This roasted butternut squash lasagna has become a go-to vegetarian entrée for entertaining for the wild reception it receives. Creamy, rich, and delicious, it is loved by carnivores and vegetarians alike.

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    “I served this as a vegetarian option at our family’s Christmas celebration. The recipe was easy to follow and produced a delicious lasagna that was enjoyed by everyone!”
    – Christine B.
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A slice of butternut squash lasagna on a plate.

Snow, dogs, a constant fire — I couldn’t have asked for anything more of Thanksgiving in Vermont. And all of the Vermont treats — the Jasper Hill Farm cheeses, the Dakin Farm ham, Uncle Wade’s waffles — made me want to pack up and stay forever.

But hands down, the hit of all hits was this roasted butternut squash lasagna, a dish brought to Thanksgiving dinner by a vegetarian friend of my aunt and uncle’s. Upon taking one bite, I had to ask for some details immediately. Kris, the friend, kindly obliged and described the basic process, brushing it all off as an old recipe from Gourmet, just something she and her mother had been making for years.

Well, seriously, it stole the show. Everyone at the table raved, ultimately confessing it was the highlight of the meal.

This is the kind of meal you will want to make all winter long, one you’ll want stashed in your freezer, ready to take to a friend in need, the crowd-pleasing recipe you’ll turn to for your next holiday party, one proven to please both carnivores and vegetarians alike.

PS: Favorite Roasted Eggplant Lasagna

How to Make Butternut Squash Lasagna, Step by Step

You need 1 large or 2 small butternut squash, enough to yield about 8 cups of cubed butternut squash.

A butternut squash on a table.

Peel the butternut squash, then dice it into small cubes. As noted above, you need about 8 cups.

Measuring cups filled with diced butternut squash.

Next, toss the cubes of butternut squash with olive oil and salt, then transfer to a 450ºF oven and roast for about 30 minutes, or until slightly caramelized.

A rimmed sheet pan filled with roasted butternut squash cubes.

In the meantime, heat milk on the stovetop with a few sprigs of rosemary and sage.

A sauce pan filled with milk, sage and rosemary.

In a separate pot, melt the butter with the garlic, then add the flour to make a roux.

A sauce pan filled with melted butter and garlic.

Strain the sage- and rosemary-infused milk slowly into the butter-flour mixture; cook for 10 minutes or until the bechamel thickens and coats the back of a spoon. (Side Note: If you walk away from your stovetop, like, say, to take a photo of butter and garlic, and return to something like this, be sure to throw a big fit — you’ll feel better, I promise.)

A stovetop with a saucepan that has overflowed with boiling milk that has spilled everywhere.

Add the roasted squash cubes to your bechamel and set aside. Note: This bechamel can be made up to 3 to 4 days in advance and stashed in the fridge.

A bechamel sauce in a saucepan with roasted butternut squash.

Time to assemble! Please view the recipe for the updated method — the updated method is due to a no-boil noodle failure — they just don’t behave as they once did, meaning: they don’t seem to soften and expand as they once did. Now, I soak the noodles briefly while assembling the lasagna.

A 9x13-inch pan with a layer of bechamel and 3 dried lasagna sheets.
A 9x13-inch pan filled with unbaked butternut squash lasagna.

The final step of this lasagna is to spread the top layer of noodles with salted whipped cream — it sounds odd, but it works, ultimately creating a brown butter-like top layer.

A 9x13-inch pan filled with butternut squash lasagna topped with whipped cream.

Spread grated parmesan over the salted whipped cream; then cover with foil and transfer to the oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for 10-20 more minutes, or until browned to your liking.

A 9x13-inch pan filled with unbaked butternut squash lasagna, ready for the oven.
A baked butternut squash lasagna.
A butternut squash lasagna, freshly baked, with one slice removed from the pan.
A slice of butternut squash lasagna on a plate.

PS: Thanksgiving in Vermont:

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A slice of butternut squash lasagna on a plate.

Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 54 reviews

  • Author: Alexandra Stafford
  • Total Time: 1 hours 25 minutes
  • Yield: 8 to 10 1x
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

This butternut squash lasagna stole the show one snowy Thanksgiving in Vermont many years ago, and it’s become a staple ever since. The secret? A rosemary- and sage-infused bechamel AND no-boil lasagna noodles. Creamy, rich, and delicious, this vegetarian entrée is loved by carnivores and vegetarians alike, making it perfect for entertaining.

Adapted from Gourmet — unfortunately, the link no longer seems to be available on Epicurious. 

Notes:

  • Helpful Tools: A good peeler and a sharp knife make all the difference for peeling and cutting the butternut squash.
  • No-Boil Noodles: I like Barilla, but sometimes they don’t perform as well as they should, meaning they don’t soften completely upon being boiled. The solution? Dunk the no-boil noodles into hot water for 2 to 3 minutes to soften before assembling. I fill a small baking dish with an inch of boiling water and soak three sheets of noodles at a time, which reduces the chance of them sticking together. After I transfer three noodles to the baking dish, I soak three more. The noodles never soften for much more than 2 minutes, but even this brief soaking seems to be enough to get them going.
  • Make it Ahead: The assembled lasagna can be made ahead of time and stashed in the fridge for 24 hours before baking. Alternatively, you could bake the entire lasagna ahead of time. Let it cool completely; then stash it in the fridge. To reheat, you have several options:

      • Slice the lasagna into squares, transfer to a sheet pan, and cook at 350ºF for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
      • To re-heat the entire lasagna, bring to room temperature if possible before re-heating. Transfer it to a 350ºF oven covered in foil and heat for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and heat for another 15-20 minutes or until heated through.

  • Freeze it: This lasagna is best frozen after you bake it. Be sure to let it cool completely before transferring it to the freezer. If you wish, you can cut the lasagna into individual portions, wrap each in plastic wrap, and tuck the portions into an airtight bag or vessel. This allows you to thaw and reheat only the number of portions you wish. If you’d like to freeze the entire pan, be sure to wrap it well in plastic wrap. You may want to tuck the entire pan into a jumbo airtight bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds butternut squash, quartered, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 8 cups of cubed squash)
  • 3 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
  • 4 cups milk, 2% or whole
  • a few sprigs fresh rosemary and sage
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • nine 7– by 3 1/2-inch sheets dry no-boil lasagne pasta (I use Barilla brand)
  • 1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Spread the squash onto 1 extra-large sheet pan or 2 standard-sized sheet pans. Toss with 2 tablespoons of oil if using the large pan or 1 tablespoon each if using the smaller sheet pans. Season with salt and toss to coat. Transfer to the oven and cook for about 30 minutes, tossing halfway,  until the squash is tender and beginning to turn golden.
  2. While squash is roasting, in a saucepan bring milk to a simmer with the rosemary and sage sprigs. Heat milk mixture over low heat for 10 minutes and pour through a sieve into a large pitcher or measuring cup.
  3. In a large heavy saucepan cook garlic in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Stir in flour and cook the roux, stirring often, for about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in milk mixture in a stream until smooth. Return pan to heat and simmer sauce, whisking occasionally, about 10 minutes, or until thick. Stir in the squash and salt and pepper to taste. Sauce may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap.
  4. Reduce temperature to 375°F and butter a 9×13-inch baking dish. UPDATE: Because sometimes no-boil noodles do not expand as well as expected, you can quickly soak them in hot water. If you’ve never had trouble with your no-boil noodles, don’t worry about this step. If you have, I think you’ll find this step makes a difference: Bring a small pot of water to a boil or fill a teapot with water and bring it to a boil. Pour the water into a small vessel such as a 9-inch baking. When you are ready to assemble, dunk three of the sheets into the hot water and let soak. Begin the assembly:
  5. Pour 1 cup sauce into baking dish (sauce will not cover the bottom completely) and cover with 3 lasagna sheets, making sure they do not touch each other – use tongs to extract the noodles from the hot water. After you transfer the three noodles to the baking dish, soak three more sheets of noodles. Spread half of the remaining sauce (it’s about 2 cups) over the noodles and sprinkle with 1/2 cup parmesan. Top with three more noodles; then soak the final three noodles in the hot water bath. Spread the remaining sauce mixture over the noodles and top with 1/2 cup parmesan. Top with the final layer of noodles. 
  6. In a bowl with an electric mixer (or by hand) beat cream with salt until it holds soft peaks and spread evenly over the top pasta layer, making sure pasta is completely covered. Sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan over cream. Cover dish tightly with foil, tenting slightly to prevent foil from touching top layer, and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake lasagna 10 to 20 minutes more, or until top is bubbling and golden. Let lasagna stand 5 minutes before cutting and serving.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hours 10 minutes
  • Category: Lasagna
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American, Italian