*Butternut Squash & Spinach Lasagna Rolls*

Yes, I am actually posting a recipe ... it's a surprise, right?! Since starting my new job in June (which I LOVE) I have been really focused & haven't been very creative with my cooking.  This week I decided to change it up a bit, & this recipe was fantastic.  It is perfect for Fall with the butternut squash parmesan sauce you make with garlic & shallots.  Jay O. is not a big veggie eater & loved this.  I highly recommend you try it this weekend if possible!!!

I will warn you, it is a tad time consuming.  I would make sure to have about 1  - 1.5 hour's on your hands to prepare the dish for baking.

The original recipe is from Gina's Skinny Taste Recipe's. 

The only thing I came across with the recipe was that putting 1/3 cup of the cheese/spinach mixture into each noodle did not quite make 9 rolls.  So, I would recommend adding additional cheese to your mixture, putting a little less in each roll, or just making 8 :-)



For the Butternut Parmesan Sauce:
1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh grated parmesan cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Lasagna:
9  lasagna noodles, cooked
10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, heated and squeezed well
15 oz fat free  or part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
salt and fresh pepper
~3 ounces part skim shredded Italian Blend Cheese
1 tablespoon parsley, minced

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Half butternut squash, remove seeds & excess fiber.  Then peel the outside of the butternut squash & cut squash into large cubes.  Add butternut squash to boiling water & cook until soft . Remove squash with a slotted spoon, reserve about 1 cup of the water and set aside, then blend until smooth with a food processor or immersion blender, adding 1/4 cup  of the reserved liquid to thin out.

Meanwhile, in a large deep non-stick skillet, add the oil, sauté the shallots and garlic over medium-low heat until soft and golden, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add pureed butternut squash, season with salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Add a snitch more of the reserved water to your desired consistency. Stir in ~2 1/2 Tbsp of the parmesan cheese and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Ladle about 1/2 cup butternut sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.

Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.

Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Ladle most of remaining sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 tbsp Italian cheese blend. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese is melted & bubbly.

To serve, ladle additional sauce onto plates & place lasagna roll on top (optional). 

As everyone says, "Happy Fall, Y'all!!!"