This Gluten-free Butternut Squash Lasagna is the ultimate vegetarian meal to make. Filled with kale, mushrooms and cheese and no boiling of the noodles necessary.
This butternut squash lasagna is EVERYTHING! Take your standard lasagna to the next level and switch things up a bit with this veggie loaded, cheesy dish that is filled with flavor and you don’t need to cook the lasagna noodles ahead of time either. Which is one of the main reasons I don’t enjoy making lasagna too much – a lot of effort IMO.
You can serve this dish as a family dinner or make it for yourself and freeze any leftovers. It reheats deliciously in the oven and can stay good in the freezer for 2 months or fridge for 5 days. I love also snacking on this cold standing at my counter, but that is probably just me..
Tip: make this as a meal prep recipe! The leftovers say good in the fridge for 5 days and it’s easy to reheat.
What ingredients are in this gluten-free and vegetarian lasagna:
- Butternut squash – I usually buy pre cut/peeled to save time. But you can buy a whole one and cut as well.
- Lasagna noodles – we used these gluten-free noodles to make it! And we don’t boil the noodles before either – yesss!
- Fresh sage, garlic powder, nutmeg, salt and pepper
- Milk of choice – I used almond milk! Any unsweetened milk works great
- Whole milk ricotta cheese – it comes in a container similar to yogurt
- Parmesan cheese – I usually get a block of parm and shred it myself
- Mozzarella cheese – same here, I like to buy a fresh log of mozzarella and shred it myself (less additives too)
- Mushrooms – we used baby bella but really any work that you love
- Tuscan kale – I like to buy the pre-washed and shredded here too to save prep time
How to make Butternut Squash Lasagna:
- First steam the butternut squash until soft (about 8-10 minutes) then gently add the squash to a large bowl and mash with oil, salt and garlic powder so it is “puree” form
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and take out an 9×13 baking dish
- Next make the ricotta filling by adding 1 tablespoon chopped sage, lemon zest, nutmeg, ricotta cheese, salt and pepper and milk to a medium bowl and mix
- In your baking dish, spread ½ cup ricotta sauce on the bottom of the pan and then top with 1 layer of noodles, ½ of the cooked squash, mushrooms kale, scant 2/3 cup cheese sauce, 1 cup mozzarella and ⅓ cup parmesan cheese
- Then repeat again and finally, top with noodles then the remaining ricotta sauce spread with a spatula
- Sprinkle the entire top with the remaining cheese and sage
- Next cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes
- Carefully remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes, until the top is browned
- Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving
Tips for success:
- As you can see in the directions – we don’t boil the noodles! The ones we used work wonderfully even when not boiled. If you prefer to boil them, you can of course. Or buy fresh lasagna noodles that don’t require any cooking ahead of time.
- If you want to add in some protein here you can also put some cooked sausage crumbles, ground meat or tofu as well.
- This is a great dish for meal prep! It stays great in the fridge for 5 days and you can reheat in microwave or in the oven by the slice or in a larger batch.
- If kale and mushrooms aren’t your thing, no worries! You can omit them from the recipe or sub another similar veggie option. I like to add in more as it’s a great way to get extra veggies in too.
- If you’re not gluten-free, you can use any lasagna noodles you’d like too. We use gf ones so my husband can eat this with us.
A few other favorite healthier comfort food meals:
Vegan Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese
The Best No-Boil Mac and Cheese Recipe (gluten-free)
PrintGluten-free Butternut Squash Lasagna
This Gluten-free Butternut Squash Lasagna is the ultimate vegetarian meal to make. Filled with kale, mushrooms and cheese.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Total Time: 75 mins
Yield: Serves 6-8 1x
Ingredients
For the butternut squash:
- 1.5 lbs butternut squash, cubed
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- Sea salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
For the lasagna:
- 9 to 12 lasagna noodles (we used these gluten-free noodles)
- 1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- Zest of 1/2 lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk (I used almond milk)
- 16 ounces (2 cups) whole milk ricotta cheese
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
- 8 ounces (2 ½ cups) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups tuscan kale, shredded
Instructions
- First steam the butternut squash until soft (about 8-10 minutes) then gently add the squash to a large bowl and mash with oil, salt and garlic powder so it is “puree” form
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and take out an 9×13 baking dish
- Next make the ricotta filling by adding 1 tablespoon chopped sage, lemon zest, nutmeg, ricotta cheese, salt and pepper and milk to a medium bowl and mix
- In your baking dish, spread ½ cup ricotta sauce on the bottom of the pan and then top with 1 layer of noodles, ½ of the cooked squash, mushrooms kale, scant 2/3 cup cheese sauce, 1 cup mozzarella and ⅓ cup parmesan cheese
- Then repeat again and finally, top with noodles then the remaining ricotta sauce spread with a spatula
- Sprinkle the entire top with the remaining cheese and sage
- Next cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes
- Carefully remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes, until the top is browned
- Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving
Notes
*Leftovers can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days and reheated in a 400 degrees F oven or microwave!
Suguna
Hi – is the ricotta sauce mentioned in Step #4 what’s described as Ricotta filling in step # 3? If not what constitutes the sauce? Thanks.
Rachel
yes!
Kim
I made this last night for dinner it was such a hit! Definitely making this again!
Calle B
So good! I made this dairy free and it turned out great. Will definitely make again:)
Rachel
woohhoooo!!
christine
I have baby kale – can I I use that?
Rachel
yes
Britney
Can you use oven ready lasagna noodles?
Rachel
yes!!
Lauren
Our family loved this recipe! The only change was I added diced chicken sausage. I would make this again for sure.
Rachel
LOVE IT!!!
Joan Baker
Do you cook the mushrooms or kale before adding them to the lasagna?
Rachel
i usually don’t but you can if you prefer