Chocolate Squash Lasagna

Another butternut squash arrived in my WGG box. I often replace tomato sauce in spaghetti or lasagna with either pumpkin or squash in the winter months because it is more readily available. Normally when I make anything with squash, I add a little sweetness to the sauce such as maple syrup, brown sugar, agave, etc. I had some baking chocolate left over from my chocolate pie that I have been saving to use in a savory dish. The Mexicans have mole, so I figured why not chocolate and squash? I know chocolate and squash are often mixed with a successful outcome in baked goods like breads and cookies, so I figured this should work, too. 

Let me just go ahead and say that the final result was pretty good; especially the leftovers we ate the next day after it had a chance to set. However, I do think this recipe could be improved upon. I think the next time I try this dish, I may enhance the flavor a little by add some spicy chili peppers. But I had a lot of fun mixing flavors and coming up with something completely new and different.

 

Ingredients

1 box of no boil lasagna noodles

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced

½ cup of water

3 tbsp of unsweetened baking chocolate

3 tbsp of brown sugar

½ onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, diced

Olive oil

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt and pepper

1 15oz container of ricotta cheese

2 eggs

4 cups of shredded mozzarella

1 package of baby spinach

3 tomatoes, sliced

Directions

First, peel and dice the butternut squash. As I have mentioned in previous posts, this is not by any means an easy task. I don’t really have any good tips except to make sure the squash is at room temperature, use a recently sharpened knife, and try not to hurt yourself. I have seen already cleaned and chopped butternut squash at Trader Joe’s, but what is the fun in that?

Next, in a large skillet, heat oil and add garlic, onion, and butternut squash. Sauté until the onion is translucent.  Add water, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the squash is thoroughly cooked. Once the squash is tender, remove from heat and let it cool for a few minutes before adding it to a food processor. Depending on your food processor size, you may have to make the sauce in batches. Blend until smooth. Remove the sauce from the processor and put it in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the chocolate, sugar, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

 (Full disclosure: in order to ensure proper bake times for the lasagna, these prep instructions are inspired by the cooking times and temperatures on the back of the lasagna noodle box.) Preheat oven to 375 and grease a 13*9 inch baking pan. In a medium sized bowl, mix 2 eggs, ricotta cheese, and 2 cups of mozzarella. Now you are ready to assemble your lasagna.

 

Your first layer should be the butternut squash sauce. Place a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
Next, lay 4-5 uncooked sheets of lasagna. It’s ok if they overlap a bit.
Now place a layer of the ricotta cheese mixture and some of the extra shredded mozzarella.
Then place a layer of baby spinach and sliced tomatoes.
Now you are ready for another layer of the sauce.

Repeat this sequence a few times until the dish is full. I filled the top level with all of the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese and tomatoes. 

Cover the lasagna with foil and bake for 50-60 minutes. Then bake it uncovered for about 5 minutes to melt the top cheese level. Let it sit for 15 minutes or so before cutting and serving it. The longer it sits, the better it will set up. This makes a lot of lasagna, so it’s great for sharing with friends or saving it for the next day's lunch. 

 

Ed’s verdict: I asked Ed what he thought about this dish. Before answering, he looked at me straight in the eyes. We both knew what he was about to say. His words fell softly and slowly across the table. “It was good”, he nodded. “But… it… would have… been… better… with… meat.”