Buttercup Squash Lasagna with Turkey "sausage"

In the summer we always grow our own tomatoes and when the fall comes around, I am all tomato'd out. Don't get me wrong, I love tomatoes, but a change of pace is a good thing. It gives you the variety that will keep you coming back for more.

Now that it is a fall season and there are different "winter" squashes on the market and I thought that it will make a great substitute for the tomato sauce in a lasagna. And the color will be so festive too.

This recipe takes a bit of time since I chose to roast my own squash, but if you are short on time, use the canned pumpkin puree (make sure it is not the pie mix).


Ingredients:
2 cups of roasted buttercup squash* (2 pound squash should yield about 2 cups cooked)
1 pound of ground turkey or turkey sausage, casings removed (if you use ground turkey, please use dark meat for deeper flavor, also you will need 1/4 teaspoon of crushed fennel seeds)
1 cup of low fat ricotta or cottage cheese (depends on the texture that you prefer)
1 package of spinach, defrosted and drained very well (it will give you just about a cup of dry spinach)
1 pound of whole-wheat lasagna sheets, precooked to al dente (it will cook more in the oven)
1/2 to 1 cup of low moisture shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup of milk (fat free, low fat, whole fat or even cream or half & half, whatever you want), divided
2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste

*Cut the buttercup squash in half and remove the seeds (keep the seeds, wash them, then layer them in a single layer on a baking sheet, sprinkle with some salt and slowly roast them at 350 F degrees for about 20 minutes, tossing occasionally to prevent sticking and burning. A nice little snack for later). Roast the squash at 400F degrees for 35-40 minutes in a baking sheet with a 1.5 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Let cool and get all the flesh out, discarding the skins. You will need 2 cups for this recipe.

Also precook the lasagna sheets according to the directions, but just to al dente as it will continue to cook in the oven. Cool the sheets so that they are easy to handle.

Heat the stainless steel pan on a medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to coat the pan and add the turkey and the fennel seeds, a pinch of salt and fresh ground black pepper. Cook until nicely browned. Let cool.

Mix the ricotta or cottage cheese with the buttercup squash mash. Add salt and pepper to taste and 1/4 cup of milk. The mixture will be moist, a consistency of mash potatoes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees while you assemble the lasagna.

Use the 8x8 pan (I use Purex pan). Coat with a little bit of olive oil on the bottom and the sides. Add a bit of ricotta/squash puree on the bottom to prevent the noodles from sticking. Then layer the noodles, again the ricotta/squash mixture, turkey, spinach and repeat. The last layer should be just noodles and ricotta/squash mixture (I typically make 2 layers of turkey and the third layer is the top), sprinkled with the mozzarella. Then gently pour the rest of the 1/4 cup of milk. Give another sprinkle of salt and pepper. Then lightly drizzle with the olive oil to help with the crust.

Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool a little, cut into squares and serve.

Enjoy this fall lasagna with a glass of a lovely Pinot Grigio or Sauvegnon Blanc.