Butternut and Mushroom Lasagna

Deliciousness accomplished.

I had some leftover cooked butternut squash that I decided to turn into a lasagna along with mushrooms, cheese, and bechamel sauce.

I sauteed white mushrooms in oil (I use Crisco oil rather than olive or butter so I can get the pan really hot and brown the shrooms), added some crushed garlic, sherry, and Penzy's Poultry seasoning- the sage and marjoram are great partners for winter squashes.

Bechamel is white sauce- you know, equal parts butter and flour cooked together, milk added, brought to the boil.  I made about 4 cups with say 1/3 cup flour, for a 7"x 11" pan.   The sauce for baked pasta dishes needs to be both more liquidy and more abundant than you might think.  Here's the proper consistency:

The no boil lasagna noodles are great.  Better than the regular kind, even without the convenience factor.  I do always wet them with warm tap water before layering, so they soak up a little less sauce (because they do soak up sauce, you need to account for that in your layering).  They expand, too...I never overlap them in the dish.

Layer 1:  Sauce, pasta, squash, Parmesan, more sauce...

Layer 2:  The mushrooms and some Fontina cheese, then more sauce....repeat...

Ready to bake.

The broccolini all nestled in the steamer.  And then I ducked out and went to Zumba, leaving my husband to serve dinner to the children.  I love Zumba nights.  Sometimes a mom just needs to get the heck away, ya know?!?

When I came home there was plenty left.  This lasagna was very, very tasty.  I mean, throw enough cheese at anything and it's going to be good, but still... the squash gave it an extra creaminess and  sweet flavor, while the mushrooms added an earthy tone and toothsome texture.  The austere and slightly bitter broccolini was the perfect foil, on the side.  You should make this.