Winter Squash Lasagne with Sage, Walnuts & Black Kale

End of January sometime

I made this for a potluck a month ago and forgot to write about it. Everyone absolutely loved it. Lasagne usually takes quite a while to make, but this one wasn't too time consuming. This lasagne features a white sauce and is a little unusual because it is served over a bed of sauteed kale. (A little sign to that effect would be helpful at a potluck.) The combination of flavors was excellent. I used butternut squash that I had saved from my CSA subscription in the fall.

The recipe says this serves 6, but I think it was more like 8 or 10. The recommended wine is a Sonoma Zinfandel or a Chianti Classico. I had both and can confirm that they are indeed tasty with this.

Here's how to do it:

Combine 3 1/2 cups milk, 1 garlic clove, 1 slice onion, 1 bay leaf, and a couple parsley sprigs. Heat it up, but don't boil it. Turn off the heat and allow it to steep for 15 minutes or so.

Butter a 9x12 baking dish. I used a 10x13 and then didn't have enough ingredients to fill it. Go smaller and thicker, rather than larger. Preheat the oven to 375.

Peel and cube 1 large butternut squash. (You can buy peeled, cubed butternut squash to save time if you want.) Toast 1 cup walnuts or hazelnuts, and chop them. Chop 2 garlic cloves in with 20 sage leaves and 1/2 cup parsley. Dice one large onion. Heat some olive oil and sautee the onion and squash over high heat for about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and keep cooking another 10 minutes or so. Add garlic-herb mixture and nuts. Season with salt & pepper and turn the heat to very low.

Melt 3 1/2 T. butter in a saucepan, and stir in 3 1/2 T. flour. Strain the warm milk into the butter-flour mixture, whisking as you go. (This is called a roux.) Cook and stir 15-20 minutes until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Grate 1 cup Gruyere, and 1 cup parmesan.

Spread a little sauce in the bottom of the baking pan. Put 3 or 4 no-boil lasagne noodles in the bottom. Layer with squash mixture, sauce, cheeses, and another layer of noodles. Repeat until all are used, ending with cheese. Bake for 30 minutes covered with foil. Remove foil and bake another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let it rest while you cook the kale.

Remove kale leaves from their stems. Chop them. Heat oil in a skillet , add 2 chopped garlic cloves for a few seconds. Then add a pinch of red pepper flakes and the kale. Season with salt. Then add 2 cups water, lower the heat, cover and let it steam for 15 minutes or so. Taste it to make sure it's done.

Serve lasagne squares over the kale.

Approximate cost to prepare:
3 1/2 cups milk - $2.00
5 garlic cloves - $.25
1 large butternut squash - $2.50 (?)
20 sage leaves - $.50
1/2 c. parsley - $.20
1 large onion - $.25
1 cup walnuts - $2.00
3 1/2 T. butter - $.40
flour, oil, salt, pepper, pepper flakes - negligible
8 oz package no boil lasagne noodles - $2.00
1 cup gruyere - $2.00
1 cup parmesan - $1.50
3 bunches black kale - $7.50
TOTAL - $20.60 for 8-10 servings

Well worth the effort and cost for the incredible flavor and unusual kind of lasagne.