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Monster Feasting: Mushroom & Butternut Squash Lasagna

Source of Recipe

Eating Well Oct 1996


List of Ingredients

12 ounces dried lasagna noodles --or 1 pound fresh lasagna noodles
10 sun-dried tomatoes --not packed in oil
3/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms --3/4 ounce
1 1/3 cups low-fat milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose white flour plus 1 teaspoon
2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese --3 tablespoons
1 cup prepared spaghetti sauce
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 small carrot chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
12 ounces fresh mushrooms sliced--wild and/or cultivated
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary --or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash peeled and thinly sliced --4 cups


Recipe

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until barely tender (8 minutes for dried, 1 minute for fresh). Drain and rinse under cold water. Spread the noodles on clean kitchen towels, cover with plastic wrap and set aside. In a small bowl, combine sun-dried tomatoes and dried porcini mushrooms. Add 1 cup boiling water, cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Lift out the tomatoes and mushrooms and chop. Strain the soaking liquid through a fine sieve and set aside.

In a saucepan, heat 1 cup of the milk over medium heat until steaming. Meanwhile, put 3 tablespoons flour in a small bowl and gradually whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup milk until smooth; whisk into the hot milk and stir constantly over the heat until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens. Continue cooking and stirring for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Whisk in cream cheese, then 2/3 cup of the spaghetti sauce and vinegar. Season the sauce with salt and pepper; set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots and garlic and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add fresh mushrooms, rosemary and the reserved tomatoes and porcini; cook until the fresh mushrooms are just wilted, about 2 minutes longer. Stir the remaining 1 teaspoon flour into the vegetables. Add the reserved soaking liquid and the remaining 1/3 cup spaghetti sauce and cook until the mixture thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or coat it with nonstick cooking spray. Smear the bottom of the prepared dish with 1/2 cup of the sauce. Line the bottom with a single layer of noodles. Spread half of the mushroom mixture over the noodles and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan. Add another layer of noodles, arrange butternut squash on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread another 1/2 cup sauce over all. Add another layer of noodles, followed by the remaining mushroom mixture; sprinkle with 2 more tablespoons of the Parmesan. Finish with the remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.

Lightly oil a large piece of aluminum foil or coat it with nonstick cooking spray, and use it to tightly cover the dish. Bake the lasagna for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 minutes more, or until lightly browned and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings.