Butternut Squash + Kale Lasagna

I can remember the exact moment I fell in love with the taste of butternut squash.

I was gifted some butternut squash ravioli's in a butternut squash sauce (homemade) and I thought I had died and gone right to heaven. 

So rich. So delicious. 

Butternut squash lends it's self so well to pasta as the sauce and as it's partner in crime. 

Sometimes I think we run out of ideas for butternut squash...or have no ideas from the beginning.  Well this lasagna is a great idea to put a whole (medium size) squash to good use in 1 dish. 

Butternut Squash + Kale Lasagna

1 1/2 - 2 cups butternut squash puree

1 cup ricotta

A few tablespoons of milk (don't get too carried away here)

salt

Lasagna noodles (I used 9), cooked  

1 bunch of kale, sauteed with a little olive oil and garlic (NOTE: feel free to substitute collards, spinach, or swiss chard in place of kale) 

mozzarella (1-2 bags depending on how cheesy you want it)

The Butternut Squash: 

Line a baking sheet with parchment or tin foil and bake a whole squash at 400 until knife tender. Remove from the oven. Remove ends and slice in half to let it cool a little bit. Carefully scrape out the meat into a food processor. Process until smooth. Measure out your 1 1/2 - 2 cups of squash and return it back to the food processor. Now add the 1 cup of ricotta, milk, and salt. Combine completely. 

The Kale: 

Wash and rip kale from it's center stalk. Add to a pan with some olive oil, sea salt and minced garlic. Cook until tender and bright green. 

Everything Else: 

While I'm cooking the kale I have the noodles boiling as well.  I've also finished the butternut squash "sauce" and  have it sitting off to the side waiting for action! 

Place a little bit of butternut sauce on the bottom of the pan you're using.

Then start layering. 

Noodles

Butternut Sauce

Kale, nicely spread out and displayed

Mozzarella cheese

REPEAT 1 more time. 

You'll do 3 layers of noodles but only 2 of kale. The last layer you'll have noodles, sauce and cheese. 

Cover with tin foil and bake at 375 for about 30 minutes. Uncover and cook 10 - 15 more minutes.