***Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna***

What makes a comfort food? Everyone's idea of the perfect foods might differ depending on a person’s experiences, but chances are, for a lot of people, lasagna is up there in their list.

Our recipe however swaps out the traditional meat for one of everyone's favorite squashes (Butternut!) and lightening up the cheeses with 2% fat. This makes for a healthy tasty option as well as a vegetarian option.

As far as using a vegetable as a meat alternative, the key is to season, season, season! For the butternut squash this recipe calls for, a classical vegetable spice, (Nutmeg), and one a little south of the border (Ancho Chile Powder).

Nutmeg is a traditional pairing for foods that have a sweet undertone, as it’s a sharp but delicate spice that adds great contrast and can instantly brighten a dish.

Ancho Chile Powder is a mild to medium spiced Chile powder, with a distinct fruity and smoky quality that adds a little more complexity to our creamy butternut squash.

Deciding to go with sage in this dish works well to give a more herbaceous, earth-y flavor.

Ingredients:

3.5 Lbs Butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Tbsp Sutter Buttes Arbequina Olive oil
The Bean & The Leaf Course Salt- to taste
The Bean & The Leaf Black Tellicherry Pepper- to taste
1 tsp The Bean & The Leaf Ancho Chile Powder
16oz Ricotta cheese, low fat 2%
½ Cup Almond milk, plain unsweetened
2 Large egg yolks
8oz Mozzarella cheese, low fat 2%
½ tsp The Bean & The Leaf Nutmeg, fresh grated
1 tsp The Bean & The Leaf Organic Rubbed Sage
1 ¼ Cup Vegetable stock
No bake lasagna noodles
Parmesan cheese- optional garnish
Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F. Divide squash in 2 and place on 2 baking sheets. Toss squash with olive oil. Season with The Bean & The Leaf Ancho Chile powder, salt, and pepper. Place in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 375F. Combine ricotta cheese, almond milk, egg yolks, mozzarella cheese, and The Bean & The Leaf nutmeg in a medium size bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
3-4 minutes.
In a medium size bowl, mash half the squash up with a potato masher. Add the rest of the squash and the The Bean & The Leaf Organic Sage, and lightly fold in. Season with salt and pepper.
Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Spread 3/4 Cup ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread half the squash mixture over the noodles. Top with noodles. Spread 1 Cup ricotta mixture over noodles. Repeat layering once more. Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Serve & Enjoy!!!