Squash & Leek Lasagna

Rating: 3.75 stars
24 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 4
  • 4 star values: 15
  • 3 star values: 2
  • 2 star values: 1
  • 1 star values: 2

Grated butternut squash, pine nuts and sautéed leeks in a creamy white sauce are layered with sheets of whole-wheat pasta for this wintery variation on a vegetable lasagna. Any Parmesan cheese can be used in this casserole, but we recommend Parmigiano-Reggiano for its superior flavor.

EatingWell Test Kitchen
Source: EatingWell Magazine, October/November 2006

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Recipe Summary

total:
2 hrs 45 mins
Servings:
1
Nutrition Profile:
Low-Calorie
High Fiber
Vegetarian
High Calcium
Bone Health
Healthy Aging
Healthy Immunity
Healthy Pregnancy
Nutrition Info
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

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  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles until not quite al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain; return the noodles to the pot and cover with cool water.

  • Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the leeks; stir well. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk in a slow stream and cook, whisking constantly, until thick and bubbling, 8 to 10 minutes. Whisk in thyme, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Remove from the heat.

  • Assemble lasagna in the prepared baking dish by layering one-third of the noodles, one-third of the sauce, half the squash, one-third of the cheese, half the remaining noodles, half the remaining sauce, all the pine nuts, all the remaining squash, half the remaining cheese, all the remaining noodles, all the remaining sauce and all the remaining cheese. Cover with parchment paper then foil.

  • Bake the lasagna for 50 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbling and lightly browned, 30 to 45 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving (or follow make-ahead instructions).

Tips

Make Ahead Tip: Bake, let cool for 1 hour, cover with parchment paper then foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat, covered, at 350°F for 1 hour, then uncovered for 30 minutes more.

Tip: To toast pine nuts, cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:
275 calories; protein 12.6g 25% DV; carbohydrates 38.2g 12% DV; exchange other carbs 2.5; dietary fiber 6.6g 26% DV; sugars 7.2g; fat 8.8g 14% DV; saturated fat 3.6g 18% DV; cholesterol 18.9mg 6% DV; vitamin a iu 8337IU 167% DV; vitamin c 13.9mg 23% DV; folate 38mcg 10% DV; calcium 273mg 27% DV; iron 2.5mg 14% DV; magnesium 50.3mg 18% DV; potassium 515.8mg 14% DV; sodium 495.5mg 20% DV; thiamin 0.3mg 26% DV.
Exchanges:

2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 high-fat meat

Reviews (24)

Read More Reviews
24 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 4
  • 4 star values: 15
  • 3 star values: 2
  • 2 star values: 1
  • 1 star values: 2
Reviews:
Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest
EatingWell User
Rating: 1 stars
10/26/2014
Bland and a lot of work This was terrible. Glad I didn't serve it to company. Just threw it out. Makes a huge pan - which meant I wasted good butternut squash cheese leeks and expensive pine nuts. It takes way too long to peel and grate that amount of squash. There is nothing that would save this recipe! Cons: Too much work. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 1 stars
11/30/2013
Bland and Watery After toiling away peeling and grating all that squash and then baking the assembled lasagna the finished product was disappointingly bland and watery. If you decide to try this dish think twice about freezing the leftovers. Squash turns to mush when frozen. Pros: Vegetarian Cons: Bland taste watery texture much effort Read More
Delanie
Rating: 2 stars
03/27/2013
Bland. I made this recipe for our family of two therefore I decided to halve it. I also figured it would take about an hour as indicated to make. What I did not count on was the sheer volume of time and ingredients that this somewhat vague recipe results in. After I had shredded the 2 lb. squash and chopped 3 cups of leeks I looked at what was there and realized there was no WAY it was going to fit into my 9x9 pan. So I pulled out the 9x13 (as is what is instructed in the original twice-what-I-made recipe) and set to work for almost two hours. This took far longer than it should have in creating an exceptionally marginal bechamel filled a 9x13 pan completely to brimming with leftover shredded squash and even the next day has failed to result in some magical blending of ingredients that would make me nod wisely and say yes THIS is a keeper. It's just...bland. I read all the reviews and doubled the spices (on a half batch mind) and it STILL is completely unremarkable. It's the kind of food people eat in the future that is produced by Bio-block 937 as they all wear their squadron suits and ponder the caverns in which they dwell. You don't hate it; there's just nothing to love. The squash fails to come through the spices don't really showcase enough to give it flavor and while eh I'll eat it because there are leftovers is KIND of a selling point as far as not throwing away/wasting food (I am notorious for hating leftovers) even my husband's coworker Read More
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Jilary
Rating: 4 stars
02/24/2013
I thought this was really good and don't quite understand the reviews that said this was bland. That said I did have an issue while making this recipe. There weren't any 2lb squash available so I used one that was 3.8lb instead feeling it was an appropriate substitute for 2 2lb squash. After I grated up all of the squash using the food processor I thought it was way too much but figured the recipe must be right. As I started making the layers it became clear that there was no way all of that squash was going to fit into my 9x13in pan. I had to remove a few layers so that I could decrease the amount of squash which made a HUGE mess! My pan is only 2 deep so that may have been part of the problem. I also didn't add the pine nuts since I don't care for them. I had intended to add walnuts instead but ended up not doing it. I think I will make this again. Next time I may add orange zest to the shredded squash. I also added 3 cloves of garlic to the white sauce. The white sauce reminded me of artichoke dip it was quite yummy! I agree with others that this was labor intensive more so because I had to take it apart and put it back together but almost all lasagna recipes are labor intensive! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 3 stars
11/14/2012
Definitely trying again! This was very good as is especially the next day after the flavors had more time to meld. I forgot the pine nuts so I'm sure that would have add an additional layer of flavor. For next time though I'm thinking of adding sage. Pros: Lots of leftovers! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
01/26/2012
This is a great recipe and a big hit with my family. I do make one change to the recipe; Instead of 100% squash I go 50% squash and 50% yams which tones down the squash. Other than that I follow the recipe. Read More
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EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
01/23/2012
Lots of taste - yummy combo of flavors This recipe is one of my favorites. It has a lot of flavor and seems filling and hearty but with lots of veggies and not much cheese at all (as compared to a typical lasagna). The combination of the squash and parmesan cheese is very tasty and the milk/leek sauce makes it taste creamy. I buy no boil noodles and pre-shredded cheese and I use a food processor for the squash to cut down on time. I also use delicata squash (doesn't need peeling) as well (the smaller the squash the sweeter/tastier it will be). Lastly I toast the pine nuts in the toaster oven for a light cycle which for some reason seems easier than toasting on the stove. This also freezes/re-heats very well. I usually freeze half of the lasagna in individual portions which is great for weeks when I don't have time to cook. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 5 stars
12/24/2011
Absolutely delicious and not that complicated to make. Read More
niferwolfe@aim.com
Rating: 5 stars
12/01/2011
As other reviewers suggested adding more spices I followed and doubled spices as well as added 2 cloves of garlic 2 tsp of pepper and more parmesan reggiano. The result was a completely delicious dish that will become a fall staple. Also to save time and energy/frustration on this recipe soak your noodles in hot water while preparing the rue instead of boiling them. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
This was warm and completely satisfying. A wonderful fall dish. Even non-vegetable lovers liked it. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
If you like butternut squash and fall flavors you will love this recipe. My family was divided -- it was a love it or hate it dish. Definitely an aquired taste. If you like squash it's well worth the effort! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
Quite simply one of the most delicious recipes ever. A huge favorite with non-healthy picky and healthy eaters alike. It's absolutely wonderful. Read More
kaykaypee1@aol.com
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
This was okay...not sure if I would make it again. My dish was completely full to the top and overflowing unlike the photo. I used exactly what the recipe called for also. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
The results of this dish were extremely disappointing. The ingredients were overstated one each of a 2 pound butternut squash and three each of the large leeks would have been more than sufficient. This amount of time required to create this rather bland and tasteless dish were not justified. Read More
carynrybs
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
Pretty easy but bland and unexciting. Needs some more herbs or something. Read More
cheryl.weir99@gmail.com
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
This recipe is really labor intensive so I took the short cut of using the food processor for the squash. Even so the results didn't warrant the effort. The dish was edible but really really bland. I went out and bought a pound of unsalted butter just to saute the leeks but probably should have used some of the salted stuff in my freezer. I probably could have doubled all the spice additions doubled the toasted pine nuts doubled the cheese (maybe added a layer of mozzarella) and had a better result. I've got it "resting" in the fridge for a couple of days after which I'll try doctoring the top layer and re-baking. Unless the resting period works miracles I'll never use this recipe again. I'd certainly never serve it to friends. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
I love squash & leek. And I love lasagna! This seems like an interesting spin and I can't wait to try it. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
Oh my gosh this is so good. It's a little time intensive but not difficult. I used the food processor to grate the squash. The flavor is lovely with the thyme leeks and nutmeg. Yum. Read More
aubdaub5@gmail.com
Rating: 4 stars
10/30/2011
This is some of the best lasagna I have ever made. Great dish. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
We absolutely LOVED this recipe as did everyone I've served it to. It is well worth the time needed to make it. It's just unfortunate that it takes so long to peel the squash. But yea for fall and winter squashes! Enjoy. Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
Very tasty! Loved finding a new way to use butternut squash besides roasting or using in soups. Thanks! Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
This is pretty yummy! Grating the squash was time consuming but that is okay. Unlike other reviewers I thought the spices flavor the dish well. I can really taste the nutmeg and thyme in each bite. I did add more cheese and pine nuts than the recipe called for. I will make again when I feel like grating all of that squash. Read More
Andrea Koder
Rating: 3 stars
10/29/2011
Labor intensive and pricey I was looking forward to trying a new recipe for lasagne like this one. I have to say the produce portion of this dish were expensive for me. I live in Chicago where we have tons of cheap produce markets however the leeks were 1 each on top of the costs for everything else. Considering you don't use much of the leek I feel that's wasteful for the cost. Like others I used my food processor to shred the squash which definitely cut down on some time so I would absolutely recommend that solution if possible. All in all the flavors were so-so for me and I don't know if I would spend the time to make this again. I would add a little more nutmeg next time maybe use a bay leaf in the sauce too and use fontina cheese instead of parm. Pros: A new way to make lasagne Cons: Ingredients aren't cheap and creating the dish is very labor intensive Read More
EatingWell User
Rating: 4 stars
10/29/2011
This is a great recipe I've made this many times since the recipe was printed in 2006 and I'm going to make it this weekend. Yes it's labor intensive. Have you met a lasagne that wasn't? But it is delicious I even like it cold for breakfast. Definitely use the food processor for the squash and cheese don't forget the S&P. Read More
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