A piping-hot homemade lasagna is one of the greatest comfort foods of all time, but unfortunately this gloriously rich and decadent dish can be a touch unkind to the figure. So when you’re trying to watch your waistline, but are craving some old fashioned comfort, try this creamy, dreamy (and healthy) butternut and veg lasagna recipe instead.
By making use of low-fat ingredients and using the butternut as a bechamel sauce substitute, you can now enjoy a delicious vegetarian lasagna with half the calories and twice the yum. Here’s how to do it.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 450g cubed butternut
- 240ml vegetable stock
- 240ml fat-free milk
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 small onion, diced
- 75g pecorino cheese, grated
- 90g low-fat mozzarella cheese, grated
- 30g parmesan cheese, grated
- 180g low-fat ricotta cheese
- 400g button mushrooms, sliced
- 900g Swiss chard, thinly sliced
- 3 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted and chopped
- Whole-wheat lasagna noodles
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- Dash of ground nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 190°C.
- In a saucepan add a drop of olive oil and saute the garlic.
- Once the garlic has browned add the butternut, veg stock (keep one Tbsp of stock aside for later), and milk, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a medium heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the butternut is tender.
- Remove from the heat and put the mixture into a blender.
- Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- Blend until smooth.
- Place blended squash mixture in a bowl and add the pecorino and half of the mozzarella cheese.
- Mix until smooth and set to one side.
- In a large pan on a medium heat add some olive oil and sauté the onion.
- Add the mushrooms and cook until brown and the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the Swiss chard and the one Tbsp of veg stock that you have kept aside.
- Cook until the Swiss chard is nicely wilted.
- Place the mushroom and Swiss chard into a sieve and drain for 5 minutes. Be sure to drain the swiss chard and mushrooms thoroughly otherwise you’ll end up with a watery lasagna.
- Add pine nuts and toss.
- Lightly grease a glass or ceramic baking dish with a dash of olive oil.
- Spread ½ a cup of the butternut sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Place enough lasagna sheets over it to cover the sauce without overlapping.
- Place a layer of Swiss chard mixture over the lasagna sheets.
- Dollop some ricotta cheese over the mushroom mixture.
- Continue to layer until your baking dish is full or you have finished your ingredients, be sure that your top layer is the butternut sauce.
- Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over the top.
- Cover with foil and place in the center of the preheated oven.
- Bake for 30 mins.
- Once you have baked it for 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the cheese starts to bubble.
- Allow the healthy butternut and veg lasagna to stand for 10 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
