Roasted Butternut Squash Rosemary and Garlic Lasagna
Submitted by Bobbi Hill on Sep 16, 2013

This lasagna is very light and delicate, a change from what you are used to. It is different and quite tasty. I served it for an Easter dinner once and it was a huge hit.

Servings:
1

Complexity:   
Medium

Total Time:
2 hours

Ingredients:
3 pounds butternut squash, quartered, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 9 cups)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups milk
2 tablespoons dried rosemary, crumbled
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
9 7 x 3 1/2-inch sheets dry no-boil lasagne pasta
(OR 12 regular dried lasagne noodles, boiled for 1/2 the time stated on box, plunged in cold water and drained well before using)
1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 5 ounces)
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
16 asparagus spears, parboiled (about 5 minutes) and plunged in ice water to stop cooking, drained & dried
Garnish: Fresh rosemary sprigs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. and oil 2 large shallow baking pans or sheets.

In a large bowl toss squash with oil until coated well and spread in one layer in pans. Roast squash in oven 10 minutes and season with salt. Stir squash and roast 10 to 15 minutes more, or until tender and beginning to turn golden.

While squash is roasting, in a saucepan bring milk to a simmer with rosemary. Heat milk mixture over low heat 10 minutes and pour through a sieve into a large pitcher or measuring cup. (If you have cheesecloth, line the sieve with it.)

In a large heavy saucepan cook garlic in butter over moderately low heat, stirring
until softened. Stir in flour and cook roux, stirring, 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. Reserve 1 cup sauce to spread on bottom of baking dish. Stir in squash and salt and pepper to taste. Sauce may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap.

Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F. and butter a baking dish, 13 x 9 x 2 inches.

Pour 1 cup reserved sauce into baking dish (sauce will not cover bottom completely) and cover with 3 lasagne sheets, making sure they do not touch each other. Spread half of remaining sauce over pasta and sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan. Make one more layer in same manner, beginning and ending with pasta.

In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream with salt until it holds soft peaks and spread evenly over top pasta layer, making sure pasta is completely covered. Sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan over cream.

Cut the ends off the asparagus spears so 8 will fit on one side and 8 on the other. Lay them in the whipped cream. Cover dish tightly with foil sprayed lightly with cooking spray or lightly buttered, tenting slightly to prevent foil from touching top layer, and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake lasagne 10 minutes more, or until top is bubbling and golden. Let lasagne stand 5 minutes.

Garnish each serving with rosemary.