Autumn Lasagna (Fall Colors- Year Five: Volume 8; November, 2014)

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 1 hour, 25- 40 min
Ready in: 2 hours, 25- 40 min
Serves: 10- 12

Ingredients: 
SAUCE:
3 heads garlic- tops cut off
3 T. olive oil- plus more for drizzling
1 T. + 1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 lb. butternut squash- peeled and cubed
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 c. chicken stock- warm
2 c. half and half- warm
4 oz. mascarpone cheese
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese- grated

LASAGNA:
2 T. olive oil- plus more for drizzling
1 1/4 lb. ground turkey
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 clove garlic- minced
2 tsp. fresh sage leaves- chopped
12 lasagna noodles- cooked
4 c. spinach leaves
4 c. mozzarella- shredded

Directions:
- Preheat the oven 400
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil
- Drizzle a little olive oil over garlic and sprinkle 1/2 tsp. salt over top
- Wrap each head of garlic tightly in foil and place directly onto oven rack (on the side) to roast
- Once garlic has roasted for about 10 min, toss together squash with 3 T. olive oil, 1 tsp. salt, pepper and Italian seasoning
- Turn squash out onto lined baking sheet and place it in oven next to garlic to roast alongside until squash is very tender, about about 30- 35 min
- Once squash is tender, remove from oven, along with garlic, and allow to cool slightly, so they can be handled
- Once slightly cooled, squeeze cloves of garlic from heads, mash lightly with a fork, and set aside
- Divide squash and garlic into thirds
- Put one portion of each into bowl of a food processor and process until it is a smooth purée
- Turn purée into a large pot
- Repeat pureeing process with remaining squash and garlic portions, adding to pot once puréed
- Place pot with purée onto low heat and add in chicken stock and warm half and half
- Carefully whisk or stir to completely incorporate
- Add in mascarpone and Parmesan cheeses and 1 T. salt
- Stir to combine until cheeses are blended in completely
- Remove sauce from heat and set aside until ready to use for lasagna
- Preheat oven to 350
- Place a large, non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil
- Once olive oil is hot, add ground turkey and break up meat into crumbles
- Add 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic and stir to incorporate
- Cook turkey until cooked through and no longer pink, about 5- 10 min
- Remove from heat and stir in sage
- Set aside to slightly cool
- To assemble the lasagna, add about 1 c. sauce to bottom of a 12x10x2” (roughly) baking dish
- Add 4 cooked lasagna noodles over sauce
- Pour another 2 c. sauce over top of noodles
- Add about half of the meat
- Spread about 2 c. spinach leaves
- Drizzle lightly with olive oil
- Sprinkle about 1 c. of mozzarella
- Repeat layering process- starting with 4 noodles and ending with mozzarella again
- Place remaining noodles on top and pour remaining sauce over top
- Pour and smooth out remaining sauce over noodles
- Sprinkle remaining mozzarella over the top
- Add remaining Italian seasoning over cheese
- Place lasagna in oven to bake until cheese is melted and lightly golden, about 30- 35 min
- Serve while hot


*Julie found recipe here