Talley staff’s favorite day of the week is Wednesday. That’s when Sarah Matthew arrives at the vineyard and cooks an amazing meal of us all to share. It’s hard to pick a favorite dish of Sarah’s but her Butternut Squash Lasagna is certainly a contender.
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp butter, divided
- 2 lbs butternut squash
- 14 ozs vegetable broth
- 8 ozs mushrooms, sliced
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 16 ozs ricotta cheese
- 4 tbsps fresh sage, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup flour
- 3 1/2 cups whole milk
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 12 no boil lasagne noodles
- 2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
If you are working with a whole butternut squash, begin by cutting it up.ย Cut off and discard the ends.ย Peel the squash, cut in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.ย Cut the squash into cubes, about 1 inch. (Chef’s note: As a time saver, shop for butternut squash that has been peeled, seeded and cubed for you!)
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.ย Add the chopped onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.ย Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan, followed by the butternut squash.ย Cook until the squash just begins to caramelize.ย Add the vegetable broth and allow to simmer until most of the liquid is cooked off and the squash is soft.ย Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.ย
Once the squash mixture has cooled, put in batches into a blender or food processor.ย Blend until smooth.ย Set aside until it is time to assemble the lasagna.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a sautรฉ pan over medium heat.ย Add mushrooms, turn up the heat and let the mushrooms cook until they haveย sweated and the liquid has cooked off.ย Remove from the pan and set aside to cool untilย it is time to assemble the lasagna.ย In a medium sized bowl, gently mix the ricotta cheese, eggs and sage.ย ย Set aside until it is time to assemble the lasagna.
(Chefโs note: The above steps can be done ahead of time and the ingredients refrigerated.)
Put the remaining butter, about ยผ cup, in the sautรฉ pan and melt.ย Slowly whisk in ยผ cup of flour to create a roux.ย Whisk in the whole milk then gradually bring to a boil.ย Turn down the heat and, whisking often, allow to simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.ย Add the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.ย
Begin layering ingredients into a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.ย Start with a layer of half the white sauce, followed by half the lasagna noodles, half the blended butternut squash, half the mushrooms, half the ricotta mixture and half the shredded mozzarella.ย Repeat.ย Finish with the parmesan cheese on top and cover with foil.
Bake in a 350 degree oven, covered, for about 40 minutes, until the lasagna is hot and bubbling.ย Remove the foil and cook an additional few minutes to brown the top slightly.
