I told myself that I wouldn't complain but I gotta tell'ya that I'm mad.
I'm mad that it still feels like winter.
I'm mad that although I got a nice butternut squash in the food box this week it wasn't big enough for me to make this recipe so I had to go to the grocery and get one.
I'm mad that the one I got one was Honduras!  Honduras?!  It's Ontario, it's the end of winter and I need a winter squash... why in hell are we getting squash from Honduras.  I was stuck, I needed it so it came home with me.


I'm mad that I had to rush to make this because my day was badly scheduled.
I'm made that because I rushed this recipe didn't turn out as well as I had hoped... it was just good.
Last but not least, I'm mad that I work too much... but that's a whole other story and therapist appointment.
Honestly my Peeps, there are lots of things that I'm happy about too, I just can't think of them right now... I'll write another post about that.
I really did want to play with this a little more.  A few weeks ago I started scouring cookbooks and the net for a lasagna that had a nut sauce base.  A university friend reminded me that during my 'veggie phase' I made it for him and he really liked it.  I still have found nothing.  In the process though I asked another friend of mine who is an incredible resource on these kinds of things about whether she had a recipe for it/heart of a recipe for it/had any ideas about how it might be done... etc.  She didn't have any of the above but she did tell me about one of her favourite lasagna dishes that uses a Squash sauce.  The idea sounded interesting.  I had just made a squash and greens lasagna but I left the roasted squash in chunks.
The difference this time?  I roasted the squash and then mashed it.  Then, 'cause I had them in the fridge from D's Mom, I threw in some cooked and seasoned lentils.  If I had thought ahead I would have mashed them too.


So think a sauce of seasoned, roasted squash, lentil and veggies.  Another sauce, just bechamel.  And lots of cheese.  Sounds good right?  Well, kinda.  The squash is just a little sweet which is a beautiful thing it's just that the lentils kinda cancelled out the sweetness of the squash.  Plus I think that the lentils needed to be pulsed or something.  In general I guess what I'm sayin' is that the lentils might not be the best addition.
Don't get me wrong, the lasagna is good... just not great.  Add the lentils or leave 'em out... let me know the result.


Squash and lentil Lasagna
serves 12

12 - 15 lasagna noodles cooked al dente (as many as you need to make about 4 layers of the lasagna)

Veggie Sauce:
4 - 5 cups butternut squash, de-seeded, cut into chunks and roasted (toss the chunks in oil, sprinkle with salt and roast at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes.)
1 med onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
1 medium zucchini, diced
3 cups chard, diced
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp each, basil, rosemary, marjoram, oregano
1/2 tsp cayenne or 1 tsp pepper sauce
1 veggie bouillion cube
1/2 cup or so of water (reserved pasta water maybe)
1 cup cooked and seasoned lentils (I used green lentils but Puy would work nicely too)

Bechamel
4 cups warm milk
6 tbsp unsalted butter
6 tbsp flour
salt
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
dash of mustard powder

3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Get a large roaster or lasagna dish ready.
Mash the roasted squash with a potato masher and set aside.
Heat a large pot over medium heat.  Add some oil (your choice) and add the onion, zucchini and chard.  Saute together for about 5 - 7 minutes over med/low heat.  Add in the garlic and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so.
Add in the herbs, cayenne, bouillion cube and Worcestershire.  Cook for another couple of minutes.  Add in the lentils and mix well.  Add in the mashed squash.  Mix well.  Add water until the mixture is the consistency of a spreadable sauce.  Set aside.

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan.  Once melted and bubbling add the flour and combine until it's a thick paste.  Slowly add in the warm milk, adding by a 1/2 cup at a time and whisking constantly until all the milk is added.  Heat over med/low heat until the sauce begins to thicken.  Remove from heat and add in the salt, parmesan and mustard powder (add in a dash of Worcestershire if your heart desires as well - hell, throw in some pepper sauce too).

Assembly:
In the bottom of the roaster add enough squash sauce to barely cover the bottom.  Cover with a layer of cooked noodles.  Add another layer of squash.  Then a ladle or two of Bechamel and then about a 1/2 cup of mozzarella.  Continue in this order until it's all used up.
Top with remaining mozzarella and sprinkle some parmesan on the top as well.
Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes or until bubbling at the sides and browning on the top.
Cool for about 20 minutes or so before serving.


This stuff always tastes better the next day.
p.s. if you think of some brilliant ways to spice this up a bit more PLEASE let me know...