Butternut Squash & Kale Lasagna

This is probably the fourth different vegetarian lasagna recipe I have tried, and I cannot get enough of them! I really don't miss the meat, and it is a great way to stuff lots of vegetables into one dish. The recipe is from Cooking Light's November 2011 issue. In the past year Cooking Light has added an "everyday vegetarian" section to each magazine and it usually contains interesting meatless recipes.

REVIEW: The lasagna was very hearty and bursting with flavor. Roasted squash and caramelized onions really brought out the sweetness of the vegetables. I made a few changes, but for the most part stuck to the recipe. I didn't buy a large enough butternut squash, so I supplemented with some yellow summer squash to get 6 cups. I also used whole-wheat lasagna noodles. I had a huge bunch of fresh kale from the farmer's market, so I used that instead of spinach, which contributed to the heartiness I'm sure! There were several steps and the prep took me a good hour and a half before I even put the lasagna in the oven, so I wouldn't say this recipe is easy, but it was worth the effort!

RECIPE:

6 cups butternut squash, cut into 1/2" cubes

12 garlic cloves, unpeeled

1 large onion, vertically sliced thin

2 9oz packages of fresh spinach or kale (if using kale, remove ribs)

5 cups 1% low-fat milk

9 whole-wheat lasagna noodles, cooked almost to al dente (don't overcook!)

1 bay leaf

1 thyme sprig

2 tbsp fresh sage, chopped (I used ground sage)

5 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups fontina cheese, shredded

3/8 tsp red pepper

1/4 tsp nutmeg

salt

pepper

extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 425F. Combine squash, 1 tbsp EVOO, sage, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and black pepper in a large bowl and toss to coat. Spray cooking spray on a large baking sheet and spread squash mixture on it. Bake for 30 minutes or until squash is tender. Cool and peel garlic. Mash garlic and squash in a bowl with a fork.

While squash is baking, heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Add onion and saute for 4 minutes. Lower heat to medium-low and continue cooking for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Place onion in a bowl.

Add 2 tbsp water to the Dutch oven, add kale, cover and increase heat to high. Cook until kale is soft and wilty. Drain in a colander and squeeze out excess liquid. Add kale to onion bowl.

Heat 4.5 cups milk, bay leaf, and thyme in a medium saucepan over medium- high heat. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Return pan to medium heat. Combine remaining 1/2 cup milk and flour in a small bowl. Add to pan, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in dash salt, 1 1/4 cups cheese, red pepper, and nutmeg

Spread 1/2 cup milk mixture in the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer 3 noodles over milk; top with half of squash mixture, half of kale & onion mixture, and 3/4 cup milk mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining milk mixture over noodles. Bake at 425F for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle with the last of the fontina cheese, and put back into oven until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings. (per serving: 360 cals, 12g fat, 50g carb, 17g protein)