Skillet Lasagna Butternut Spinach (Printable Version)

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 cups butternut squash, cut into 2 cm cubes (from about 1 small, 570 g squash)
02 - 1 10-ounce (285 g) package frozen spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained

→ Oils and Seasonings

03 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
04 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
05 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
06 - 2 teaspoons dried basil
07 - 1 teaspoon dried parsley

→ Sauce

08 - 1/3 cup water
09 - 1 jar (680 g) marinara sauce, preferably roasted garlic basil variety

→ Protein

10 - 1 pound (454 g) ground Italian chicken sausage or Italian turkey sausage, sweet or spicy

→ Cheese

11 - 1 cup (240 g) part-skim ricotta cheese or low-fat cottage cheese
12 - 1/2 cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese, divided
13 - 1 cup (110 g) shredded fontina cheese, divided (substitute with mild provolone, gruyère, or mozzarella as needed)

→ Pasta

14 - 6 no-boil oven-ready lasagna noodles, preferably whole wheat

# Step-by-Step Directions:

01 - Position one oven rack in the center and another in the upper third of your oven. Preheat to 190°C.
02 - In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add butternut squash, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, dried basil, and dried parsley. Stir well, then add water. Cover and cook for around 15 minutes until squash is softened.
03 - Transfer softened squash to a large mixing bowl and discard any remaining water. Using a fork or potato masher, mash squash thoroughly, then stir in the marinara sauce until combined.
04 - Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, breaking up the sausage, until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes.
05 - Incorporate drained spinach into the sausage and cook for another 1-2 minutes until any residual moisture has evaporated. Remove from heat. Transfer sausage-spinach mixture to a separate bowl and mix in ricotta and 1/4 cup (25 g) Parmesan cheese.
06 - Lightly coat the skillet with nonstick spray or a drizzle of olive oil.
07 - Spread 1 cup of the squash-marinara mixture evenly on the bottom of the skillet. Place 2 lasagna noodles over the sauce. Spread half the sausage-ricotta mixture over the noodles and sprinkle with 1/3 cup of fontina cheese.
08 - Add 2 more lasagna noodles, then spread with the remaining sausage-ricotta mixture, half the remaining squash-marinara, and the next 1/3 cup fontina.
09 - Top with the last 2 noodles, cover with remaining squash-marinara, remaining fontina, and sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan cheese over the top.
10 - Cover skillet tightly with a lid or aluminium foil. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until sauce bubbles and noodles are tender. If edges become dry, drizzle 60 ml water around the edges, re-cover, and continue baking as necessary.
11 - Move skillet to the upper rack. Broil uncovered for about 2 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, watching closely to prevent burning.
12 - Let the lasagna rest for 5 minutes before serving.

# Helpful Notes:

01 - If oven-ready lasagna noodles are unavailable, precook regular noodles for 1-2 minutes less than package instructions. Drain well; they should remain slightly firm before layering.
02 - Ensure the spinach is thoroughly drained to prevent excess moisture in the final dish.

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