This vegan butternut squash lasagna with mushrooms is savory, sweet, & perfect for company or a date night. It's comfort food, lightened up and elevated.
Make this lasagna the night before the company arrives for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or prepare on Sunday for a few days of leftover weeknight meals. There wasn't any lasagna left at Thanksgiving this year...the omnivores have spoken.
Looking for something a little faster? Check out this butternut squash alfredo or for kids, butternut squash mac. On the fancier side, this quick and easy spicy vodka sauce always impresses.
Have some leftover squash? Whip up this fall couscous salad or make butternut squash hummus.
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Ingredients
Lasagna & filling
- Sliced mushrooms
- Sliced onions
- Spinach
- Soy sauce
- Vegan mozzarella
- Lasagna noodles
- Cooking oil e.g. grapeseed, olive (not pictured)
- Salt
Cheese sauce
- Roasted butternut squash
- Sliced onions
- Garlic
- Thyme
- Salt
- Soaked cashews
- Soy sauce
- Cooking oil e.g. grapeseed, olive (not pictured)
- Pasta water
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
First, cube and roast the butternut squash. If you have no idea where to start, check out this handy guide. While the squash is roasting, place cashews in boiling water and simmer for 15+ minutes.
When butternut squash has 10-15 mins left, boil water for pasta in a large pot, adding 2-3 tablespoons of salt. If you've made butternut squash, your oven should still be at (or close to) 350 F.
Then prepare the rest of your veggies: slice onions, dividing into halves. Then slice mushrooms. Mince garlic and set aside.
To slice onions, find the "hairy" root. Remove the opposite side to create a flat edge. Place onion on flat edge, then split the root in half. Remove skin. Place the larger flat side down, and slice thinly starting from the side opposite the root.
Place half the sliced onions in a pan on medium heat with a splash of grapeseed oil. Once soft and slightly translucent (see image), add garlic and thyme. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, reducing heat to low, then remove from heat.
When butternut squash is done, place all sauce ingredients into the blender. Make sure everything is WARM or HOT so the sauce fully blends. Otherwise, you mind find little cashew bits. Start blending on low, and slowly increase speed. Blend for at least 2 minutes in a high-power blender (like a Vitamix).
Reminder: use extra caution when blending hot liquids.
Once the sauce is done, set aside, and begin working on onion & mushroom filling.
First, add the rest of the onion to a pan on medium heat with a splash of grapeseed oil. Cook until onions are translucent (just like the last round). Then add mushrooms and a pinch of salt.
Cook mushrooms until they release juices, then add soy sauce and spinach. Let spinach wilt (1-2 mins), then remove from heat.
Cook pasta noodles for half the recommended time (usually 4-6 minutes).
- Lasagna noodle tip #1: lasagna noodles with curly edges are less likely to stick.
- Lasagna noodle tip #2: cook noodles in smaller batches (e.g. 3-4 noodles) if you're worried about sticking
- Lasagna noodle tip #3: when noodles are finished, lay onto kitchen towel until ready to use. This way, your won't burn your hands trying to place a slippery noodle into place.
Finally, layer the lasagna. Start with a small layer of sauce. Then add noodles, sauce, mushroom & onion filling, and mozzarella. If you have extra squash cubes, layer those as well. Repeat until top layer. On top layer, add sauce & leftover mozzarella.
Cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes. To keep warm, lower heat to 200 F for up to 3 hours.
Hint: all ingredients must be HOT or WARM when blended. I usually leave cashews simmering until the last minute, and blend the sauce as soon as the squash comes out of the oven.
Substitutions & Variations
This vegan butternut squash lasagna is naturally vegan, egg-free and dairy free.
- Gluten-free: use gluten free noodles
- Vegetarian: use regular mozzarella instead of vegan mozzarella (though I highly recommend Miyoko's vegan mozzarella...)
This recipe does contain nuts, so if you have a nut allergy, try this butternut squash hummus instead.
For flavor variations, try:
- Spicy: add ¼ tsp chili pepper flakes to the sauce before blending
- Mushroom haters: slice mushrooms thinly, then slice into smaller pieces, a little bigger than a fingernail. The mushrooms will shrink when cooked, so texture shouldn't be an issue. They usual earthy mushroom flavor is masked by the soy sauce treatment.
- Extra savory: add some dried sage, and a hint of rosemary to the sauce. You can also sauté a peeled & diced apples with the onions and garlic, then blend into the sauce.
For something a little simpler (and mushroom-free), check out this butternut squash alfredo recipe.
Equipment
For this butternut squash alfredo recipe, there are a few pieces of key equipment:
- Casserole dish - most kitchens have pyrex (looks like glass) or ceramic - both are great for this recipe. We do not recommend using metal pans.
- Sautéing pan - a large, flat bottomed pan is best. I used my largest All-Clad pan.
- Blender - a high powered blender like a Vitamix is best, but use what you have. You may need to blend for longer in a less powerful blender. In a pinch, a NutriBullet will work, which is under $60 (though you may need to blend in batches).
You'll also need some basics like a chef's knife, cutting board, pasta pot, tongs etc.
Storage
Store the casserole in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat in the microwave, start with 1-2 minutes. To reheat in the oven, place a slice of lasagna in an oven-safe pan or dish, and heat at 350 for 10-15 mins.
You can also freeze individual lasagna slices. To reheat, bake at 350 for 25-40 mins.
Frequently asked questions
First, remove the ends. Then, separate the fat part from the skinny part. Cut the fat part in half and remove the seeds. Then stand up the halves and slice into planks. Place the skinny half on a flat edge and slice into planks. The slice into rods, then cubes. For more info (and pictures), check out this guide to roasted butternut squash.
Butternut squash has inherent sweet and savory flavors, so it's important to decide which you want to enhance:
Savory: thyme, rosemary, sage, onion, garlic, potatoes, mushrooms
Sweet: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, brown sugar, sweet potato
Other produce: apples, parsnips, carrots, spinach, kale
If you have leftover roasted potatoes, carrots, or apples, use in the filling of this vegan butternut squash lasagna.
YES, absolutely. Assemble the sauce and fillings then refrigerate until ready to cook. Or cook immediately, and leave in the oven at 200 F for up to 3 hours until ready to serve.
This is a great trick for entertaining, especially on holidays like Thanksgiving where oven space is scarce.
Top tip
The key to this vegan butternut squash lasagna is the sauce. All ingredients MUST be hot or warm so it blends fully.
Print
Vegan butternut squash lasagna
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Lunch and dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan butternut squash lasagna with mushrooms is savory, sweet, & perfect for company or a night in. It's the ultimate comfort food.
Ingredients
Cheese sauce
- 1 ½ cups roasted butternut squash
- ¾ cup softened cashews
- 1 shallot
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp dried thyme, or 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2-3 ladles of pasta water (¾ - 1 ½ cup, depending on your sauce and blender's power)
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 tsp grapeseed oil
- Salt to taste
Everything else:
- 1 large package mushrooms
- ½ large onion, sliced
- 2-3 cups spinach
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp grapeseed oil
- 8 oz vegan mozzarella
- 12-16 lasagna noodles
- Salt to taste
Instructions
1. Cube & roast the butternut squash: if you have no idea where to start, check out this handy guide. While the squash is roasting, place cashews in boiling water (use a small saucepan) and simmer for 15+ minutes.
2. Preheat ovens & boil water: boil water for pasta in a large pot, adding 2-3 tablespoons of salt. If you've made butternut squash, your oven should still be at (or close to) 350 F.
3. Prepare veggies: slice onions, dividing into halves. Then slice mushrooms. Mince garlic and set aside.
4. Saute onions, garlic, & thyme: place half of the sliced onions in a pan on medium heat with a splash of grapeseed oil. Once soft and slightly translucent, add garlic and thyme. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, reducing heat to low, then remove from heat.
5. Blend sauce: when butternut squash is done, place all sauce ingredients into the blender. Make sure everything is WARM or HOT so the sauce fully blends. Start blending on low, and work up to higher speeds, blending for at least 2 minutes in a high-power blender (like a Vitamix). Reminder: use extra caution when blending hot liquids.
6. Build the filling: add the rest of the onion to a pan on medium heat with a splash of grapeseed oil. Cook until onions are translucent. Then add mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook mushrooms until they release juices, then add soy sauce and spinach. Let spinach wilt (1-2 mins), then remove from heat.
7. Cook lasagna noodles for half the recommended time (usually 4-6 minutes).
8. Layer the lasagna: start with a small layer of cheese sauce. Then noodles, sauce, mushrooms & onions, and mozzarella. If you have extra squash cubes, layer those as well! Repeat until top layer. On top, add sauce & the rest of the mozzarella.
9. Bake: cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes. To keep warm, lower heat to 200 F for up to 3 hours. Enjoy!
Notes
Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 6 months
Reheat in microwave for 2-3 mins, adding time in 30 second increments as needed.
Reheat in oven for 15-20 mins in oven-safe dish. Double the time if reheating frozen lasagna.
Keywords: butternut squash lasagna, vegan butternut squash lasagna, roasted butternut squash lasagna, butternut squash lasagna recipe, butternut squash and spinach lasagna
Food safety
- Use extra caution when blending hot materials and liquids.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds - I love grapeseed oil!
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
The Hangry Chickpea
Family loved this recipe this Thanksgiving, will be a regular on our table each year!
★★★★★