Butternut Squash Lasagna with Fresh Milled Khorasan Pasta
This cozy butternut squash lasagna is made with homemade fresh-milled Khorasan pasta, a rich butternut squash vodka meat sauce, and creamy béchamel.
Ingredients
- 1/2 batch Butternut Squash Khorasan Pasta Recipe here: https://christinesnotebook.com/butternut-squash-khorasan-pasta/
Italian Sausage Style Ground Beef
- 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- 1 ½ teaspoons fennel seeds whole or crushed
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 28 ounce can whole tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 ½ cups roasted butternut squash
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock plus more as needed
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 to 4 tablespoons vodka optional
Bechamel
- 1/3 heaping cup all purpose flour 50 grams
- 3 1/2 tbsp butter 50 grams
- 3 1/2 cups of milk 840 grams
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2-3 cups part skim mozzarella cheese for topping
Instructions
Roast the butternut squash
- Slice off the top and bottom, slice it in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and coat with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place the squash flesh-side down and roast at 375 for 45 minutes, until a fork can pierce it with little resistance. Scoop out the flesh and measure 1 ½ cups to reserve for the sauce. You also need 150 grams from the homemade pasta.
- Make your homemade butternut squash pasta. Roll it out very thinly for pasta sheets as you are assembling the lasagna.
Cook The Meat
- Season the ground beef with the salt, Italian seasoning, sage, fennel, black pepper, maple syrup, red wine vinegar, and garlic. Brown over medium high heat, then remove from the pot and set aside.
Make The Sauce
- Add the butter and olive oil to the same pot. Sauté the onion until softened, then add the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the tomatoes, roasted butternut squash, and chicken stock. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Blend the tomato and butternut squash sauce until smooth. Blend in the heavy cream and vodka, if using. Return the beef to the sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.
Make The Becahmel
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until combined and a thick paste forms. Slowly add the milk in increments, whisking constantly to prevent any lumps. Once all of the milk has been added, season with nutmeg, pepper, and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly. Keep in mind that it will continue to thicken as it cools.
Build Your Lasaga
- Spoon a thin layer of the meat sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with a layer of thin lasagna noodles, followed by more meat sauce. Ladle some of the béchamel over the meat sauce and spread it evenly. Repeat the layers of pasta, meat sauce, and béchamel until you have 3 layers of pasta.You’ll have some extra meat sauce and pasta left over, so freeze them for later—or just make another lasagna for the freezer while you’re at it!For the final layer, top the pasta with béchamel, spreading it evenly to cover. Finish with a generous layer of shredded cheese.
Bake
- Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 more minutes until golden and bubbly. I like to broil for the last few minuts to get some good color.
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