Turkey Day for Vegetarians

I'm kinda, sorta, a little bit of a vegetarian (although I enjoy a good steak every once in a blue moon). Therefore, I'm always looking for new recipes around the holidays since my family serves turkey and ham for dinner. I don't ever eat either of those, but fortunately enough, my family makes some killer side dishes.

Anyway, I came across a scrumptious looking meatless lasagna that would be perfect for Thanksgiving and felt like I couldn't keep this secret to myself. If you like Butternut Squash then you're in luck!

Ingredients: (serves 8)

3 1/2 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 lb whole milk ricotta cheese

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 large egg yolks

1/2 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated

freshly grated nutmeg

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/3 cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped

1 1/4 cup homemade (or store bought) low-sodium chicken stock

fresh lasagna noodles (you'll only need 1/2 the batch) cut into 4-by-13 inch strips and cooked, or store bought dried noodles, cooked

1 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. Toss squash, oil, and 1 tsp salt on a baking sheet. Season with pepper. Bake until light gold and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool.

2. Reduce oven to 375. Combine ricotta, cream, yolks, mozzarella and a pinch of nutmeg in a medium bowl. Season with salt.

3. Melt butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. As soon as it starts to sizzle, add sage, and cook until light gold and slightly crisp at edges, 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Place squash in a medium bowl, and mash 1/2 of it with the back of a wooden spoon, leaving the other 1/2 in whole pieces. Gently stir in sage-butter mixture and stock. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Spread 3/4 cup of ricotta mixture in a 9-cup baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1/2 the butternut squash mixture over noodles. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1 cup of ricotta mixture over noodles. Repeat layering once more (noodles, squash, noodles, ricotta). Sprinkle parmesan over ricotta mixture.

6. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until cheese is golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

I hope you enjoy this yummy vegetarian dish. Because it's lasagna, it doesn't have to just be prepared during the holidays! It's simple to make and tastes like gold!

*Add a cute centerpiece and your family will think you've paid someone to do all the hard work. An informal arrangement of kumquats, squashes, pumpkins, and any other orange vegetables or fruits you can find, prepared in a small compote, will look nicely put together.