* Butternut Squash Lasagne {Meatless Mondays}

I've experimented with this Butternut Squash Lasagne a few of times now. The first time I used a bechamel sauce and cut the butternut rather large. It was too rich and sweet and the butternut wasn't a particularly nice texture to come across whilst eating it... not a good thing when the whole bloody dish is being prepared on the basis of using the butternut to start with... and it was sloppy.

I don't like sloppy lasagne... I like gin... (you have to have a tv and know your Aldi adverts to appreciate the last sentence).

So... I like lasagne that holds it shape when you dish it out - it makes it look like you're an expert at much more than just making lasagne. Truly.

Next time you visit a restaurant or friends house and they serve up a sloppy lasagne - even if it tastes great - you're going to think about the fact that you are judging them on so many more levels than just their ability to cook the lasagne. If you're eating out, at the very least you're going to think you're paying too much. If you're at a friends, you're going to pray that they haven't attempted a trifle for dessert.

Well... that's what my brain does... I don't get invited anywhere but mother's for dinner (JOKING PEOPLE!).

The butternut for this lasagne was diced much smaller than previous versions, so sort of melted into the sauce, aaaaannd I used creme fraiche instead of a bechamel sauce and it cut through some of that sweetness. Plus all I had to do was spoon it out of it's pot, rather than stand stirring and whisking and praying for a lumpless sauce.

This lasagne held it's shape.

I reckon I could tackle a trifle. 

Maybe.

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Butternut Squash Lasagne Recipe

Serves 2 - 3

Prep time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 1 hour
Total time - 1 hour 10 minutes

You will need
A 22cm x 15cm baking dish
A medium skillet/frying pan with lid

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 a butternut squash - peeled, deseeded and diced fairly small
1/2 red pepper - deseeded and diced
1/2 red onion - diced
1 clove garlic - crushed
4 chestnut mushrooms - sliced
1 tsp dried thyme
14oz/400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste/puree
2oz/50g spinach - chopped
salt and pepper
3 - 4 fresh lasagne sheets
5oz/150g creme fraiche
4.5oz/125g ball of mozzarella - chopped or torn
1oz/30g gruyere cheese

Method

• Heat the oil in the pan and add the butternut, red pepper and red onion and cook very gently until beginning to soften. About 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, mushrooms and thyme and cook for another 3 minutes.
• Pour in the chopped tomatoes and spoonful of tomato paste, stir, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
• Stir in the spinach, season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 375f/190c/160c fan/gas 5.
• Spoon a third of the tomatoes and vegetables into the base of the baking dish and spread out evenly.
• Arrange a single layer of lasagne over the top.
• Spread a third of the creme fraiche evenly over the top of the lasagne sheet, scatter with one third of the mozzarella.
• Repeat the above tomato, lasagne, creme fraiche, mozzarella layer once.
• Spoon the rest of the tomatoes over the top, followed by the remaining creme fraiche, then mozzarella and lastly scatter with the gruyere cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the lasagne sheets are cooked through and the top is golden and bubbling.
• Serve with a mixed salad (and garlic bread if you're hungry!)

EAT

NOTE: If you cook this at too high a temperature for too long, the creme fraiche will split/curdle.

If you use dried lasagne sheets, make a day in advance and leave in the fridge overnight to allow the lasagne sheets to soften and take less time to cook.

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