Butternut Lasagna with Vegan Bechamel Variation

Or, Almost But Not Completely Entirely Unlike Lasagna

This is the first variation - kale and sausage

What with folks shying away from refined wheat products these days, I'd naturally come across a variety of ways to approach the delicious and reliable pasta standards. What is both as cheap as pasta and can get its job, in terms of filling the stomach and the structure of the dish? Well, vegetables, naturally, but which ones? Zucchini ribbons make admirable substitutes for lasagna noodles, but zucchini are hardly worth the eating in winter. What we do have, however, is an abundance of winter squash. I wondered about what would happen if I replaced the lasagna noodles with thinly sliced winter squash, and the result was - this.

I'm going to take you through two variations on this dish in this post. There are two main components to this dish (besides the butternut): the Filling Stuff, and the Creamy Stuff. In the first variation, the Filling Stuff is kale and sausage, and the Creamy Stuff is ricotta and mozzarella. In the second, the Filling Stuff is kale and mushrooms, and the Creamy Stuff is a bechamel sauce made with coconut milk. You want to get really crazy, you can combine them, why not.

Ingredients - Base
1 large winter squash. (I prefer butternut. Something easy to peel; you're going to be slicing it.)

Ingredients - Filling Stuff*
1 large bundle of robust greens. (I prefer kale; spinach works just fine, collards would probably do.)
2 large onions
3 cloves garlic
1 8oz box of mushrooms, and/or
2 sausages of your choice (these are leftover chicken-and-apple), and/or
some additional vegetables. Peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, why not.
2 tbsp olive oil
Ingredients - Creamy Stuff
2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese
2 med eggs or 1 large egg
1/2 bunch parsley
1 tsp thyme
1/2 lb mozzarella
1/3 cup grated parmesan or other hard savory cheese
Ingredients - Creamy Stuff (Vegan Variation)
1 can coconut milk
2 tbsp oil
4 tbsp flour. I use whole wheat.
1/2 tsp nutmeg

*This makes enough filling for both variations. If you want to do just one, either cut the filling down, or increase the creamy stuff. Or just save the extra filling and eat it for lunch tomorrow.

Instructions

Stab the squash a bit with a knife; you don't want it to explode. Microwave it on high for three minutes. This'll make it easier to cut.

Peel the squash and slice it into rounds, as thinly as you possibly can. When you reach the seeds, scoop them out. You'll be slicing crescents now; that's fine.  Set your squash aside.

Dice your onions, chop or crush your garlic, and start it sauteeing in the olive oil.

Once the onions have started to become soft, add the mushrooms, sausages, or other filling ingredients.

Wash the greens, chop them finely, add them to the onion mixture. Cook them until they are just starting to turn tender, but not so long they lose their shape. Add a splash of water to the skillet if they are dry or sticking. Set your filling aside.

Ricotta variation

Ricotta variation
Mix the ricotta, eggs, and finely chopped parsley in a bowl. Add thyme and salt and pepper.

Vegan variation
Heat the oil (I confess, I used butter, but that wouldn't be vegan, would it?) in a small skillet. Add the flour and stir briskly. When it starts to darken and smell like toast, start stirring in the coconut milk, a little at a time until you have added the whole can. Add the nutmeg, and salt and pepper. You should have a thick bechamel sauce.

Coconut Milk Variation

Assembly

This is the really fun part about lasagna. Lay down a layer of your filling, pour or dab 1/3 of the creamy stuff over the top of it, grate 1/3 of your cheese over it (if you're using cheese), and then arrange your squash slices artfully in a layer over all that. Repeat until you run out of layers. Place in oven heated to 400 degrees and bake for 40 minutes or until the whole thing is bubbling. Let it set for at least ten minutes before trying to serve. It'll be looser than a regular lasagna, and is even better the next day (especially the coconut one).

Price - Variation 1
Butternut squash - $1
Kale - $.75
Onion - $.25
Ricotta - $2
Mozzarella - $2
Sausage - $3
Parsley - $.50
Total: $9.50

Price - Variation 2
Butternut squash - $1
Kale - $.75
Onion - $.25
Mushrooms - $2
Coconut milk - $1
Total: $5

Both serve 4-6 people.