Turkey Sausage and Butternut Squash Lasagna

Turkey Sausage and Butternut Squash Lasagna

This recipe is a slightly adjusted version of a recipe from a friend of a friend.  I used skim milk, because I always try to keep things on the lighter side.  It turned out well, but if you're not as concerned about calories I think you'd get an even better flavor using 2% or whole milk.  Next time I think I'd also consider adding a layer of sauteed spinach, because I really like the pairing of greens and butternut squash.

-1 Tbsp olive oil
-1 yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
-Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
-1 lb Italian Turkey sausage, casings removed
-1/2 stick butter
-1/4 cup all purpose flour
-3 cups milk
-1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
-1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
-1 Tbsp minced fresh sage
-15 whole wheat lasagna noodles, soaked in hot tap water for 20 minutes
-3 lbs butternut squash, neck portion only, peeled and sliced into wide thin sheets (quickly did this in my food processor)

Heat the oil in a large non-stick fry pan, over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl.  In the fry pan over medium-high heat, cook the sausage breaking it into small pieces, until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain the sausage on paper towels, then add the onion mixture.  In the fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the milk, increase the heat to medium-high and cook until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a separate bowl. Stir in 3/4 cup of the cheese, the 1/4 cup parsley, the sage, salt, and pepper.

To assemble the lasagna, spread 1/3 cup sauce on the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan and top with a single layer of 5 noodles. Top with a layer of squash slices, 1/2 the sausage, and 1/3 the sauce. Repeat the layering of noodles, squash, sausage and sauce.  Top with the remaining noodles, sauce, and 1/4 c cheese.  Transfer the pan to the oven and bake at 375 until the lasagna is browned and bubbly, about 35-45 minutes.