recipe WEDNESDAY: Butternut Squash Lasagna

Butternut Squash Lasagna

This is a comforting twist on an old classic. What is great about this recipe is you can adapt it to whatever you have on hand! No spinach? Add kale or arugula! No buffalo mozzarella? Use a mild sheep feta! So many options, enjoy a new recipe each time you make it! We have added leeks to this recipe instead of onions. Dr. Rau Swiss Secret believes that onions clog the lymph. They are ok to eat on occasion, so if you want to make this original recipe use onions instead of leeks.

4 cups  organic, cubed butternut squash

16 oz organic spinach, washed and dried

3 leeks, thinly sliced

1 lb gluten free lasagna strips (enough for three layers)

12 oz sheep ricotta

3 balls buffalo mozzarella

1/2 cup grated pecorino romano

chili flake

4 cloves of organic garlic

1/2 cup organic basil, julienned

Organic olive oil

Organic butter

for the beschamel:

1 3/4 pints heavy cream or goat milk

several sprigs of parsley

1/4 teaspoon organic nutmeg

10 organic peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon chili flake

1 bay leaf

6 tablespoons organic butter

1/2 cup spelt flour

2/3 cup grated pecorino romano

Preheat oven to 425F. Drizzle the butternut squash with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the butternut squash for about 30 minutes, or under soft and browned. Meanwhile, over medium heat, saute the spinach in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add 2 minced cloves of garlic and a pinch of chili flake. It should be totally wilted. Set aside on a paper towel to drain. To caramelize the leeks, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the leeks with a big pinch of salt and cook down for about 30-40 minutes.. Halfway through add the remaining two cloves of minced garlic. Set aside.

Boil the lasagna noodles until just al dente (one minute before what the box says to cook it to). Set aside in a bowl of cool water (from the tap is fine).

Slice the mozzarella into 8 slices per ball.

For the beschamel:

Bring the cream and everything else except for the butter, flour, and pram to a simmer. In a separate sauce pan, melt the butter and add the flour. Stir until doughy and smelling a bit nutty (about one minute). Strain in the cream about a half cup at a time, whisking to incorporate with the butter and flour mix. It should be smooth and velvety, not chunky or too thick. If it is, just add some more cream to thin it out. Add the pecorino romano and set aside.

Pre heat the oven to 375

In a pyrex dish, place a layer of noodles, a bit of the vegetables, the mozzarella, dot with a third of ricotta, add the basil, and cover with a 1/4 of the beschamel. Repeat three times, and finish with the remaining beschamel and grated pecorino romano.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until bubbling. Turn the broiler on and bake for another 5 minutes, or until brown and crunchy on top. Allow to sit for 20 minutes. Enjoy!