Healthy Vegetable Lasagna is a hearty dish with a sauce so delicious, you want to eat it all by itself. Make a double batch to drizzle over veggies or pasta!
Healthy Vegetable Lasagna with Butternut Bechamel
Ingredients
Butternut Bechamel Sauce:
- 3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash (2 lbs)
- 1 cup vegetable broth, divided
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 cloves freshly minced garlic (4 tsp)
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ½ cup Gruyere cheese, shredded (2 ounces)
- ½ cup fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes (2 ounces)
Filling:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 5 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced, (1 pound)
- 5 cups Swiss chard, leaves thinly sliced, stems chopped and kept separate (1 bunch)
- 1 tbsp vegetable broth
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted and chopped*
Lasagna:
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- Cooking spray
- 6 lasagna noodles, cooked
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes (4 ounces)
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Combine squash, 1 cup broth, milk and garlic in a medium saucepan, heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer until squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Place squash mixture in a blender. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg and blend until smooth. Add Gruyere cheese and 2 ounces of mozzarella. Blend until cheese is well incorporated. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil. Add onion, mushroom and chopped Swiss chard stems. Turn heat up to medium-high and cook until browned and liquid evaporates (7-10 minutes).
- Add chard leaves and 1 tbsp vegetable broth. Cover and cook 2-3 minutes or until chard wilts. Place vegetable mixture into a cheesecloth-lined colander and allow to drain for 10 minutes. Place mixture into a bowl and toss in pine nuts.
- In a seperate bowl, mix ricotta and egg until well incorporated.
- Coat 11 x 7-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Spread ½ cup bechamel sauce on the bottom of the pan. Lay two lasagna noodles on top of the sauce.
- Spread ¾ cup bechamel sauce on top of lasagna noodles. Top with ½ of the vegetable mixture (about ¾ cup),
- Add a layer of ½ cup ricotta and ⅓ cup mozzarella cubes. Top with 2 lasagna noodles.
- Repeat the above step for the second layer.
- Put remaining sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top of the lasagna. Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray and lay over top of the pan.
- Cook, covered, for 25 minutes. Remove aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, until lasagna is bubbly and internal temperature is 160°. Put lasagna under the broiler to further brown top, if desired.
- Allow lasagna to rest a minimum of 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
- *Roast pine nuts in saute pan in a single layer until lightly browned.
- Hack: Store leftovers in the redrigerator for up to 5 days
- Hack: Place individual portions of cut, cooled lasagna into individual containers (or one container, separating portions with parchment paper) and store in the freezer for a quick grab-and-go lunch!
- Hack: Fresh peeled and cubed butternut squash can be purchased in the produce department of the grocery store. Frozen butternut squash can also be used.
- Hack: Pine nuts can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 months or in the freezer for 6 months.
- Hack: Make a double recipe of Bechamel sauce. Freeze extra portion in 1 cup portions to serve over pasta or vegetables! If the sauce separates after thawing, give it a whirl in the blender before heating.
- Hack: Bechamel sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cover surface with plastic wrap to avoid forming a skin.
- Hack: Uncooked winter squash can be stored in a cool, dark environment (less than 50℉) for up to 2 months so stock up when it’s on sale! Cook, mash and freeze unseasoned winter squash for up to 12 months as a quick and easy addition to many recipes.
Did you know? Winter squash provides numerous health benefits that may help reduce the risk of many diseases!
Suggestion: Use leftover bechamel sauce to make creamy chicken and peas!
Suggestion: Use leftover pine nuts to make this Roasted Asparagus with Pine Nuts, fresh green onion pesto or Baked Rice Pilaf!
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This recipe looks amazing!
My oldest son is a vegetarian and he always has to eat something like a PB and J when I cook lasagna, but I could probably whip this up at the same time as I am making my “Pizza Lasagna” that is a family favorite.
Who knows, this might be a contender for the house favorite, and it seems pretty simple to make.
It seems to be a lot healthier to boot!
I will test it out and let you know how it went!
Pizza lazagna sounds amazing as well! I’d ; love to share the recipe if you’d let me!
Hey Cynthia,
My girlfriend and I started on this healthier life thing. I am having a terrible time hahah, but I decided to dig around finding recipes for us to try, being as lasagna is my favorite dish, I started with that search and I have to say this is an amazing recipe as a squash fan. I enjoyed the hacks on the time on the fridge, this is our number one discussion when deciding if food went bad, I am modifying the recipe a bit and adding more mozzarella, don’t judge me, thank you!
Congratulations on your new adventure! One of the great things about cooking your own meals at home is that you can make any adjustments that you want. Enjoy!