Butternut squash lasagna isn’t terribly original.  In fact I’m pretty sure I’ve seen Rachel Ray do it, which means I usually pass but in this case I decided I’d give it a go.  Every gluten-free, paleo, low-carb blogger seems to have their own recipe.  I wanted to try and incorporate some signature “SCD” foods into mine, such as my homemade goat milk yogurt and favorite store bought (but still SCD legal) marinara.

I was really happy with the result!  It was hearty and the squash “noodles” held up very well.  Mike and I both agreed that similar to pasta lasagna, it actually tasted better re-heated!  I’ll definitely be making this again soon!

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Butternut Squash Lasagna– cook in 10.5 by 7.5 inch pan

 Ingredients:

• 1 medium butternut squash (Try to get one with a long “neck”)
• ½ cup SCD Yogurt (Goat milk yogurt is my favorite for this recipe)
• ½ lb. ground beef
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I like havarti, aged cheddar, and goat cheddar)
• 1 TBS basil
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp chili powder
• 2 cups SCD legal marinara sauce (I use Lucini)
• 2 TBS coconut oil

 Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Place squash in oven for 10 minutes to soften before removing.  Continue to heat oven.
2. Mix together all spices.  This will make about 4 TBS of spice.
3. Combine ground beef with 1 TBS of spice mixture.  Mix well, using hand to combine if necessary.
4. Heat 1 TBS of coconut oil in a 10-inch skillet.  When hot, add ground beef and brown, stirring to prevent burning.  Decrease heat to medium to avoid burning if necessary.  Once it has finished cooking, drain oil and fat.  Keep warm.
5. Remove squash from oven.  Use mandolin to slice squash into long pieces, approximately ¼ inch thick and 4-5 inches long.  If you don’t have a mandolin slicer, use knife to slice thinly.  You will need enough slices to create 3 layers of “pasta”.  How many slices you need will vary, depending on the size of your squash.
6. Use the second TBS of coconut oil to coat the bottom of your pan, so that the first layer of “pasta” does not stick to the bottom.
7. Assemble your lasagna!
   • First a layer of butternut squash
   • Next, spread a thin layer of yogurt followed by a layer of cheese
   • Sprinkle 2 tsp of your spice mixture
   • Add a portion of the ground beef
   • Top with about ¾ cup marinara
   • Repeat!
   • After you have three layers of squash, conclude with adding a final layer of cheese after the marinara
8. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  Serve while hot or refrigerate and re-heat.  The advantage of refrigerating and reheating is the squash will have absorbed more of the marinara, making it less saucy and more like lasagna.  Delicious either way!