This Mary Berry Butternut Squash Lasagne is a hearty and comforting recipe, which is made with sweet roasted butternut squash, spinach, and a creamy Gruyère cheese sauce. It’s a classic, foolproof recipe, perfect for a crowd-pleasing vegetarian dinner.
Mary Berry Butternut Squash Lasagne Ingredients
For the Vegetable & Tomato Sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 225g (8oz) butternut squash, peeled and chopped into small cubes
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 225g (8oz) chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped thyme
- 100g (3½oz) spinach, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the White Sauce (Béchamel):
- 75g (2½oz) butter
- 75g (2½oz) plain flour
- 900ml (1½ pints) hot milk
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 100g (3½oz) Gruyère cheese, grated
To Assemble:
- 6–8 sheets of dried lasagne
- 250g (9oz) mozzarella, chopped into small cubes
How To Make Mary Berry’s Butternut Squash Lasagne
- Make the vegetable sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large, deep frying pan. Add the butternut squash, red pepper, onion, and garlic and fry over a moderate heat for 4–5 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Add the mushrooms, canned tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, cover with a lid, and simmer over a low heat for 20–30 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the spinach and toss until just wilted.
- Make the white sauce: While the vegetable sauce simmers, melt the butter in a separate saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux. Gradually whisk in the hot milk until the sauce is smooth and thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the Dijon mustard and half of the grated Gruyère cheese. Season well.
- Prep the oven and assemble the first layer: Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6. Spoon one-third of the tomato and vegetable sauce over the base of a large ovenproof dish. Spoon one-third of the white sauce on top.
- Continue layering: Arrange a single layer of lasagne sheets over the white sauce, then scatter over half of the mozzarella cubes. Spoon half of the remaining tomato sauce on top, followed by half of the remaining white sauce. Arrange another layer of lasagne sheets and scatter over the remaining mozzarella.
- Top and bake: Spread the rest of the tomato sauce on top, followed by the rest of the white sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère cheese. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling around the edges.
Recipe Tips
- How to get the best flavor? Mary Berry suggests preparing this dish the day before if you can. This allows the dried lasagne sheets time to soften in the sauces, which results in a more tender and flavorful bake.
- Can I use fresh lasagne sheets? Yes, Mary’s recipe assumes dried sheets. If you use fresh, you can skip the overnight rest and bake the lasagne straight away.
- How to make a smooth white sauce? The key is to use hot milk and to add it gradually to the butter and flour roux, whisking constantly. This prevents lumps from forming and creates a silky-smooth béchamel.
- Can I use different vegetables? Absolutely. This is a great recipe to adapt. You could add roasted courgettes (zucchini) or aubergines (eggplant) for extra depth.
What To Serve With Butternut Squash Lasagne
This rich and hearty vegetarian lasagne is a complete meal, but it’s traditionally served with:
- A crisp green salad with a simple vinaigrette
- Warm, crusty garlic bread
- A side of steamed green beans
How To Store Butternut Squash Lasagne
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container or tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: This lasagne freezes very well, either baked or unbaked, for up to two months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before baking or reheating.
Butternut Squash Lasagne Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 567 kcal
- Fat: 30.5g
- Carbohydrates: 48.3g
- Protein: 25.9g
Nutrition information is estimated and may vary based on ingredients and cooking methods used.
FAQs
Yes. While Gruyère provides a wonderful nutty flavor, you can substitute it with a strong, mature Cheddar cheese in the white sauce and on top.
This can happen if the vegetable sauce is too thin. Ensure you simmer it for the full 20-30 minutes, allowing it to reduce and thicken before you start layering.
It’s not essential, but it is Mary Berry’s top tip for this specific recipe. It guarantees the dried pasta will be perfectly cooked and tender. If you’re short on time, you can par-boil the dried pasta sheets for a few minutes before layering.
Try More Recipes:
- Mary Berry Fish Lasagne Recipe
- Mary Berry Aubergine Lasagne Recipe
- Mary Berry Sausage Lasagne Recipe
Mary Berry Butternut Squash Lasagne Recipe
Description
A hearty and comforting vegetarian lasagne from Mary Berry, packed with sweet butternut squash, mushrooms, and spinach in a rich tomato sauce and creamy Gruyère béchamel.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make the vegetable sauce: Sauté squash, pepper, onion, and garlic. Add mushrooms, tomatoes, purée, sugar, and thyme. Simmer for 20-30 mins until tender. Stir in spinach.
- Make the white sauce: Melt butter, stir in flour to make a roux. Gradually whisk in hot milk until smooth and thick. Stir in mustard and half the Gruyère.
- Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C Fan.
- Layer the lasagne in an ovenproof dish: Start with ⅓ tomato sauce, then ⅓ white sauce, then a layer of pasta and half the mozzarella.
- Repeat the layers, finishing with a final layer of both sauces on top.
- Sprinkle with the remaining Gruyère cheese.
- (Optional: Rest in fridge for 6 hours or overnight). Bake for 45 minutes until golden and bubbling.
Notes
- Mary Berry’s top tip is to assemble this dish the day before you bake it to allow the dried pasta sheets to soften in the sauce.
- Using hot milk when making the white sauce helps it to thicken more quickly and smoothly.
- Freshly grated Gruyère cheese will melt much better than pre-shredded varieties.
- This is a fantastic make-ahead meal for entertaining or for a comforting family dinner.
