This Butternut Squash Lasagna recipe is a cozy and heartwarming vegetarian meal, made with a creamy roasted butternut squash sauce, no-boil 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
Here is one of my favorite fall meals… Butternut Squash Lasagna with mushrooms, spinach and sage. It’s so cozy and warming, full of fantastic fall flavor. Butternut squash is roasted in the oven and becomes the creamy sauce that infuses the lasagna with goodness. A delicious vegetarian or vegan main dish, worthy of your holiday table – so comforting and homey.
Table of Contents
- Why you will LOVE this!
- Butternut Squash Lasagna Ingredients
- How to make Butternut squash Lasagna
- Ways to Elevate (optional)
- Butternut Squash Lasagna FAQS
- Serving Suggestions
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- 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.
Butternut Squash Lasagna 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
Pair Butternut Squash Lasagna with a leafy green salad, roasted veggies, and crusty bread!
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Hope you enjoy this cozy vegetarian meal… please let us know how you like this in the comments below! xoxo
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
Butternut Squash Lasagna | 60-sec Video
Butternut Squash Lasagna Recipe
- Prep Time: 60 mins
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 9 1x
- 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
I’d like to turn this into a “freezer meal” that I can prep for my elderly parents to stock their freezer on my next visit to them. Should I freeze it before or after baking? Should it be thawed before cooking or reheating? Any tips are greatly appreciated.
I would freeze after baking and thaw before reheating. 🙂
Hi Sylvie!
This recipe looks delicious and I am planning to make it soon for a family get together. After reading the comments, it seems some people have had issues with the top layer of noodles not being fully cooked. Would this recipe work if I were to cook the noodles before assembling the lasagna? If so, should I cook them fully or somewhat undercooked? As well, the arugula salad pictured looks perfect to go with this dish. Do you have a recipe for the salad pictured? or if not could you suggest a dressing for a simple arugula salad that would pair well with the lasagna?
Many thanks! Paula 😀
I would par-cook them- slightly undercook. Or buy no-boil noodles? You could make the Fig Arugula Salad and sub pears if you cant find the figs?
This recipe is so delicious !
Melts in your mouth.😋
Time consuming but worth it.
My family really enjoyed it .
Thanks Danielle. Glad you liked it! Yes, easiest made in stages. 🙂
Prepared last night for my family. They loved it. Comments were ‘ its so delicious. I also love the tofu Ricotti. Amazingly simple to prepare and so very good. Tried two of your recipes so far and they are both winners. Thank you.
Yay Carol! So happy it was a hit!
I’ve made this twice and it’s AMAZING! I used frozen butternut squash and ground sage and it was fantastic. Freezes beautifully and always wows a crowd, even my meat loving husband devoured this.
Great to hear Amanda!
This was absolutely delicious; one of the best recipes I’ve tried in awhile. I added the spinach with the mushrooms and loved it. The recipe is a bit labor intensive, but all the suggestions for prep ahead of time were very helpful. I will definitely be making this again.
Thanks Megan and glad you liked it!
An absolutely beautiful recipe! Will become a regular in my home ☺️
Great to hear Felisha!
Hi. Would like to make this but I have to use Gluten free noodles. I can find these but not in “no boil”. So if I boil the noodles first how should I adjust the recipe ingredients and or bake time?
I would par boil them. Boil to al-dente, keep everything else the same.:)
Very delicious! I’ve been searching for a tomato free lasagna, and this is perfect! I agree with others about using 2lb of mushrooms – the more the merrier! I also added a few tablespoons of minced fresh parsley into my ricotta mixture because I had it on hand. I also used milk when puréeing the squash which lent a wonderful, creamy flavor! I will definitely be making this regularly!
thanks, Sarah- glad you enjoyed it!
Love this recipe, it has now become a staple. I make it every few weeks. Thank you so much!!
Awesome Stef! Glad you enjoyed this!
I noticed you said it can be baked and frozen. Could you freeze right after prepping, and then bake from frozen, later?
hey Sarah-I don’t see why not, but personally haven’t tried it that way- but I know it freezes well after baked. 🙂
I made a vegan version using tofu and vegan mozzarella along with spinach and it was delicious.
Love it!
Soooooo good! I did everything on one go and it took me about 4 hours for prep+bake. Everything including tofu ricotta and arugula pesto. As what a previous review mentioned, I also think using 2 lbs of mushroom + 1 whole head of roasted garlic in the butternut purée is a great idea. Would totally make this regularly.
(I also made the bechamel sauce.)
Thanks Bowie!
This was the best veg. recipe that I tried! A bit of a chore with the squash, but worth it! My husband who is a meat and potato man liked this, so its a winner!!
Great to hear Lynn!
Absolutely delicious! Will make again.
This was incredible! Really amazing flavour and so satisfying. This is definitely our new favourite lasagna recipe:)
Can I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta?
You can but texture and flavor will be different- tangier.
This was truly delicious and I will be adding this to our regular list of dinners. Such great flavors!
Great recipe and unlike anything else I’ve made before. I made a couple tweaks for my own preferences. Mushrooms were on sale at my store, so I used 2 pounds – would do that again. I added 4oz goat cheese to the ricotta and it was delicious. I also needed slightly more ricotta than called for to do the second layer and fortunately had a big tub. I made the mushrooms and squash early in the day while working at home so it felt manageable. Since I was roasting the squash anyway, I also roasted a whole head of garlic alongside and added that to the squash. I added a little water to the bottom layer of squash in the pan to help it all steam. I don’t know if it was because the squash and mushrooms were kind of cold when I assembled the lasagna, but after 45 minutes I lifted the foil and the top no-boil noodles were still hard. I let it go another 25 minutes with the foil on and the ones in the middle and bottom were fine but the top were still firm. They were edible, and since it was getting late, we ate it but it could have gone a little longer. I think when I reheat the leftovers tonight they will soften up. I did make the béchamel and would do so again. I also used a dish that was slightly deeper than a standard 9×13. Anyway, despite the slight noodle issue it was delicious and a keeper, I’ll just allow more time for baking. Thank you.
handy tips thanks, going to try this.
Delicious! Loved by our dinner guests, both vegetarian and not. Next time will do it in stages over time.
I just tried it for the first time, this was absolutely delicious. I will definately be making it again and again.
Going to make this tomorrow. If I cook the noodles before, what would the baking time be? Thanks
Oops sorry for the delayed response. I would say until it’s hot all the way through…35 minutes??
Followed exactly, including spinach, but without bechamel. It was fantastic and I’ll definitely make it again! Thanks!
I have a technical issue. I tried to pin the recipe on Pinterest, and it won’t save. I’ve been able to pin other recipes since then, but for some reason this still won’t pin. Do you think there could be an issue with the recipe link?
Hi, I’m noticing that too. I adjusted it, can you try again and let me know?
Fabulous recipe! Was timing consuming as I did it all in one day. Next time I will make it over a couple of days. So very delicious. Even hubby loved it. Definitely well worth the time it takes to prepare.