used a 50/50 mixture of wild mushrooms and ground lamb sautéed in ghee and I did add one egg to the ricotta mixture. It was delicious. The butternut squash goes quite well with the mushrooms and lamb. I had some leftover and froze it for another day. I’m looking forward to trying some of your recipes you discovered on your recent trip to India. Best wishes for a happy holiday season. Terry
Aww thanks Terry! As always, I love how you adapt recipes to meet your needs. Sounds really delicious!
This was delicious. I made it for a post Thanksgiving dinner for a group of 16, with 2 vegetarians, and it is nearly gone. The bechamel sauce and the crispy sage leaves give it that extra special taste, texture and appearance. Now that I’ve experienced all of the steps, I will have greater future success in a shorter amount of time.
This was delicious! I love not having to cook the noodles. And the extra water in the puree was enough to cook the noodles. Next time I will add a some sage sausage to half of it for the carnivores in the family. Great recipe for butternut squash!
Oh good! Im glad it turned out! Thanks for letting me know…I was starting to worry. 😉
This looks amazing! I am looking forward to making it for Thanksgiving. I don’t eat tofu. Could I use a cashew ricotta in place of the tofu?
I think so ?? I haven’t tried that yet, so just make sure it’s seasoned well!
Loved the recipe! Using uncooked lasagna did not work. Needs more liquid, or cooked lasagna. Yum!
Hi Laura, I’m sorry and really not sure why it didn’t cook? I used dry noodles ( see photos) and mine cooked through perfectly. Maybe my sauce was thinner? I will add some notes to the recipe.
Do you think this could work with canned (pureed) pumpkin as a time-saver? Obviously it wouldn’t be quite as good but maybe close?
I think this is fine as long as you season it and thin it out with a little water and olive oil… so it’s more saucy. You could also used a “Harvest Sauce” like the one at Trader Joe’s.
This sounds delicious, and perfect for the squash on my counter!
Did you use regular lasagne noodles, or the “no boil” variety?
I used regular noodles and did not boil them. ?