Butternut Squash-Leek-Spinach Lasagna

This was delicious. My fiance, who dislikes lasagna, cream cheese, and spinach, couldn't resist seconds and thirds of this dish. Where could you get a better endorsement than that?

I made a giant dish of this, enjoyed some for dinner, and then took leftovers every day for lunch during the week. It was filling and incredibly tasty, but also packed in a fair amount of nutrients through the plethora of veggies. I would suggest making extra large portions so you can do the same. You'll want to be able to keep eating this all week.

Difficulty: medium-hard
Cost: $15.00
Time: 2 hours



Butternut Squash-Leek-Spinach Lasagna
Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
4 leeks, chopped
1 tsp sage (dried)
4 garlic cloves, minced
5 c butternut squash, peeled and cubed (1/2" cubes)
1/2 c white wine
1/2 c black pepper
10 oz (1 container) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
3 tbsp flour
2.5 c fat free milk
1/4 c fat free cream cheese
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/4 c shredded low fat mozzarella
1/2 c reduced fat parmesan
12 lasagna noodles, cooked

Get a large pan heating over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, swirling to coat. Add the leek, sage, and garlic. Saute for 5-6 minutes, stirring to keep from burning.

Add the butternut squash, wine, and 1/4 c water to the pan. Cover and let it cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. At the end the squash should be tender. Add 1/4 tsp black pepper and the thawed, drained spinach. Stir well and then set to the side.

You'll now need to prepare the sauce for the lasagna. First, get your oven pre-heating to 400 degrees.

Put the flour in a pot and slowly drizzle in the milk, whisking constantly as you do. (Make sure you if you have teflon plans that you have a rubber whisk that won't scratch.) When the milk and flour are blended turn the stove to medium heat. Continue to stir constantly and cook for about 10 minutes or until thick. Remove it from the heat but immediately add the cream cheese, nutmeg, and remaining 1/4 tsp black pepper. Whisk until the cream cheese melts and it's evenly combined.

You are now ready to assemble the lasagna. Coat a 13x9 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Put a small amount of sauce, about 1/2 cup, in the bottom and spread it out. This helps to keep the noodles from sticking. Place 3 noodles side by side into the dish. Put half of the vegetable mixture on top, spreading it out evenly. Sprinkle on 1/2 c of mozzarella and 1/8 c of parmesan. Place 1/3 of your sauce evenly over the top.

Repeat the noodles, rest of the vegetable mixture, 1/2 c of mozzarella, 1/8 c of parmesan, and 1/3 of the sauce layers. Place the remaining 3 noodles on top and the remaining 1/3 of the sauce.

Cover with foil (you can spray the part that will be touching the lasagna with cooking spray to keep it from sticking) and bake for 30 minutes. Then, remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 c mozzarella and 1/4 c parmesan on top. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and let it sit for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Servings: 12
Serving size: about 4"x3"
Nutrition: calories 216; carbs 33g; fat 5g; protein 10g; sodium 268mg; iron 11mg