Butternut Squash Lasagna Pie

By Yotam Ottolenghi

Published October 15, 2022

  • Chris Simpson for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Pappas.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
2 hours
Rating
4(1,756)
Comments
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This comforting dish lands somewhere between a lasagna and a pie. Thinly sliced butternut squash and broken dried lasagna noodles are all tossed together in one bowl with cheese, spices and a red pepper sauce, then pressed into a cake pan before baking, at which point everything softens and cooks together into imperfectly perfect layers. A simple béchamel topping is made while your pie is in the oven, leaving you ample time to get on with assembling a big salad or a side dish of your choosing.

Featured in: Stay Warm This Fall With Butternut Squash Lasagna

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

FOR THE PIE

  • ¼ cup olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan

  • 8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, roughly crushed in a mortar and pestle

  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, roughly crushed in a mortar and pestle

  • 2 teaspoons Aleppo chile flakes

  • 1 (12-ounce) jar red peppers, drained

  • 1 teaspoon light brown sugar

  • Fine sea salt and black pepper

  • 1 small butternut squash (about 1 ¾ pounds), peeled, halved, deseeded and cut into ⅛-inch-thick slices 

  • 8 ounces dried lasagna noodles, each roughly broken into 3 or 4 pieces

  • 7 ounces baby spinach (10 lightly packed cups)

  • 1 packed cup basil leaves, torn in halves

  • 1 cup crumbled Greek feta

  • Heaping ½ cup finely grated Parmesan

FOR THE BÉCHAMEL

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 ½ cups whole milk, plus more if needed

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • Fine sea salt

  • ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

63 grams carbs; 56 milligrams cholesterol; 576 calories; 12 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 28 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 907 milligrams sodium; 21 grams protein; 11 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the pie: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform cake pan then line it with a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover the base and hang over the sides by a couple inches; set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Add the oil to a small frying pan and heat over medium-high. Once it’s hot, add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, stirring until fragrant but not browned. Add the tomato paste, cumin, coriander and chile flakes and cook for 1 minute more, stirring often, until deeply red. Set aside to cool slightly, then add to a small food processor with the red peppers, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and a good grind of pepper; blitz until smooth.

  3. Step 3

    Empty the mixture into a very large bowl and add the squash, lasagna sheets, spinach, basil, feta, Parmesan, 1¼ teaspoons salt and a good grind of pepper. Use your hands to make sure everything is nicely coated. Transfer this mixture to your lined cake pan, adding a third at a time and pressing lightly to ensure everything is even and compact. Using heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap the cake pan all around until tightly sealed, place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour.

  4. Step 4

    Toward the last 15 minutes of baking time, make the béchamel: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking steadily, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it starts to smell like popcorn. Slowly pour in the milk ½ cup at a time, whisking with each addition until fully incorporated. Turn the heat down to medium then add the garlic and ¼ teaspoon salt. Use a spatula to stir and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to ensure the bottom doesn’t scorch, until nice and smooth. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan. If the pie isn’t done, cover the top with a piece of parchment paper to prevent a skin from forming. The béchamel is easier to handle when warm; if needed, reheat gently with a splash of milk to loosen.

  5. Step 5

    After the pie has cooked for 1 hour, remove it from the oven and carefully unwrap the top foil and paper, crinkling it down and around the sides of the pan to expose the top. Spoon the béchamel on top, using a spatula to distribute it evenly over the surface. (Take care not to mix it with the base; you want the béchamel to remain white.)

  6. Step 6

    Turn the oven temperature up to 450 degrees, place the cake pan back on its baking sheet and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, rotating halfway through, until nicely browned on top. Set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.

  7. Step 7

    Carefully release the pie from the springform pan, loosening the outer ring then using the parchment to help lift it onto a serving plate or board. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,756 user ratings
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Comments

MTV

I'm aware of two kinds of lasagna noodles - the kind that need cooking in advance before making the lasagna, and the kind that will soften and cook in the pan without softening them in boiling water first. Which type does this recipe take?

joan

even though i own many springform pans, if i made this i wouldnt bother using one. i'd use a 9" square pan, as it's easier to cut into squares rather than wedges. just scoop out of the pan to serve. round pan works, too, of course.

Ellen K

Another winner from Ottolenghi! Veganized beautifully using plain soy milk and olive oil for the béchamel, and "walmesan" for the grated parm (1 heaping cup walnuts, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp grated lemon zest, 3 T nutritional yeast, 1 minced small garlic clove, ground to fine crumbs in a mini food processor)

Natalie in PoMo

Loved the flavours and texture of this so much. I used ‘oven ready’ lasagna noodles because that’s what I had on hand but for my traditional lasagna recipes, I rarely use those. I would say in this case it is warranted because this isn’t as saucy as some of my marinara based recipes. I didn’t have much basil and using more would have really been great. I substituted crushed red pepper and paprika as others hopefully suggested too. Lastly, I did half feta/ half leftover Boursin: wow! I recommend this big time. I may have used too many lasagna noodles and my butternut squash may have been too big because I actually had to make this into two springform pans. Don’t laugh, but when they finished, I carefully put one on top of the other, and it held up so beautifully and look great having the double layers of béchamel!

Deidre

This is my very favorite dish! I have been making it just as written for years and it is delicious.

dot dot

I made this for a dinner party and guests were impressed by the presentation. I followed the recipie as written. I did not use parchment paper and the pie released easily. I also used a 10 inch pan vs a 9 inch pan. It was good and the flavor improved with leftovers. I used a mandoline to slice the butternut squash. I do keep wondering how to give the recipie a little more "punch".

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