Butternut Squash & Swiss Chard Lasagne With Bechamel Sauce

Sherri at the Beach's Note:

This recipe was posted on coconutlime blog spot and copied it so I can share it with my friends. It is a little labor intensive but worth the effort. A great way to use butternut squash and swiss chard. My deviation from the original recipe is to add mozarella cheese to make it even cheesier. I found the original recipe didn't bring out the flavors of the fresh herbs. This is also great served as a side dish (about 20 servings) but we tend to eat it as a main course with a green salad and garlic bread.

• Total Time: 2 hrs
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 12

Yield: 12.0 dinner ...

• 1 large butternut squash
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese , freshly grated
• 1 lb lasagna noodle
• 1 bunch swiss chard , chopped (stems and leaves separated)
• 1 onion , chopped
• 15 ounces low-fat ricotta cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (for squash)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (for saute)
• 15 leaves sage , fresh, chopped
• 1 teaspoon paprika , smoked
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg , fresh, grated
• 3 cups low-fat milk
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Brush squash with olive oil and place cut side down on baking sheet. Bake 30-40 minutes under fork tender. Cool then scoop out inside into mixing bowl. Mash and set aside.
2. Cook noodles as directed on package. Drain and set aside.
3. For the filling: Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the onions and chard stems. Cook until soft then add remaining chard and sage. Saute until chard is wilted. Remove from heat and allow to cool 10 minutes. Stir in ricotta, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and paprika. Set aside.
4. For the sauce: In a medium pan, melt the butter. Add the flour and salt and pepper to taste, and garlic. Cook a few minutes then whisk in the milk until sauce thickens. Stir in parmesan.
5. Preheat oven to 375. Spray a lasagne pan with cooking spray and then coat the bottom with a small amount of sauce. Lay in a layer of noodles, then half of the squash, 1 cup of mozzarella, half of the chard mixture.
6. In the same sequence, repeat layers until pan is full with a layter of lasagne on top with sauce covering the noodles. If desired, add more parmesan cheese on top.
7. Bake 40 minutes. Allow to sit 5 minutes, covered, before slicing and serve.