Lasagna with Butternut Squash and Hazelnuts
This is a delicious lasagna with a white sauce, where all the flavors come together nicely and create a memorable meal. It takes some time and work but you can make it ahead of time and it is well worth the effort. I serve my lasagna with a nice salad and a seasonal vegetable like roasted asparagus or brussels sprouts.
Ingredients:
Serves 8-10 The Squash Filling 1 large onion, chopped 3 TBS butter About 3 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½ inch pieces 1 tbs minced garlic 1 to 2 tbs salt 1 tsp pepper 2 TBS chopped flat - leaf parsley 2 TBS chopped fresh sage 1 cup hazelnut, toasted and skins rubbed off The Sauce 6 ½ cups of milk 7 TBS flour 4 TBS butter 1 tsp minced garlic 2 tsp salt 1 ½ tsp pepper 2 bay leaves ½ tsp fresh ground nutmeg The Lasagna 1 lb. of fresh mozzarella , coarsely grated 1 ½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 1 cup of mixed grated cheese ( Monterey Jack and cheddar) 12 oz. no boil lasagna noodles or fresh pasta sheets 
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Directions
The Squash Filling Toast the hazelnuts in a preheated oven at 375° for 10 to 15 minutes. Put the hot hazelnuts in a dish towel and rub vigorously to remove as much black skin as possible. Not all the skin will come off, return the nuts to the oven and bake for a while longer. Rub them again in a towel. Leaving some skin is ok. Chop the hazelnuts coarsely. Make a a little more than a cup because you will want to nibble on some while you cook. Melt the butter in heavy deep skillet and sauté the onion over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add squash, garlic , salt and pepper and cook for 15 minutes stirring occasionally. You want the squash to be soft but not mashed. Remove from heat and add nuts, parsley and sage. The Sauce Melt butter and add garlic, cook over medium heat for a minute, add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Do not let the roux turn any color. Slowly add about a cup of milk, whisking until smooth, add the rest of the milk in a stream whisking constantly until it comes to a boil. Add bayleaves and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. Add more liquid if you want the sauce to be thinner. Whisk in salt , pepper and nutmeg to taste. The Lasagna Preheat the oven to 425˚ degree Fahrenheit. Toss the the cheeses together. Spread 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of a greased 13-by 9- by 2- inch baking dish and cover with 4 pasta sheets. Spread with 1 cup of sauce and one third of filling, then sprinkle with a heaping ½ cup of cheese. Repeat layering 2 more times , beginning with pasta sheets and ending with with cheese. Top with remaining 3 pasta sheets , remain sauce and remaining cheese. Tightly cover baking dish with buttered foil and bake Lasagna in a middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 to 20 minutes until until golden brown and bubbling. Let lasagna sit for 10 minutes before serving. I bake my Lasagna with a cooking sheet or some foil on the bottom of the oven to catch any spills. Guten Appetit Recipe by Epicurious adapted by ©sunnycovechef |
