Often regarded as one of the oldest pasta dishes in the world, lasagna is a timeless family favorite that gets its roots in many different cultures. The first recorded recipe can be found in Liber de Coquina, a 14th century medieval cookbook now stored in Paris at the national library of France. Theories about the origin of its name range from Latin (lasana meaning ‘container’ or ‘pot’), Greek (laganon meaning a flat sheet of pasta) and even English (loseyns meaning a dish prepared with flat pasta).
While we may not know the exact history of this decadent dish, we can be sure about one thing.
Lasagna = delicious
So, to celebrate a national day of lasagna enjoyment, Southshore wants to share a recipe given to us by our own Margaret Romano. Offering a healthier spin on this age-old classic, Margaret’s version is prepared vegetarian style using butternut squash in place of any meat ingredients.
🧑🍳 ⏲ 🥘 🎛 🔪 🧅 🧄 🧈 🧂 👩🍳
Butternut Squash Lasagna
- 2 butternut squashes, small
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 tsp. garlic, minced
- 2 T olive oil
- 12 oz. flat lasagna sheets, broken into pieces
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 T sage
- ¾ cup walnuts (can be added on the side if preferred)
- 2 T butter
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup Romano cheese
- Salt & Pepper
Halve butternut squash, remove seeds and discard (or save on the side for roasting). Bake cut side down in a 400° oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool then use a spoon to scoop out cooked squash. Discard rind.
In a large pan, sauté green onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for two minutes. Add butternut squash, uncooked pasta, broth, sage, walnuts and butter. Cover pot and simmer for ten minutes. Sprinkle grated cheeses over lasagna, salt/pepper to taste and serve warm.
🇮🇹 Buon appetito! 🇮🇹
by Michele Robert Poche