Oh, this recipe calls for amaretti cookies. They are crisp and crunchy on the outside and sorta soft and airy on the inside. I did not find them at our regular grocery store so I went to our Fresh Market to find them. I would imagine that you could use Ginger Snaps just the same if you can't find these cookies. But I recommend you look for them because they are so good to snack on!!!
So, let's see what you need to get started.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 amaretti cookies, crumbled
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 cups whole milk
- Pinch nutmeg
- 3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
In a large skillet over medium high heat, heat the oil. To that, add the squash, coat with the oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet, cover, and cook over medium heat until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally (about 20 minutes). Cool slightly and transfer the squash to a food processor. To this, add the amaretti cookies and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Meanwhile, cook your lasagna noodles according to package directions (unless you are lucky enough to find the no-boil kind). I like to season the water with some salt!
Over medium heat, in a saucepan, melt the butter. Add in the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly. It takes about 5 minutes, but whisk often. Don't walk away or your milk will scorch. Finally, whisk in the nutmeg.
Cool the mixture slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender (be very careful when blending hot liquids - A tip: Release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.). Add the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish, spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese (I used more to be honest). Drizzle 3/4 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Putting Lasagnas together can be alot of work, but are well worth it. I really hope you will give this one a try. Let's see what it looks like.
You know you want to make this dish! I hope you will. I promise, you will not be sorry! Enjoy and thanks for reading.
1 comment:
I REALLY need to try this one! Am putting it in my Evernote recipe file! :)
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