Butternut Squash Lasagna Rolls

Well, it's been a big week here in HDFB land. My boyfriend is officially moved in, and to celebrate our "domestic partnership", we decided to make dinner. Complete with wine of course. This was something different from anything I've ever made before. I love butternut squash, but I've never made it into a sauce. Soups, yes. Chili, yes. Roasted side dish, yes. Pasta sauce, no. Until now. Creamy and full of flavor, this dish was super easy to make, and made excellent leftovers for the next day. 

Butternut Squash Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients:
Butternut Parmesan Sauce

• 1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced shallot
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. fresh grated parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

Lasagna

• 9 lasagna noodles, cooked
• 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, heated and squeezed well to rid of excess moisture
• 15 oz. fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 large egg
• salt and pepper
• 3 oz. shredded Italian cheese blend
• 1 tbsp. parsley, minced

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft. Remove squash from the water, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water. Blend the cooked squash until smooth, adding 1/4 cup of the reserved water to thin it out as needed.

Meanwhile, in a large deep non-stick skillet, add the oil, saute the shallots and garlic over medium-low heat until soft and golden, about 4 minutes. Add pureed butternut squash, season with salt and pepper. Add more of the reserved liquid to thin out to your liking. Stir in 2 1/2 tbsp. of the parmesan cheese and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Ladle 1/2 cup of the butternut sauce on the bottom of a 9x12-inch baking dish.

Combine the spinach, ricotta, parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.

Lay out the lasagna noodles. Make sure the noodles are dry, and take 1/3 cup of the ricotta mixture and spread evenly over the noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles.

Ladle 1 cup of the butternut sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 tbsp. of the Italian cheese mixture. Put foil over the baking dish and bake for 40 minutes. Top with parsley and serve. Makes 9 rolls.