Squash and Broccoli Lasagna

Squash & Broccoli Lasagna with Béchamel

At the end of my produce share, and after Christmas, I find my refrigerator bursting with odds-and-ends. So, I put out a request for help what to do with a mish-mash of broccoli, heavy cream, butter,  acorn squash, cream cheese, shallots, and garlic. Thanks to my mother-in-law-in-law (is that even a thing? My sister's mother-in-law. Lets just say friend) Mo, she steered me in the lasagna direction. All I can say is- good job, Mo! So I google "squash lasagna" and made this. Wouldn't ya know it- I have no idea where that recipe is anymore. So I am going to have to improvise, although this recipes from the NY Times sounds close enough to me. Hopefully it works!

 

 

What-To-Get

1 acorn squash

3 large minced shallots 

1 minced garlic clove

3 cups broccoli floretts

1/2 package lasagna noodles

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups heavy cream  or milk or half-and-half

4 oz cream cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

4 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup) 

How-To-Do

1. Roast the squash: Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash in half and remove seeds. Brush the insides with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place cut-side down in a rimmed baking dish and fill with 1-inch of water. Roast in oven 45 minutes - 1 hour or until tender when pierced with fork. Allow to cool and remove skin and cut into 1-inch chunks.

2. Make the béchamel: Heat the remaining oil over medium heat in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, until it has softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and bubbling, but not browned. It should have the texture of wet sand. Whisk in the cream all at once and bring to a simmer, whisking all the while, until the mixture begins to thicken. Add cream cheese until melted. Turn the heat to very low and simmer, stirring often with a whisk and scraping the bottom and edges of the pan with a rubber spatula, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce is thick. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

3. Boil noodles & broccoli: In a large pot of salted boiling water fitted with a basket steamer, add broccoli and blanch for no more than 3 minutes, until bright green.  remove broccoli and steamer basket. Add lasagna noodles and cook 2 minutes short of package directions. Drain.

4. Assemble & bake lasagna: Spread some of the béchamel in a bottom of a 8x8 baking dish, just until the bottom is covered. Lay noodles across and then add squash and broccoli, top with béchamel and parmeasean cheese. Repeat until you tower of lasagna has reached its peak. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until the cheese is melty and bubbly. (It freezes well- make the lasagna and do not bake it. When ready to eat- take out of freezer hours before and bake at 350, over an hour.)