Butternut Squash And Sage Lasagna

The butternut squash is a bit of an unwieldy creature to peel .

My high school friend, Rita sent me a recipe for Butternut Squash And Sage Lasagna and told me I had to try it. Rita's an excellent cook and we share recipes a lot, so if she gives it the thumbs up, it's worth a try. It's a Martha Stewart recipe requiring fresh lasagna noodles...Don't tell Martha, but I used dried noodles! Since we're getting close to Thanksgiving, this would be a great vegetarian addition to your menu. The house smelled very sagey and buttery last weekend. All that was missing was a Native American Shaman.

I use an ice cream scoop to remove all the seeds and stringy bits.  You'll get a nice, clean cavity. Try it with your  jack o' lanterns.

Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna
3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
1 pound whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs yolks
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)
Freshly grated nutmeg...(I used ground)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 loosely packed fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
Fresh lasagna noodles (go for it, it you want! I used boxed)
4 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (1 1/4 cups)

1. Preheat oven to 425* F. Toss squash, oil and 1 teaspoon salt on a baking sheet. season with pepper. Bake until light gold and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 375* F. Combine ricotta, cream, yolks, mozzarella and a pinch of nutmeg in a medium bowl. Season with salt.
3. Melt butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. As soon as it starts to sizzle, add sage and cook until light gold and slightly crisp at edges, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Place squash in  a medium bowl and mash 1/2 of it with the back of a wooden spoon. (I use my hands to do this) Leave the other 1/2 of the squash in whole pieces. Gently stir in sage-butter mixture and stock. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Spread 3/4 cup of ricotta mixture in a 9 cup baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1/2 of the butternut squash mixture over the noodles. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1 cup of ricotta mixture over nooldes. Repeat layering once more, (noodles, squash, noodles, ricotta) Sprinkle Parmesan over ricotta mixture.
6. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until cheese is golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 8