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Butternut Squash Lasagna
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
See this recipe on air Thursday Nov. 17 at 9:00 PM ET/PT.
Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Cook's Note: The no-boil lasagna noodles can be substituted with fresh
spinach lasagna sheets. Look for fresh lasagna sheets in the
refrigerated section of specialty markets.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into
1-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup water
3 amaretti cookies, crumbled
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
Pinch nutmeg
3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
12 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the
squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water
into the skillet and then cover and simmer over medium heat until the
squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool
slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the
amaretti cookies and blend until smooth. Season the squash puree, to
taste, with more salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add
the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring
to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer
until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes.
Whisk in the nutmeg. Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a
blender*. Add the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce
to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt
and pepper, to taste.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375° F.
Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup
of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles
on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the
noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup
of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times.

Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40
minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over
the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the
top is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes
before serving.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to
cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food
processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender,
release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that
creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine,
pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Episode#: EI1E05
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