One of our all-time favorite fall vegetables is the ever-versatile butternut squash! And after you try this lasagna, you’ll see why. What started as an attempt at gluten-free ravioli turned into something even more AMAZING! This new twist on classic lasagna swaps tomato sauce for a savory, creamy, butternut squash cashew sauce that pairs perfectly with lasagna noodles and sautéed kale and mushrooms.
This plant-based (and gluten-free optional) entreé is undeniably comforting and crowd-pleasing and will make an excellent addition to holiday dinner tables or as meal prep for the week’s lunches! Did we mention just 10 ingredients are required? Let us show you how it’s done!
Origins of Lasagna
Perhaps like many of you, we were under the impression that lasagna originated in Italy. Turns out, its origins are a bit more complicated!
Some say the concept originated in ancient Greece where layered dough sheets (called laganon) were cut into strips and baked. Others claim it resembles a Roman dish recorded in a cookbook from the 1st century AD. And still others place its origin in England or Italy in the 14th century, where cookbooks describe the concept of layering cheese and pasta in a dish and baking it. (Source)
The following is a plant-based twist on the soul-satisfying concept of layering “cheese” and pasta and baking in a casserole dish.
How to Make Butternut Squash Lasagna
The butternut squash component of this lasagna is the sauce! Butternut squash is roasted with garlic until both become tender and caramelized, then they’re blended with creamy cashews, lemon juice, salt, nutritional yeast (optional), and water.
The result is a smooth, balanced, rich sauce that takes the place of both the “cheese” and “sauce” layers of a classic lasagna.
For the noodles, you can go with any type you enjoy — regular, whole wheat, gluten-free (we like Tinkyada), grain-free. Or, if you’re feeling extra trendy and adventurous, we hear there are even chickpea lasagna noodles out there these days (let us know how they are in the comments if you try them)!
The final component is the sautéed onion, mushroom, and kale filling seasoned simply with salt, pepper, and (optional) dried thyme.
Layer it between comforting noodles and creamy sauce.
Then bake to bubbly perfection and garnish with vegan parmesan cheese and fresh basil for even more flavor!
We hope you LOVE this butternut squash lasagna! It’s:
Rich
Savory
Comforting
Saucy
Veggie-packed
& Crowd-pleasing!
It’s the perfect entrée for your holiday table, feeding a crowd, meal prep, and enjoying all fall and winter long! While plenty worthy as a standalone meal, it would also be delicious served with our Lemon & Herb Roasted Chicken, Easy 1-Pot Tomato Soup, or Lemony Arugula Salad with Crispy Shallot.
More Delicious Lasagna Recipes
- 8-Ingredient Zucchini Lasagna (GF)
- Lentil & Eggplant Lasagna
- Sweet Potato Lasagna
- Easy Vegan Lasagna
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Butternut Squash Lasagna (Vegan, GF Optional)
Ingredients
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SAUCE
- 1 small butternut squash (1 small squash yields ~2 cups or 480 g purée)
- 10-12 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
- 1 ¼ cup raw cashews
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1 ½ cups water (plus more as needed to blend)
NOODLES
- 10 ounces dry lasagna noodles (gluten-free as needed // we used Tinkyada)
- 1 Tbsp salt (for salting pasta water)
- 1/2 tsp olive oil
FILLING
- 1 ½ Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced (1 onion yields ~3 cups chopped)
- 6 cups roughly chopped cremini mushrooms
- 8 cups finely chopped kale (1 bundle yields ~8 cups)
- 1/2 tsp each sea salt and black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme (optional)
FOR SERVING optional
- Freshly chopped basil
- Vegan parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 F (218 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice your squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds, but leave the skin on. Rub squash flesh with a bit of oil. Place garlic cloves on the prepared baking sheet and top with squash cut side down (the scooped-out squash should cover the garlic so it doesn’t burn). Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the skin is blistered and golden brown and a knife inserted into the squash comes out very easily.
- While the squash is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles in the salted water according to package instructions or until al dente. Then drain, set aside, and gently toss with a little olive oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
- Heat a large rimmed skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until softened, then add the mushrooms and sauté another 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned. Then add kale, salt, pepper, and thyme (optional) and sauté for another 5-7 minutes or until tender.
- Once the squash is tender and cool enough to handle, scoop 2 cups (~480 g) roasted squash (adjust amount if altering number of servings) into a high-speed blender. Add roasted garlic cloves, cashews, lemon juice, salt, nutritional yeast (optional), and water and blend until smooth, adding more water and scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. It should be thick, creamy, and scoopable. Taste and adjust as needed, adding more salt for overall flavor, lemon for brightness, garlic for savory flavor, or nutritional yeast for cheesiness.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350 F (177 C).
- Assemble the lasagna in a 9 x 13 (or similar size) glass or ceramic baking dish. Add 1/2 cup (120 ml) sauce to the bottom of the pan and spread it evenly. Then add a layer of noodles followed by 1/3 of the filling. Repeat with two more layers of sauce, noodles, and filling. Then finish with a layer of noodles and the remaining sauce as the top layer (it should be a thicker layer fully coating the noodles).
- Bake lasagna at 350 F (177 C) for 30 minutes or until the top layer is slightly dry and a little darker in color.
- Carefully remove from the oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before serving. Then slice, serve, and enjoy. We recommend garnishing with freshly chopped basil and vegan parmesan cheese. See notes below for freezing instructions.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with 1/4 tsp of the salt in the pasta water (since the full tablespoon isn’t absorbed into the pasta) and without optional ingredients.
Anna says
What would be a good alternative to cashews to accommodate nut allergies?
Hi Anna, Sunflower seeds might work in place of the cashews or maybe 1/2-3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk (if not allergic) in place of the water + more squash to thicken? But we haven’t tried these modifications ourselves. Let us know if you give it a try!
Jaime says
This looks amazing but I really struggle with mushrooms. Any ideas on subs? Would finely chopped walnuts work here instead, or would I lose out on some moisture from the mushrooms?
Hi Jaime, We think more onion and kale plus red bell pepper, zucchini, and/or roasted eggplant would be nice. Or we could also see sausage (vegan, as needed) or lentils working well! Hope that helps!
Sara says
I made this last night and it was amazing. Deeply comforting and delicious. Will definitely make again! Thanks for another great recipe.
Yay! We’re so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and will be making it again. Thank you for another lovely review, Sara! xo
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing, Megan! xo
Grishma Patel says
HI there! this recipe is on my list for thanksgiving dinner!
One question for you
– Can I go ahead and use the quick / easy bake lasagna?
I will also add some ricotta into the lasagna filling as we are not completely against dairy !
Hi Grishma, We haven’t tested with no boil noodles, but other readers have reported success using no boil noodles by adding an extra cup of water to the sauce. Hope that helps! We’d love to hear what you think when you give it a try! xo
Megan says
Wow! I was so sure that this was going to be great that the doubled the recipe the first time making it and wow – this did not disappoint. Made for a special birthday meal and it was the star of the show!
Whoop! We’re so glad it was a hit at the birthday. Thank you for sharing, Megan! xo
Katie says
I made this for a second time in a month. This recipe is so delicious! I made a tofu ricotta to add to the layers and this will be forever in my rotation. You always knock it out of the park with your recipes!!
Aw, thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review, Katie! Great idea to add tofu ricotta for more protein. Thank you for sharing! xo
Abby says
This sounds delicious. Can I use a different type of pasta like rigatoni or fusilli? If yes should I adjust sauce amount ?
Hey Abby! That should work, but we don’t think it would have the same layers. It would be more of a pasta dish! The sauce should be the same if you use the same amount of pasta.
Heather says
Absolutely delicious! It was very time consuming so I definitely would recommend having everything in place and ready to go before you start. My kitchen was kind of a hot mess when I was done (that’s also really just on me though 😬). I couldn’t find cremini mushrooms so I used mini portobellos. Otherwise, I stuck to the original recipe. I would definitely make this again!
Thanks so much for sharing, Heather! We’re so glad you enjoyed! xo
Colleen says
Should I soak the cashews ahead of time like a lot of your other recipes require?
Hey Colleen! If you have a high-speed blender, soaking the cashews isn’t necessary in this recipe!
A. Robin Francis says
Could I use canned butternut squash puree,?
Thanks
Hi, we don’t think it would taste as good, but another reader reported it worked okay with 1 can of pumpkin, though it was more liquidy. You’ll still need to roast the garlic, or at least sauté it! Hope that helps!
Kristin Park says
This looks great! I occasionally will eat vegan but am not a fan of certain substitutes. Could you tell me how you would do the squash sauce if using dairy?
Hi Kristin, you might be able to do half and half (or heavy cream + water) in place of the cashews and water, but we haven’t tested it that way and aren’t sure if the sauce will turn out as thick. For serving, you can use regular (dairy) parmesan cheese. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Abby Cannon says
I made this an loooooved it! Have you ever tried using sweet potato instead of butternut squash? I’m only asking because I have a ton of the former and not one of the latter.
Hi Abby, we haven’t, but that sounds lovely! It may have a sweeter flavor. Let us know how it goes if you try it!
Kathi in NM says
A delicious lasagna concoction. To speed up preparation ( though not vegan) I substituted a jar of a high quality butternut squash pasta sauce.
Used drained frozen kale. Used no boil
lasagna noodles. Topped with grated Italian cheeses. Covered while baking to ensure noodles cooked adequately.Similar to another recipe I
make will add cooked lentils to boost protein.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kathi! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your shortcuts! xo
Andrea says
Excellent recipe!!! You guys have created so much joy in my household. We have dietary restrictions and are major foodies – your food philosophy lines up so well with our own, and ingredients are spot on. Just a note – the butternut squash – it took 2 small squashes to get 2 cups. I love how nutrient dense this is – the kale, mushrooms, squash, cashews – so much healthier than actual lasagna. Thank you guys!!!
Aw, this makes us so happy, Andrea! Yay for delicious food despite dietary restrictions. Thank you for sharing! xoxo
Jennifer says
I really appreciate your recipes. I was wondering if the Butternut Squash Lasagna work well if I added vegan ricotta (made from Okara)?
That would be a delicious addition! It will be extra rich and savory.
Kirsten DiGiorgio says
I always add layers of vegan ricotta when I make this. Always a crowd pleaser even with the non-vegans! I make my vegan ricotta by mashing tofu with garlic powder, salt, lemon juice and nutritional yeast. And there’s usually some leftover sauce to freeze to throw with some noodles for an easy weeknight dinner too. Delish!
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Kirsten!
jane says
Beautiful! I used fresh lasagne sheets and spinach instead of kale – just had to double the amount of spinach as 8 cups shrunk to nothing. This is on rotation for sure.
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Jane! Thank you for sharing! xo
Catherine says
Can this be made with fresh lasagna noodles and the day before?
Yes to both! For best flavor/texture, we would suggest assembling the day before and baking the day of, but it will work either way. Reheating in the oven is best if baking ahead.
Catherine says
Do I need to add water for the fresh pasta?
Hmm, good question! Maybe a little extra water in the sauce so it doesn’t dry out too much from the lasagna sheets soaking up extra moisture. Especially if you’ll be reheating it the next day.
Catherine Mirck says
Planning to prep Saturday and cook on Sunday.
It would probably still be good to add a little extra water (it shouldn’t hurt anything!).
EDWARD MORDEN says
Really good base dish as well. Made this with sliced brussel sprouts, I don’t even like b sprouts, Big crowd loved it. I can imagine a whole range of greenery.
Amazing! We’re so glad it was a hit. Thanks for sharing, Edward!
Tmoo says
Just made this… Delicious! I was out of onion (!) But it didn’t matter. Added a little sage to the veg. Didn’t have mushrooms so I added cauliflower and vegan meat crumbles to the kale. Will make this again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Sherry Considine says
Can I use no boil lasagna noodles for this recipe?? My damage this for me for my birthday and it was DELICIOUS ‼️ I want to make it but only have no boil noodles.
Hi Sherry, we haven’t tested with no boil noodles, but other readers have reported success using no boil noodles by adding an extra cup of water to the sauce. Hope that helps!
Shannon says
I love this recipe, I bring it every year for the plant bas d option at our big family holiday dinner. Even my meat eating cousins beg me to bring it.
Can you offer ideas what to do with the remaining roasted butternut squash that didn’t get used in the sauce? I have slightly over a half of roasted squash left.
Hi Shannon, yes! You could use it to make soup, pasta, or freeze for future uses. Hope that helps!
Carrie says
Can this be made with fresh lasagna sheets? And also frozen using fresh lasagna sheets?
Hi Carrie, yes, we think that would be fine!
Ellie says
I made this last night using the no-boil noodles. I think this was a mistake as there was not much moisture in the fillings. I ended up with a very dry lasagna. The flavors were great though! I love the butternut sauce amped up with a touch of white miso paste.
Sorry it didn’t turn out right, Ellie. We haven’t tested this recipe with no-boil noodles and do recommend cooking for best success. Other readers have had success using no boil noodles by adding an extra cup of water to the sauce, so perhaps that’s the trick?
Tina Dimitrion says
I just made this and my kale is not as bright green as in the picture. Should I next time saute the kale separate from the mushrooms? Looks like the recipe says to add to the same pan.
Looking forward to tasting this!
Hi Tina, it’s fine if it’s not bright green! If you want it to be more bright in color, you can cook it for less time next time.
theresa says
To clarify based on your note about making this freezer friendly: should i bake it before i freeze it? Or freeze unbaked? What have you tested? hosting a meat-lovers-meet-herbivore thanskgiving dinner, and looking for one less thing to prep day of… thanks!
Hi Theresa, freeze it unbaked. We hope you love it! Happy Thanksgiving!
Sarah says
I made this recently for a Friendsgiving and overall I’d say it was a hit! I followed the recipe with the exception of not having Thyme at home and it turned out pretty well. If I made this recipe again (which I’m totally saving because it was a great vegan meal) I would likely add some crushed red pepper to the sauce, and add some vegan parm cheese to the veggies like another person suggested. I used oven ready noodles and added a bit more water to the sauce as suggested and it turned out just fine.
Yum, those additions sound lovely, Sarah. Thank you for sharing! xo
Georgie says
Just wondering if you think I could use spinach instead of kale
Hi Georgie, yes! Spinach should work great in this recipe.
Marni Neuburger says
Can this be made ahead and not baked for about a day or so? Thank you!
Hi Marni, we haven’t tested that, but think it should work well. Let us know if you try it!
Chana Krevsky says
This was so delicious. I used a bit less lemon juice. Otherwise it was perfect. I used a square dish and liked that there was lots of sauce. Definitely worth the time to make it. Thank you!
We’re so glad it was worth it, Chana! Thank you for sharing! xo
Brittany says
This was super delicious and worth the time it took to make. I made a few alterations, but overall I can tell without them it would still be a hit! I added some fresh Sage and miso to the sauce, plus a bit of nutmeg as one user suggested. I also whipped up some tofu ricotta to add some extra depth and protein, it blended perfect with the sauce. I wasn’t sure if I should cover it with foil, so I did for about 20 minutes of the cooking and did 15 minutes uncovered. Everything was the perfect taste and texture, can’t wait for the leftovers!
Amazing! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Brittany! xo
Caroline says
I love this recipe! It turned out great and tasted so good. I didn’t change a thing. My non vegan friend loved it as well! I will be making it again. Thank you for another great recipe.
We’re so glad you and your friend enjoyed it, Caroline! Thanks for sharing. xo
Melissa says
Made this in a smaller tray, using no mushrooms and heart of palm lasagna. Really good! I need a better blender for cashews!
Lovely! Thank you for sharing, Melissa! A high-speed blender is definitely helpful for getting cashews to be super creamy.
Colleen says
Hi
Can you use oven ready lasagne noodles?
Thx!
Hi Colleen, Other readers have had success using no boil noodles by adding an extra cup of water to the sauce, but we haven’t tried it. Let us know if you do!
Bethany says
Without cashews in the pantry, I subbed cooked chickpeas in the squash sauce which thickened it wonderfully. Didn’t need to adjust any of the other ingredient amounts to taste but did add about 1/4 tsp nutmeg to the squash sauce. We mixed parmesan into the veggie filling and topped the lasagna with it before cooking. This is a cozy fall treat, thank you for the recipe!
Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing, Bethany! xo
Connie Lamberes says
I just made and ate all of this! This recipe was phenomenal! Loved it! I am single and have been eating this every morning for breakfast. It’s perfect and wouldn’t change a thing!
AMAZING! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Connie. And we love that you’ve been having it for breakfast! Thank you for sharing! xo