Butternut Squash & Kale Lasagna

The cool weather has me thinking back to a few years ago when Laurie McIntosh did some cooking classes at the farm. 

This was one of the many hits.  Can't believe we hadn't gotten it up on our website earlier.  It was so DELIGHTFUL, different and so cozy.

Ingredients

4c. milk

1 stick butter

½ c. flour

1 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 c. grated parmigiano reggiano

8 oz. grated gruyere

1 package no-boil lasagna3

2 oz. butternut or other squash, ½” cube  (or a quart of leftover roasted squash)

1 large bag of kale, or other hardy cooking green(s)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Olive oil or other fat for sautéing

Grilled hot or mild sausage, sliced or crumbled (optional)

Directions

Make béchamel

1. Warm milk to simmer in microwave or on stove top

2. In a separate pan, melt butter, whisk in flour and whisk for at least a minute stirring constantly and removing from heat if it gets too hot

3. Add simmering milk all at once along with salt, pepper, and nutmeg; whisk constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon

Prep kale

1. Chop Kale or other greens, can use stems too, just chop smaller and put in longer saute batch

2. In a large sauté pan, saute half of the garlic on very low heat in olive oil or other fat for a minute or two

3. Add half the kale, and turn carefully in pan, sautéing for a few minutes

4. Add ¼ c. water and put the lid on the pan. Let steam until tender

5. Remove lid, sauté a few minutes more till most of the water is gone

6. Reserve in bowl, repeat with second half of garlic and kale.

Prepare butternut squash

1. In clean sauté pan, warm some olive oil or other fat over a low heat, add squash and sauté 4 – 5 minutes, don’t let it burn

2. Add ¼ c. or more as needed of water, put the lid on the sauté pan and let squash cook another 4 or 5 minutes until tender

3. Remove lid, continue sautéing until most of water is dried out of the pan and squash is very tender

4. Mash with a fork and set aside.

NOTE:  You could also make this with leftover roasted squash.  Just mash roasted squash as in step

Assemble lasagna

1. Preheat oven to 450 F

2. Coat bottom of 9 x 13 deep baking dish with at least a ¼ c. of béchamel

3. Lay 4 pieces of lasagna in bottom of pan

4. Coat with more béchamel, then scatter 1/3 of the kale, then 1/3 of the squash, and 1/3 sausage if using

5. Sprinkle with ¼ of the gruyere and parmigiano

6. Repeat layers. On top of last layer of lasagna, put the remaining sauce (there should be plenty enough to pour some down the edges of the lasagna as well), then sprinkle with the last of the cheese

7. Cover with foil, bake 45 minutes

8. Remove foil, bake another 10 minutes until cheese on top is browned and bubbly