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If you are looking for the best vegetarian lasagna recipe then this is it! This delicious and healthier butternut squash lasagna with spinach is packed with incredible fall flavors like butternut squash, parmesan, ricotta, sage, and garlicky spinach all baked until golden and bubbly. It makes the perfect family meal that is the ultimate comfort food!
We are obsessed with this butternut squash lasagna that is healthy, easily made gluten free and is a meatless meal everyone will enjoy. It is just the best cozy fall recipe that even kids go crazy for. I originally made this recipe for a family Sunday supper and everyone went nuts over it, so I just had to share it!
Mostly because it is so creamy and loaded with incredible flavor but it is also a healthier lasagna recipe that uses less dairy and replaces some of the noodle layers with yummy roasted butternut squash. Plus it is a vegetarian lasagna that is so satisfying that nobody will ever miss the meat.
In this spianch lasagna recipe, we peel and slice the butternut squash, season it then roast it to use for noodles. It does still have lasagna noodles in the recipe but fewer to make it a little bit lighter and healthier. You can also use mashed squash or roasted butternut squash cubes in this recipe as well.
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Why you’ll love this lasagna with butternut squash
- It is the best warm and comforting fall recipe!
- Loaded with flavor and nutrition.
- Vegetarian and easily made gluten-free!
- Cheesy, buttery, herby, all the things!
- You can make it ahead, freeze it, or serve it right away!
Ingredients in butternut squash lasagna
- Butternut squash – 1 whole butternut squash about 3 pounds. You want to choose a squash that has a thicker, longer neck that is even all around.
- Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil or you can also use avocado oil as well.
- Salt and pepper – to enhance all of the flavors.
- Lasagna noodles – I opted for no-boil lasagna noodles, you can use regular or gluten-free. I have tested this recipe using both and it worked great both ways! If you prefer to use cooked lasagna noodles then you can also do that.
- Flour – all-purpose flour, gluten-free all-purpose flour, or whole wheat flour will all work fine.
- Spinach – fresh spinach will work best, as frozen spinach will make the lasagna more watery.
- Garlic – fresh garlic or you can use garlic paste.
- Parmesan cheese – make sure to use shredded parmesan so it melts well.
- Ricotta cheese – I used part-skim ricotta cheese but any ricotta will work, you can also use cottage cheese.
- Butter – unsalted or regular butter.
- Milk – unsweetened almond milk or regular milk will work too.
- Mozzarella cheese – shredded mozzarella cheese, or any shredded cheese but mozzarella works best.
- Rosemary and sage – fresh rosemary and sage add some incredible herby flavor to the lasagna.
- Nutmeg – just a hint that makes all the difference.
- Lemon – fresh lemon to add some bright notes to the lasagna.
Recipe Variations
- Make it gluten-free. To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free lasagna noodles.
- Make it vegan. You can use vegan ricotta cheese, vegan cheese sauce, and vegan mozzarella cheese to make this a vegan lasagna.
- Add more veggies. You can add mushrooms, onions, zucchini, or even kale to this recipe along with the spinach. Sautéed red bell peppers would also be great and add a nice punch of color to this recipe.
- Add in some meat. If you prefer meat in your lasagna (but trust me this recipe is so good on its own), you can add in some cooked sausage or cooked ground turkey. My family loved it with cooked sausage.
How to make vegetarian Butternut Squash Lasagna with spinach
Step one: Prep the squash: Peel the squash, remove the seeds, and slice it into planks. Lay it onto a baking sheet, brush it with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast it in the oven at 425° F for about 15 minutes until it is tender. Pro tip: Ensuring the squash is cut into uniform ¼-inch thick planks is crucial for this recipe. For ease and precision, use a sharp kitchen knife or mandolin.
Step two: Cook the spinach: Heat a pan with olive oil to medium heat, add in the garlic, cook for 1 minute then add in the spinach and cook until wilted. Remove and set aside to cool.
Step three: Make the creamy, cheesy filling: Heat a pan to medium heat, melt the butter then stir in the flour and whisk in the milk to make a roux. Add in the nutmeg and bay leaf and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Set aside.
Step four: Mix the ricotta filling: Combine the ricotta with lemon zest, freshly chopped sage, rosemary, parmesan, mozzarella, salt, and pepper, and mix.
Step five: Assemble the lasagna: Spread some of the cream sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Next layer some of the lasagna noodles. Then layer some of the butternut squash. Then add some of the sautéed spinach and top that with a layer of the ricotta mixture. Pour some more of the creamy white sauce all over everything then repeat with one more layer. Finish the final layer with lasagna noodles, the remaining creamy white sauce, the remaining cooked spinach, and a generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
Step six: Bake and serve: Bake the lasagna for 35-40 minutes at 400°F then let it rest for 30 minutes before cutting and serving. It’s so good!
Tips for success
- Choose a squash with a longer thicker neck since you want long “plank” pieces to layer in the lasagna. You can also just cut large slices of squash if you cannot find one with a long neck.
- Use no-boil lasagna noodles, lentil lasagna noodles, or store-bought lasagna sheets all work well in this recipe. You can also use whole-wheat lasagna noodles, but those would need to be boiled first. See variations in the post for gluten-free recommendations.
- Bake the lasagna uncovered, this allows it to get nice and golden brown on top and all around the edges.
- Let the lasagna cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Letting it cool allows the slices to be lifted from the pan easier as well as results in perfectly square pieces of lasagna (see picture below).
Make Ahead and Storage
- To make ahead: Assemble the butternut squash lasagna as directed in the recipe. Cover and refrigerate for up to one day. When ready to bake, remove it from the refrigerator, uncover it, preheat the oven, and bake it until cooked through and golden and bubbly, about 40-45 minutes.
- You can also peel, cut, and roast the squash and cook the spinach one day before assembling and cooking the lasagna. Just make sure to let it cool and store it in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator.
- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container after you bake it for up to 3 days. Reheat portions in the microwave. You can also bake the whole dish, let it cool then cover it and reheat the whole thing in the oven at 350 degrees F until warmed through.
- To freeze butternut squash lasagna: Assemble and bake as directed in this recipe. Cut into slices, and store in airtight containers in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Reheating from frozen: Place the lasagna in the refrigerator overnight then reheat it in the microwave.
More butternut squash recipes
- Butternut Squash Noodles Bowl
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash Salad
- Maple Roasted Butternut Squash
- The Best Mashed Butternut Squash
- Easy Roasted Butternut Squash
Did you try this butternut squash lasagna recipe? if you did then please leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it turned out!
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Butternut Squash Lasagna With Spinach
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This healthier Butternut Squash Lasagna with Spinach is made with warm fall flavors like squash, rosemary, and sage layered with creamy cheese and soft lasagna noodles. It makes a wonderful healthy family dinner that is the ultimate comfort food.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash (about 3 pounds)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt – divided
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper – divided
- 2 cloves of garlic – peeled and minced
- 5 ounces fresh spinach – washed
- ¼ cup butter – unsalted or salted is fine, just use less salt in the white sauce if you use salted butter
- ¼ cup whole wheat white flour, white all purpose flour or gluten free all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups plant-based milk (I used plain, unsweetened almond milk)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 bay leaf
- 16 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons fresh sage leaves – minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary – minced
- 10–12 no-cook lasagna noodles (see notes for variations)
Instructions
- Cut and roast the squash: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut the ends off of the squash, peel it, remove the seeds, and slice it into planks that are ¼ inch thick. You can save the rest of the squash for roasting later. Lay the squash onto a sprayed baking sheet, drizzle the squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F. Remove and let cool for a few minutes. For easier clean up, line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Sauté the spinach. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in the minced garlic and toss and cook it for 1-2 minuets. Toss in the spinach and cook it for few minutes until wilted. Remove and set the spinach aside.
- Make the creamy filing – Add some butter to a medium-size saucepan heated to medium heat. Once it melts add in the flour (I used whole wheat white flour). Whisk the flour in with the butter for a minute or so, then add in the milk about a ½ cup at a time, whisking lightly. Add in the nutmeg and a bay leaf. Simmer on low for 3- 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Make the ricotta filling. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the ricotta with lemon zest, freshly chopped sage, rosemary, parmesan, mozzarella, salt and pepper, and mix.
- Assemble – Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degrees F and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Ladle some of the white cream sauce into the bottom of the baking dish. Layer on some of the lasagna noodles then some of the butternut squash. Next layer on some of the sautéed spinach and top that with a layer of the ricotta mixture. Pour some more (half of what is left) of the creamy white sauce all over everything then repeat with one more layer. Finish the final layer with lasagna noodles, the remaining creamy white sauce, the remaining cooked spinach and a good sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
- Bake. Bake the lasagna for 35 minutes on the middle rack of the oven until the top is nice and golden brown and bubbly. Remove the lasagna from the oven and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Choose a squash with a longer neck since you want long “plank” pieces to layer in the lasagna. You can also just cut large slices of squash if you cannot find one with a long neck.
- No boil lasagna noodles, lentil lasagna noodles, or store-bought lasagna sheets all work well in this recipe. You can also use whole wheat lasagna noodles, but those would need to be boiled first. See variations in post for gluten free recommendations.
- Bake the lasagna uncovered, this allows it to get nice and golden brown on top and all around the edges.
- Let the lasagna cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. Letting it cool allows the slices to be lifted from the pan easier as well as results in perfectly square pieces of lasagna (see picture above).
- To store this lasagna in the refrigerator, let it cool completely, cut it and transfer it to an airtight container. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Easily reheat in the microwave.
- To freeze, let it cool completely then transfer the lasagna to a freezer-friendly airtight container and keep it in the freezer for up to 30 days. To reheat, let it sit in the refrigerator overnight and reheat portions in the microwave.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Merci pour l’article
Thanks for sharing this great article
Made this tonight, followed recipe exactly, except I had to add an egg to the ricotta as the kind I bought was very dry. I think I might have enjoyed it even more with slightly less ricotta. Biting into the roasted squash was a treat. This was a big hit and will be a repeat.
Made this tonight.
It was soooo good.
I used cottage cheese instead of ricotta.
It’s a keeper!
Thank you! Im so glad you liked it!