Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

Looking for the best vegetarian lasagna recipe? You’re in the right place. This Butternut Squash and Spinach lasagna will become one of your favorites!

This delicious veggie lasagna recipe is healthy, gluten-free friendly, and perfect for the Fall and Winter season.   Because it uses butternut squash, it’s a great choice as holiday vegetarian main dish or just a holiday recipe.    It’s so good, it’s popular with kids!  The butternut squash and spinach lasagna is stuffed with vegetables and combines Ricotta, Parmesan, and Mozzarella cheeses to create the ultimate Fall and Winter comfort food.

To me this is a great recipe to make any time of year, but because this lasagna has butternut squash, it is surely a good holiday veggie main dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve.

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This vegetarian recipe uses butternut squash puree, which you can easily make by following my easy step-by-step tutorial: how to make butternut squash puree. Or, you can always buy pureed butternut squash at the store.

I also want to warn you that this is my most photo-intensive post yet with lots of step-by-step photos which I think are quite helpful to make this delicious vegetarian lasagna. So, if you want to go directly to the bottom of this post – just scroll down.

Make sure to use cooked lasagna noodles. Bring a large pot of water to boil, cook the noodles al dente, rinse each noodle with cold water and drain. This will guarantee the perfect texture!

I also tested this butternut squash and spinach lasagna with gluten free noodles, and it works great! I used Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles – almost the whole 10 oz package.  So, yes, this recipe is gluten-free friendly, for sure!

Bake this vegetarian lasagna at 375 F covered with foil for the first 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake for additional 10 minutes.

With this delicious vegetable lasagna, you will have no leftovers!

How to make this vegetarian butternut squash and spinach lasagna (step-by-step photos):

First, prepare the butternut squash filling. Using food processor, combine butternut squash puree with Ricotta cheese, milk, salt and nutmeg. Add more milk if needed (to make the butternut squash filling very creamy).  Mix very well, taste and add more salt, if needed:

Next, make spinach filling by mixing cooked spinach, Ricotta cheese, Mozzarella cheese, minced garlic, salt and pepper:

Prepare a baking dish – I used a casserole dish 11 inches x 8.5 inches x 3 inches deep. Grease the bottom of the baking pan lightly with olive oil spray. Spread 1/3 of butternut squash filling on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella cheese.

Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package instructions, rinse with cold water and drain. Top the first layer of butternut squash mixture with cooked lasagna noodles without overlapping – as you can see I used 3 noodles. Use as many noodles as you need for your baking dish.

Spread half of spinach filling over the cooked noodles.

Top lightly with Mozzarella cheese:

Top with cooked lasagna noodles:

Spread another layer (1/3) of butternut squash mixture:

Sprinkle lightly with Mozzarella cheese:

Top with cooked lasagna noodles:

Spread the remaining half of spinach filling over the noodles. Top lightly with Mozzarella cheese.

Top with the final layer of cooked noodles:

Spread a generous amount of butternut squash filling (the remaining 1/3) over this final layer of noodles:

Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and remaining Mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup of Mozzarella):

Generously sprinkle the cheese with Italian seasoning, paprika, basil:

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 min. Remove foil and bake additional 10 minutes.

Your veggie lasagna is ready!

4.31 from 26 votes

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Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

40 mins

Total Time

1 hr 10 mins

 

Delicious vegetarian lasagna recipe that uses vegetables (butternut squash, spinach), and three cheeses (Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Parmesan)!   Perfect as a veggie main dish for every day.  Healthier version of lasagna.  Also, a great holiday recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas! 

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 401 kcal

Author: Julia

Ingredients

Butternut Squash Filling:

• 2 cups butternut squash puree (about half of squash)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup milk or more, if needed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt plus 1/8 teaspoon more
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Spinach Filling:

• 8 oz spinach (1 cup cooked spinach)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste

Other Ingredients:

• 10 oz lasagna noodles cooked (for gluten free, use Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles)
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese or more
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese on top
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon Paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon Basil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

Butternut Squash Filling:

1. For this filling, you will need to have pre-cooked butternut squash puree. Using food processor, combine 2 cups of butternut squash puree with Ricotta cheese, milk, salt and nutmeg. Add more milk if needed (to make the butternut squash filling very creamy). Mix very well, taste and add more salt, if needed.
   

Spinach Filling:

1. Combine spinach, Ricotta cheese, mozzarella, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix, taste, and add more salt and pepper, if needed.

Cooking lasagna noodles:

1. Bring a very large pot of water to boil, and cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Rinse in cold water, drain. Using knife, trim noodles to fit your baking dish (if necessary).

How to assemble vegetarian lasagna:

1. Prepare a baking dish - I used a casserole dish 11 inches x 8.5 inches x 3 inches deep. Grease the lasagna dish lightly with olive oil spray. Spread 1/3 of butternut squash filling on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella cheese. Top with cooked lasagna noodles without overlapping (I used 3 noodles).
2. Spread half of spinach filling over the noodles. Top lightly with Mozzarella cheese. Top with cooked noodles.
3. Spread another layer (1/3) of butternut squash mixture, then sprinkle lightly with Mozzarella cheese. Top with cooked noodles.
4. Spread the remaining half of spinach filling over the noodles. Top lightly with Mozzarella cheese. Top with the final layer of cooked noodles.
5. Spread a generous amount of butternut squash filling (the remaining 1/3) over this final layer of noodles, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and remaining mozzarella cheese (about 1/2 cup of mozzarella). Generously sprinkle the cheese with Italian seasoning, paprika, basil.
6. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 30 min. Remove foil and bake additional 10 minutes.

Recipe Notes

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Nutrition Facts

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

Amount Per Serving

Calories 401 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 18g 28%

Saturated Fat 11g 55%

Cholesterol 64mg 21%

Sodium 549mg 23%

Potassium 477mg 14%

Total Carbohydrates 35g 12%

Dietary Fiber 2g 8%

Sugars 3g

Protein 23g 46%

Vitamin A 139.9%

Vitamin C 18.8%

Calcium 44.9%

Iron 10.8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.