Talluto's Fresh Whole Wheat Pasta Sheets, Shallot Cream Sauce, and roasted butternut squash are the stars of this show!
This is a great recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash Lasagna made with Talluto's fresh Whole Wheat Pasta Sheets, Shallot Cream Sauce, and our homemade ricotta cheese. It is a perfect dish that can be made in advance and cooked to feed a family of people!
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 90 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours and 5 minutes
Serves 8-10 people (9" x 12" baking dish)
INGREDIENTS
1 lb (3 sheets) of Talluto's Fresh Whole Wheat Pasta Sheets
OPTIONAL FOR DECORATION- 1 lb (3 sheets) Talluto's Tri-color Fresh Pasta Sheets - Spinach, Egg, and Tomato
2 - 15 oz. containers of Talluto's Shallot Cream Sauce, thawed
10 oz. of milk
1 container of Talluto's Ricotta Impastata Cheese
1 egg
6 oz. freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
1 tsp of freshly chopped parsley leaves
12 oz. of shredded mozzarella cheese
2 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (approx. 5-6 cups)
drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
4-6 fresh sage leaves. chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Toss the cubed butternut squash with just a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with a little ground black pepper and the chopped sage leaves. Spread the squash evenly on a large sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Roast the squash in the oven for approximately 20-25 minutes until softened and slightly browned. Remove the squash from the oven and sprinkle with a little bit of salt, to taste.
. LOWER THE OVEN TEMPERATURE TO 400 DEGREES FOR BAKING THE LASAGNA.
In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, grated Parmigiano cheese, egg, a pinch of salt, freshly ground black pepper, and chopped parsley. Empty the sauce into a small bowl or pot and combine it with the milk. Prepare your 9" x 12" baking dish by spraying it lightly with olive oil to prevent sticking. Cut the pasta sheets in half width-wise. This will give you 6 smaller rectangles of whole wheat pasta.
Next, we will begin assembling the lasagna. Pour about 1/2 cup of the sauce mixture into the oiled casserole dish. Line the bottom of the dish with your first sheet of pasta. Add another 1/2 cup of sauce mixture and spread evenly to coat the pasta. Next, spoon 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture over the entire sheet of pasta. Sprinkle about 3 oz. of shredded mozzarella cheese and then add the second sheet of fresh pasta.
Add another 1/2 cup of the sauce mixture over the pasta and spread to coat. Spoon 1/2 of the roasted butternut squash over this layer of pasta and top with 3 oz. of shredded mozzarella cheese. Add your third sheet of fresh pasta.
Add another 1/2 cup of the sauce mixture over the pasta and spread to coat. Spoon the other 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture over the entire sheet of pasta. Sprinkle about 3 oz. of shredded mozzarella cheese and then add the fourth sheet of fresh pasta.
Again, add 1/2 cup of the sauce mixture to coat the pasta sheet. Add most of the remaining roasted butternut squash to the dish, (reserve a few pieces to decorate the top of the lasagna.) Add the last 3 oz of shredded mozzarella cheese and then the fifth, and last sheet of whole wheat pasta. Cover the top of the lasagna with about 3/4 of a cup of the sauce mixture. There will be a little extra sauce left. It can be used when serving the finished lasagna...if desired.
Note- I actually had 1 small square of whole wheat pasta that I did not need for this lasagna. No worries...I just rolled it, cut it into fettuccine, and cooked it for my lunch!
THIS NEXT PART IS OPTIONAL
If you choose to decorate the top of the lasagna with fresh tri-color pasta leaves, you can add them at this time. I used a small leaf-shaped cookie cutter to punch out the shapes. Decorate the lasagna top with the pasta and drizzle with a little sauce to cover the leaves so that they cook properly. You can also stud the top of the lasagna with the remaining butternut squash.
. 
Cover the lasagna pan tightly with aluminum foil. I recommend that you line the oven rack with foil as well. This will prevent a mess in your oven should the lasagna bubble over and drip.
At this point, you can refrigerate the lasagna for later use OR bake the lasagna immediately in a preheated 400-degree oven for approx. 80-90 minutes.
Bake the lasagna covered for the first 75-80 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes to allow the top to brown slightly.
* Another note- In this recipe, I used our whole wheat pasta sheets as the main pasta. Then I decorated the top of the lasagna with spinach pasta (green), egg pasta (yellow), and tomato pasta (red) leaves. I thought that the deep nutty flavor of the whole wheat flour complimented the sweet roasted butternut squash and shallot cream unbelievably. In hindsight, I realize that using the fresh egg pasta (yellow) as the main pasta in the lasagna would have made the decorative leaves visibly stand out more. Of course, this would also taste delicious! It is your choice but, I recommend that you try the whole wheat...if you are a fan. Also, if you ever have any questions, feel free to comment below. Have fun!
-Joanne Talluto Brown