Creamy white sauce, salty Parmesan, and oozy fontina cheese contrast with the sweetness of roasted butternut squash. Throw in a little spinach for good measure—and a bit of bitterness to balance the sweet-creamy aspects—and you have something worthy of a party or special dinner. Lasagna always seems to require some heavy lifting, but once you have made the components, the fun part—layering the ingredients in the pan—becomes immensely satisfying.
Can I Use No-Boil Noodles?
I thought you would ask that! The short answer is: no. If you like tender noodles, then no-boil noodles won’t quite do the trick. I did try a small test batch with no-boil noodles, and the result was good, but the top noodles were a lot on the crunchy side. Personally, I kind of like that, because I love anything crunchy, but I think many people would be disappointed. Because lasagna is a lot of work, I think it’s best to err on the conservative side and cook the noodles first in boiling water the old-fashioned way.
Make It Ahead: Two Options
The beauty of lasagna, of course, is that it is the ideal make-ahead dish for a holiday or special occasion. And it freezes easily, too—bonus! Option 1: Let all the components cool to the same temperature and then assemble the lasagna. (Mixing hot and cold ingredients increases the chances of spoilage; just don’t do it. Ever.) The béchamel will thicken as it cools, so just spread it over the noodles as best you can; it will smooth out when baked. Cover with plastic wrap and immediately place it in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Take it from the fridge to the oven and add a few extra minutes to the baking time, until it’s hot all the way through. If the top starts to brown before the center is hot, cover it loosely with foil. Option 2: (My preferred) Bake the lasagna completely. Cool briefly, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat in 350°F oven, covered loosely with foil, for 30 minutes or so, until hot all the way through. Individual slices can be reheated in the microwave for a few more days. (Hello, lunch!)
How to Freeze Lasagna
Assemble the lasagna and cover it with plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze for up to 2 months for optimal freshness. Remove plastic wrap and foil from the baking dish and replace the foil. Place the dish on a rimmed baking sheet and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until hot. During last 20 minutes of baking, remove the foil and continue baking until the lasagna is bubbling and the cheese is browned. When your vegetarian cousin shows up at your Thanksgiving dinner you’ll be sitting in the catbird seat! Even non-vegetarians will want to sneak a slice of this lasagna onto their plates.
More Lasagna Recipes
Classic Lasagna Vegetarian Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna Three-Cheese Pesto Lasagna Zucchini Lasagna Roll-Ups Mexican Lasagna
2 butternut squashes (about 2 pounds each) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper
For the béchamel (white sauce):
5 cups milk (whole milk or 2 percent) 6 whole sage leaves 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3/4 cup grated Parmesan 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper
For the noodles and filling:
16 dry lasagna noodles (about 1 pound) 2 cups (1 pound) whole milk ricotta 1 large egg 3/4 cup grated Parmesan 1/2 cup grated fontina 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Finely grated zest from 1/2 lemon 1/4 teaspoon salt Pinch black pepper
For assembling the lasagna:
5 ounces (5 packed cups) fresh baby spinach leaves 1 cup grated Parmesan 1 cup grated fontina
Hold the pot over the sink and pour off the hot water. Fill the pot of noodles with cold water, running the water until the water in the pot is cool. Cover the noodles with cold water to stop the noodles from cooking and to remove some of the starch. Lift each noodle out of the pot one by one and set it on a kitchen towel. Don’t worry if the noodles stick together a bit, or if one of them tears slightly. They will be covered with other ingredients and no one will be the wiser. Take the pan off the heat. Leaving the sage leaves in the milk for now, gradually whisk about 1 cup of the hot milk into the butter and flour, whisking until smooth. Gradually whisk in the remaining milk until smooth and return the pan to medium heat. Bring the sauce to a low boil, whisking slowly but constantly. Adjust the heat to a simmer, and whisking constantly, cook for 3 to 4 minutes longer, or until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Remove the pan from the heat and remove and discard the sage leaves. Stir in the Parmesan, salt and pepper. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you like. Spoon about 1/4 cup of béchamel in a thin layer over the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Spread 4 noodles lengthwise over the sauce and cover them with 1/4 of the remaining béchamel. Spread 1/3 of the spinach leaves on top. Top with 1/3 of the squash slices. Use heaping tablespoons to dollop 1/3 of the filling on top of the squash. Repeat the layers 2 more times for a total of 3 layers in the same order: noodles, béchamel, spinach, squash and filling, finishing with a fourth layer of noodles topped with the remaining béchamel. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and fontina.
