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This fall butternut squash lasagna swaps pasta for butternut squash and layered with chicken sausage, tomato sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella. It’s so delicious, you won’t miss the pasta!
Butternut Squash Lasagna
I’ve been making noodle-less zucchini lasagna for years, but now that fall is here, I wanted to try a variation with butternut. This butternut squash lasagna came out fabulous—perfect comfort food with more nutrients and veggies. I really love the flavor the Italian chicken sausage adds to the sauce. More of my favorite winter squash lasagna recipes are these Butternut Squash Lasagna Roll Ups, and Spaghetti Squash Lasagna.
Why This Butternut-Sausage Lasagna Works
- Healthy: This butternut squash lasagna with no pasta has more fiber and fewer carbs than most lasagna recipes. It’s also gluten-free.
- High Protein: It has 29 grams of protein!
- Meal Prep: Make this dish on a Sunday when you have more time, and then all you have to do the next day for dinner is pop it in the oven.
- Cheesy: Part-skim ricotta and mozzarella reduce the calories while keeping the lasagna cheesy and creamy.
- Freezer-Friendly: This no-noodle butternut squash lasagna is excellent for freezing baked or unbaked.
Ingredients
- Sausage: Remove the casings from 14 ounces of Italian chicken sausage. I like Al Fresco and Premio.
- Onion and Garlic: Chop half of a large onion and mince three cloves.
- Crushed Tomatoes: You’ll need a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, like Tuttorosso.
- Herbs: Fresh, chopped basil and parsley
- Salt and Black Pepper to season the meat sauce
- Butternut Squash: Peel a large (three pounds or bigger) butternut.
- Cheese: Part-skim ricotta, grated Parmigiano Reggiano or parmesan, shredded part-skim mozzarella (My favorite is Polly-O.)
- Egg prevents the cheese mixture from running out of the lasagna when baked.
How to Make Butternut Squash Lasagna
- Meat Sauce: Brown the sausage in a large skillet. Add the onion and garlic, and after a couple of minutes, add the tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Butternut Squash Lasagna Noodles: Slice the squash into 1/8”-thick rounds with a spiralizer, mandolin, or sharp knife.
- Lasagna Filling: Combine the ricotta, parmesan, parsley, and egg.
- Layer the Lasagna: Spread sauce on the bottom of a 9” x 12” casserole or baking dish. Place 12 butternut slices over the sauce to cover the dish. Then continue layering in this order: ricotta mixture, mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce, butternut, ricotta, mozzarella, sauce, butternut, and sauce.
- Bake the lasagna covered with foil for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, which will help dry out excess liquid, and cook it for 30 minutes, until fork tender. Top the dish with the remaining cheese and bake until it’s melted and bubbling.
- Serving: Let the dish sit for five to 10 minutes before slicing it into eight pieces. If you cut it too soon, it’ll fall apart.
How to Make Butternut Squash Lasagna Noodles
Since butternut squash is such a large, hard vegetable, it can be difficult to handle. Below are some tips to make slicing it more manageable.
- Microwaving the squash for a minute or two can help make it easier to cut.
- Use the Whole Squash: When you get to the part of the butternut that has seeds, remove them with a fork and then continue to slice.
- The easiest way to cut the butternut into thin rounds is by using a good-quality spiralizer.
- Spiralizer Tips: First, I cut a slit lengthwise through the center so the pieces separate when spiralizing. Then, I used blade A on my spiralizer.
- Alternative Methods: A sharp knife or a good quality mandolin would also work (but be careful!). Mandolins can be dangerous, so I recommend wearing a cut-proof glove to avoid injuries.
Variations
- Spicy Lasagna: If you prefer some heat, use spicy Italian sausage or add crushed red pepper flakes.
- Sausage: Substitute Italian turkey sausage or pork for chicken.
- Vegetarian Butternut Squash Lasagna: Use a vegan sausage option or add more veggies like swiss chard or kale.
- Cheese: Swap ricotta for cottage cheese for extra protein.
- Egg Allergy? Omit the egg. The cheese mixture may be a bit runnier, but it’ll still taste good.
What to Serve with Butternut Sausage Lasagna
Here are some vegetable side dish ideas to serve with this healthy butternut squash lasagna.
How to Make Ahead
This lasagna is excellent for meal prep.
- Make it one day in advance. Cover it with foil and refrigerate.
- Place it on the counter for 30 minutes before baking to let it come to room temperature.
- Roast as instructed.
Storage
Leftover lasagna is great for lunch. It will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container or 3 months in the freezer and can be microwaved until warm. To prep and freeze ahead, cover with plastic wrap, then foil. Freeze up to 3 months. To bake, thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed.
More Butternut Squash Recipes You’ll Love
- Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Butter
- Spicy Butternut Squash Pasta
- Roasted Butternut Squash
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Spaghetti with Butternut Squash Sauce
Noodleless Butternut Squash Lasagna Recipe
This fall butternut squash lasagna swaps pasta for butternut squash layered with a chicken sausage meat sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella. Simply wonderful, you won't miss the pasta!
Yield: 8 servings
Serving Size: 1 /8th slice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 14 ounces Italian chicken sausage, casing removed (Al Fresco)
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes, I like Tuttorosso
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 large butternut squash, peeled, at least 3 lbs
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta
- 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, or Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
- 1 large egg
- 16 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, 4 cups total
Instructions
- In a large deep nonstick skillet, brown the sausage in olive oil, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon until cooked, about 5 minutes. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, salt and black pepper, to taste. Simmer on low, covered 15 to 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice butternut into 1/8″ thick rounds with a good quality spiralizer, or a mandolin (be careful) or a sharp knife. See notes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a medium bowl combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley and egg, mix.
- In a deep 9×12 casserole dish spread 3/4 cup of sauce on the bottom and layer 12 rounds of butternut slices to cover. Spread 3/4 cup of the ricotta cheese mixture, then top with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 1 cup sauce. Second Layer: Lay 12 more rounds of butternut, 3/4 cup ricotta mixture, 1 cup mozzarella and 1 cup sauce. Third Layer: 12 slices butternut, 1 1/2 cups sauce and cover with foil.
- Bake covered 30 minutes.
- Remove foil, cook uncovered 30 minutes (this helps dry out excess moisture). Top with remaining cheese and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbling, 5 minutes.
- Let stand about 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Slice into 8 pieces.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Notes
If using a mandolin to cut the butternut squash into rounds, I recommend using a cut-proof glove to avoid injuries.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 /8th slice, Calories: 402 kcal, Carbohydrates: 30 g, Protein: 29 g, Fat: 19 g, Saturated Fat: 10 g, Cholesterol: 109 mg, Sodium: 918 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 5 g
Categories:
We make this every year for Thanksgiving as a veggie main dish. We are vegetarians so we replace the sausage with hot Italian beyond sausage and it’s AMAZING. It’s the perfect dish for fall. Even meat eaters have told me that this dish would turn them vegetarian! Would highly recommend. 🙂
Love it!
Made this last night for my boys and so happy I did. Kid and hubby approved! So delicious. I only did 2 layers of squash and added some cubed fresh mozzarella to the top. This will be in our rotation from now on!
This recipe was delicious!!! I did not miss the noodles! I would make again but my husband and son prefer the pasta noodles. It was fabulous! Gina, your recipes are fantastic!
YAY
This was delicious! My whole family loved the squash in place of noodles, even my 8 yr old. The squash added a touch of sweetness, without being too “squash-y.” A great gluten free option, or just a way to incorporate more veg. Will definitely make again.
Made this last night… so very good shared with my friend at work. Everyone loved it de will make this again and again👍🏻❤️
This was way better than any lasagna I’ve had with traditional noodles. It was pretty easy to make as well. This will be a staple in our home from now on!
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Thanks Gina! I sent the recipe to all my friends. Exceeded my expectations. I love your zucchini lasagna as well, but like this one better as it has less overhead. Sooo good!
Great recipe, as always. Full of flavor and filling.
This was the tastiest lasagna I’ve ever had. I will definitely put this into rotation. The pasta wasn’t missed at all.
Has anyone tried using a good quality pasta sauce instead of the crushed tomatoes? I’m thinking Simone gourmet, roasted garlic, pasta sauce?
Any suggestions for making this vegetarian? Maybe a layer of sautéed mushrooms instead of sausage?
I was going to try Beyond Meat Sausage when I make it.
There is pre chopped butternut squash at my store. I may try that. Any advice? Slicing a squash is too tough on my hands
I would love an answer to your question too!!
Me too! I’m going to try and cut some of the larger chunks in half and try to spread an even layer of squash each time.
Yes, please I’d love an answer too! I may try on Monday!
It’s supposed to be sliced thin, like lasagna noodles. If thicker it will take longer to cook, I didn’t test it this way.
I am trying today. I didn’t do the chunks but the squash that was peeled and sliced in half. I am just thinking it may need to cook longer. But I also don’t feel like I had enough sauce to for the receipe. I feel like I missed somthing…
Mandolin is perfect, I bought 1/2 peeled squash…easy peasy. Any thoughts whether this will freeze better cooked or uncooked?
This recipe needs to be thin slices like a lasagna noodle.
I can’t wait to try this.. can I ask if the squash is precooked or sliced raw?
It’s raw.
How can I lower the sodium?
You can replace the sausage with ground meat
This is spectacular. Far better than regular lasagna – the butternut squash has much more flavour than regular lasagna noodles. This is definitely a company-worthy dish.
I love it. I used spark chicken bruschetta ground chicken. Delicious & roasted squash first.. sliced and peeled.
I have been making this lasagna for years now. Every time I share it with others I get rave reviews. It’s my favorite go-to recipe for healthy comfort food. I usually bake it, refrigerate it overnight. Cut 12 pieces and wrap individually in freezer saran wrap. Pull out a square when I don’t have lunch prepped so its perfect for on-the-go!
This has become my go-to fall-is-here-potluck-welcome-guests recipe. Everyone loves it — I have a few tweaks in that I use turkey Italian sausage, an extra can of crushed tomatoes and, I’ll be honest, more cheese. But so tasty and just right. (Oh, I also roast the butternut squash circles for about 15 minutes before assembling.)
The flexibility of it is the key.
Reading through all the reviews, I was wondering why no-one suggested pre-cooking, roasting or steaming the squash. This seems to be the ideal solution – nothing worse than finding the squash is still hard when everything else in the dish is ready.
Has anyone made this in advance?
I have made this dish for company probably 8 to 10 times. Without fail, they have asked me for the recipe. This is truly delicious comfort food that you can feel good about eating. Sometimes, because of dairy sensitive guests, I have used Violife mozzarella shreds and a homemade cashew ricotta. Still absolutely delicious.
Delicious, but I was able to get it down to 4 pts on blue. Used 2 cups mozzarella (2/3 cup each layer) and instead of chicken sausage used ground breast meat and added sausage spices (fennel seed, paprika, oregano, onion powder, red pepper flakes).
Tasted out of this world.
Can I make this a day ahead of time?
Any saucy cheesy dish is better the next day IMHO.
Hi,
Can this recipe be made with sweet potato? Thanks
My family loves all of your recipes! I can’t wait to try this one. Why brand/model spiralizor do you recommend ? I have been wanting one forever . This recipe is perfect excuse to order one!
I have the Inspiralizer.
This was delicious. I altered this recipe slightly — only mixed the ricotta and parmesan, used way less shredded mozzarella, and used ground turkey with Italian and cajun seasonings to make it spicier. My husband was very skeptical when I told him I used butternut squash instead of (gluten-free) noodles. He devoured it! This is another recipe I’ll be adding to our rotation. Thanks for all the great recipes! Keep them coming!
What happens a to the seeds in the squash though??
Made this tonight. Incredibly tasty and filling. Love the combination of flavors.
i’ve been making skinnytaste recipes every sunday for 6 months now and this was the best so far!! so flavorful…the squash and sausage went sooo well together. I only had enough squash for 2 layers which was fine. Also, instead of putting the mozzarella on top in the last 5 mins I accidentally put the cheese on top at the second 30 min mark (when you take off the foil)…it ended up being delicious though because the cheese was just a little bit crispy/burnt on top which I actually love. definitely going to make this again!
I have loved this recipe for years and make it quite often! Recently I bought a kitchen aid veggie sheet peeler. I used it tonight, GAME CHANGER!
thank you for commenting… As I was reading the recipe I was wondering if this would be a good use for the sheet cutter attachment!
This is to die for. It’s so moist. I doubled the sausage meat, added a bit of red pepper flakes as we like things a bit jacked up and I added a little bit of Italiano spice. Also I cooked it and then froze it as it was going on a trip and it turned out perfect. Several people asked for the recipe.
This recipe is most certainly a keeper!!!
This was really good, but I thought the squash was really hard to peel, deseed and slice. I used 1 lonely sweet potato too. That was easier and is what I’ll use next time. I also used cottage cheese and that worked. I won’t be using pasta anymore. Thanks for this recipe
I made this today because I’m not a huge fan of butternut squash and had one I needed to use up – and was definitely influenced by the fact that I LOVE your zucchini lasagna. Needless to say, this was phenomenal and I will definitely be making it again.
Great!
Just made this and it was awesome. The supermarket had the pre sliced lasagna “planks” so got to skip that step.
This was amazing, every single person at my table said so! My husband gets all pouty when I take the noodles or rice or …carbs out of recipes but he inhaled this. Something about the sweetness of the squash with the spicy chicken sausage.
Hi, I just made this with some changes. i used the squash cut the long way. I roasted the squash in the oven for 15 minutes, dried it out a bit and pre-cooked it some. I made a veggie version, sausage. I will try that another day. I also cut the cheese in half. I added a little smoked paprika to the sauce and a splash of wine. The baking time had to be adjusted. Thanks for a great recipe!
Holy heck Gina – not only is this crazy delicious, it’s actually far easier than traditional lasagna. The only difference for me was was using Italian sausage. I also hand-sliced the butternut squash – all good. Thanks for a another hit Gina!
You’re welcome Nick!
Can you make this without the cottage cheese? Wanted to make tomorrow early but don’t have the cottage cheese 🙁
Delicious and enjoyed by the who;e family! Made this vegetarian (no sausage) and added some red pepper.
SO SO GOOD! Highly recommend, we truly didn’t miss the pasta and will definitely make again.
This was amazing!! I made it with spicy Italian turkey sausage but didn’t make any other changes and it was DELISH. Another home run by skinnytaste!
Do you have to get the liquid out of the butternut squash like the zucchini lasagne,? Tho I loved the zucchini one and want to make this for company.. ??That it turns out well.
This was fabulous. We are grain free but not doing WW so used whole ricotta and regular mild sausage. It was a hit! I think I prefer butternut squash noodles to zucchini ones in a lasagna. They have a great texture and less moisture. First time using one on my spiralizer and I appreciated the tips! Thanks for another winner!
You’re welcome Gwyn. Glad you enjoyed it!
Are you able to freeze this before baking to save for later? THx in advance!
Turned out great! We added sautéed spinach and mushrooms with garlic to the ricotta layer!
I LOVE this noodle-less lasagna! I was in the mood for something a little different and this lasagna did the trick. It has become a new favorite at our house! I can’t wait to make it for our next family potluck!
Hi Gina,
Would you have a guess at what the calories and nutritional value of this dish would be without the sausage? Thank you!!
Kayla
I have the sausages in front of me and the whole package…12 oz is 520 calories, 28 grams of total 5 (8 sat.), 8 g of carbs, 4 g of sugar and 56 g of protein
So..I am a lifetime member Weight Watcher and the recipe does not come out to 9 FreeStyle point. It comes out to 13. You should make sure you have the correct points value!
Did you use the recipe builder?
I get 9 FS points
This recipe was fantastic! Made it last night with minor additions – I seasoned the butternut squash layers with a little salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. I subbed spicy Italian turkey sausage for the chicken sausage & added a little bit of red pepper flakes to the sauce for extra kick. Wow, so excited to make this guilt-free lasagna again & again! Thanks, Gina!
I loved this recipe. i hated cutting the squash because i didnt have a spiralizer or anything, so this makes me want to buy one LOL. it was absolutely delicious.
Love this! Even my daughter who doesn’t like squash likes this!
I was so excited to try this recipe. I decreased the cheese a bit. M and used my own sauce. My issue is that after 65 minutes I’m the oven, the squash is still crunchy…almost inedibly so. I’m not sure why this happened as I used the same spiralizer.
One of our favorite recipes!!!
Just made this today using the new vegetable sheet cutter for the kitchen aid. It came out amazing!!!! Did not use as much cheese as the recipe called for, win for me!!!
I had a really hard time getting the squash to spiralize. I peeled it, I cut it in half lengthwise so it was manageable, but it kept stopping and not finishing the rotation. So I eneded up with a TON of 1/2 circles. Not sure why, maybe the squash was too big. I did choose blade A but it just didn’t work well for me.
It’s in the oven now so have not tasted it yet. I’m sure it will be delicious as all her recipes are great, I just had a hard time with the squash and the spiralizer
Made this and my WHOLE family loved it. It was amazing! Actually all of your recipes I have tried so far are amazing! Thank you so much.
This was delicious! I always trust your recipes. My spiralizer couldn’t handle the squash, so I carefully used my mandoline…using both hands to slice it. Definitely a keeper!
Can’t wait to make this! Can I assemble this tonight and bake/serve tomorrow? I would assume this is OK as long as it stays in the fridge?
Thank you!!
Did you do this? I’m hoping to do the same thing for this weekend, but am concerned it won’t turn out as well as it did when I made it and immediately baked. Thanks!
did you do this , if so how did it turn out.
This is fantastic! I was skeptical but I loved it and so did my vegetable-fearing husband! After reading the other comments I drained the ricotta, and cooked it for 40 minutes covered, then 40 minutes uncovered. Not watery in the slightest. Thank you so much!
Great!
This was so easy to make and really delicious. It was hard to believe it was skinny!
Both of my teenaged sons devoured it and then ate the remaining 2 pieces for breakfast. My husband and I are both doing WW right now, so this was a fun and cheese-filled treat without blowing our points budget. This is now in regular rotation. 🙂
Thanks Gina!
You’re welcome Jen!
Do you think I could sub butternut squash zig zags from Trader Joe’s and make this more like your baked pasta with sausage dish? Thanks!
Made this back in the winter and it was a huge hit! Since then, I have purchased – and become a bit obsessed with – an Instant Pot. Any idea if this would work in the IP and, if so, thoughts on converting the recipe? I have been dying to make an IP lasagna after seeing so many beautiful pics on the Facebook page, but we really do prefer this one to a traditional:) Thanks so much for any guidance and thanks for all the great recipes!
Third time was a charm as it really needs the full time for cooking and needs to rest. First 2 times I tried to rush the process and it was good but not as good as today. Ummmm
Of note I didn’t use 4 cups of mozzarella cheese thought, probably about 2.5c low fat mozzarella. Also used ground chicken instead of sausage and worked out well as I added some chill flakes too
Definitely worth the time to make it and sliced with spiralizer with no problem
Delicious recipe but mine came out wet with liquid around the edges. Any suggestions to stop this from happening? Thank you!
If I bake and then freeze this, how long can I keep it frozen? To reheat, do I let it thaw for a day or two and then reheat in the oven? Thanks.
Made this the other night and it was sooo good! Simple to make and stored great for left-overs the next day 🙂 Thank you
What temperature do you bake this?
375
This was phenomenal. Peeling squash is a pain but that is nothing new. I try to find one that is as uniformly shaped and straight as possible. I sliced it with a knife. My 21 yr old son loved it…better than regular lasagna.
It always takes longer for me than the recipe states, and I already had my own sauce to use. Both my husband and I really enjoyed this recipe. It was quite delicious. I was glad I had a meat cutter for the squash. I would make this again, maybe add some kale and my husband suggested a layer of another vegetable, cauliflower, broccoli, I don’t know, but the butternut squash was a good substitute for pasta. I give this a 5 star
Wanting to make some of these as freezer meals, should bake and then freeze or just freeze after I get them assembled?
I would bake and freeze.
Gina, what temp & time would you recommend after freezing?
Wonderful recipe! I made mine with spicy Italian turkey sausage. So good!!!!
What is the best way to re-heat this? I made it for a friend and will refrigerate it right after making it. How long should it be warmed up in the oven and at what temperature? Thanks!
This is my favorite meal hands down! I could eat this for breakfast lunch and dinner and never get sick of it! It’s so yummy to me. My kids (4 and 1) and husband gobble it up too! Thank you so much for all your amazing recipes and especially this one!
Thank you Genna! I love when a recipe is loved by the entire family (especially the kids!)
I made this last night and it was delicious! I bought hot Italian ground sausage and it was super easy to make, even peeling and slicing the butternut squash wasn’t too bad.
I loved this recipe. I’m always looking for ways to make lasagna without the noodles (which I love too but so does my waste line). I don’t eat a lot of meat so I eliminated that and froze the leftovers. It was delicious both fresh out of the oven and reheated from the freezer. I had a lot of spirilized butternut squash left over so I froze it uncooked and now it’s ready for the next time I make this dish. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!!
You’re welcome Terry!
Oh, my yummmmm. This is absolutely fabulous! It cooked perfectly and had great flavor. Really helped my oooey gooey cheese craving too. I highly recommend this!
I made this with butternut squash and it was so good. Would this recipe work with acorn squash? Husband accidental bought the wrong kind of squash. But the upside is he does the grocery shopping so it’s a win!
Im sure it would, but I have not tried.
I made this over the weekend and plan to heat it up for dinner tonight. I entered the nutrition information into the weight watcher’s website to create a new food and it’s coming up as 13 smart points (not 9 as indicated). Just an FYI.
The only accurate way to determine any recipe’s SmartPoints® value is to plug the ingredients into the recipe builder on the Weight Watchers website (Click on “My Foods,” select “Recipe,” and click “Create a recipe.”) which does not count fruits and vegetables in recipes in the calculations as they are now 0 points.
The SmartPoints® calculator isn’t meant for recipes and will often give you the wrong points (usually higher) because it’s counting the fruits and vegetables. So if you see a recipe with a SmartPoints® value that’s different from what the calculator tells you, that is why.
If you dont have a mandolin all the supermarkets now sell butternut squash lasagne sheets ( thin sliced ready to use ) in the fresh prepared veg section
I’ve made butternut squash recipes before, and was never a fan of it. I was hesitant to give this a try, but it was DELICIOUS! My husband and kids all loved it. You’ve renewed my faith in butternut squash and have given me a new recipe to add to the dinner rotation Thank you!
If I wanted to freeze this do I freeze before or after I cook it? Thanks!
I froze mine after I baked it and it warmed up perfectly.
I’m a faithful user of your recipes for a few years. Tried this one last night for the 1st time. AMAZING!! Played with the cheese a bit and added a layer of spinach. This will be a favourite for sure. I can’t wait to make it for my gluten free friends.
Thank you!!
I’m sorry to say that this was a total miss for me. I followed the directions exactly and the inspirilizer worked great. I had to drain off one cup of liquid and cooked longer than the recipe called for. But the squash was still somewhat crunchy. I love the zucchini lasagna, but the flavor too of this fell way short. We didn’t finish the leftovers 🙁
I’ve made many skinny taste recipes with only a few falling short. This was one of them.
We loved this! Sorry you didnt.
Thanks for the awesome recipe! I made this tonight and it came out great! My husband and I both loved it. The only issue I had was with the butternut squash. I tried my spiralizer but had no luck with it, so I had to cut it but had problems with even with my sharpest knife. I microwaved the squash but it was still difficult to cut. I will definitely be making this again though – it’s wonderful and we didn’t miss the pasta at all! Thanks!
Yummy. I made this tonight for dinner. I ended up using my mandolin to make my slices. Your ingredients call for 1 tsp Olive Oil, but your directions omit it. I never used it either & it was perfectly fine. I actually used less mozzarella because I only bought 1 package, which is 2 Cups. It was actually fine and when I put it in my recipe builder with Weight Watchers I save 1 pt.
OMGosh!!!!!!!! I made mine with chorizo and it was awesome!!! Thank you for the idea of using butternut squash:))
Havent got ricotta ???? Can I use something else instead?
Hi Gina, made this last night and everyone absolutely LOVED it! When I plug in the nutritional info into the WW calculator, it comes up with 13 Smart Points/serving. Can you verify for me?
Whoops, sorry – you answered in an above comment 🙂
I made this for the first time this week and it was delicious. I left out the sausage and added chopped mushrooms and baby spinach to the sauce to add more veggies. I got 6 bigger portions instead of 8 portions for the same SmartPoints that way and it was still full of flavour and filling. I can also say it definitely tastes good reheated. Thank you for the recipe, I’ll be checking out more from your site and your cookbooks too!
We’re cooking our way through the Top 2016 Recipes and had the Butternut-Sausage Lasagna tonight. It’s not a quick meal to throw together on a weeknight, but it’s AMAZING! I followed the recipe as written though I did add a few crushed red pepper flakes to the sausage while it was cooking. A couple of tips I would share are: don’t skimp on your sausage – buy quality, well seasoned Italian chicken or turkey sausages, if you can, which you can usually find locally. Second, I would suggest simmering the sauce uncovered. I simmered it covered and had to spoon off a lot of liquid. Let it stand tented with foil for a few minutes after taking it out of the oven so everything has a chance to firm up before serving. That’s the perfect time to put your salads on and call everyone to come enjoy and it will be plenty hot when you sit down to eat.
An added bonus is that it is much more filling with squash instead of pasta. So we were all satisfied with just one piece. I placed the remaining portions separately on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper to freeze, reheat and serve later.
Thanks, Gina!
You’re welcome!
I too, had problems with my spiralizer, and I have the Paderno. I also snapped the V blade on my Pampered Chef mandolin 🙁
I wish I had read the comments first, I would have microwaved the squash before slicing.
Made this tonight and it was delicious! I added mushrooms to the ricotta and used ground turkey ? Also I put your points in my recipe builder and it said 13? Why??
Glad you enjoyed it! The only accurate way to determine any recipe’s SmartPoints® value is to plug the ingredients into the recipe builder on the Weight Watchers website (Click on “My Foods,” select “Recipe,” and click “Create a recipe.”) which does not count fruits and vegetables in recipes in the calculations as they are now 0 points.
The SmartPoints® calculator isn’t meant for recipes and will often give you the wrong points (usually higher) because it’s counting the fruits and vegetables. So if you see a recipe with a SmartPoints® value that’s different from what the calculator tells you, now you know why.
Although I had a little bit of difficulty getting the squash cut with my sprializer, this turned out amazing! Butternut has such a subtle flavor, that it blends well as noodles. I will definitely make this again, although next time I may steam the squash a bit first, making it a little softer. Mine kept falling off the spiralizer because it was so hard, it didn’t stick well to the points. I was also surprised how well the sausage was with it. I had never tried chicken sausage before and it added great flavor.
This is SUPER yummy! Tried it tonight! I cut up the squash and onion yesterday because I had some time, and that helped make the process go smoother. But can confirm that this recipe is spot on!
Hello,
I used my inspiralizer for the first time to make this recipe. Previously I was using a hand held “zoodle” maker, but do it so often I invested. Maybe you have some insight into what I did wrong. When slicing my squash I got a circle with a hole, then two smaller c shaped “noodle” sections that I had to rebuild to make a whole disc. I cut the slice like the picture too, I think my squash may have been a lot fatter than yours, do you think that was the problem? The reason I ask is, this is DELICIOUS and I would like to make it again and have the squash make proper discs, as the puzzle I created was kind of sloppy, tasty, but sloppy. Thanks so much for what you do, I cook many of your recipes and my family loves them.
Mine turned out the same way. I had difficulty keeping the squash attached to the spiralizer also, due to it being so bulky and hard. I just layered the odd looking spirals in the pan, and it still turned out great, although not as pretty.
I made this yesterday and it is amazing! Even my very picky husband loved it!
This was so delicious! My husband asked if we could make this a staple. Thank you!
🙂
I made this tonight, and it was fantastic! I actually liked it better than regular lasagna. I used my Salad Shooter to slice the butternut squash. I made them super thin. Next time I may use a different blade and not cut them quite so thin. Like some of the other posters, I was short on sauce and ricotta. I made up more of the ricotta mixture and added extra jarred sauce. Next time I think I’ll add more crushed tomatoes to the sauce and just double the ricotta mixture. I loved the chicken sausage. This recipe is definitely a keeper!
This was amazing! A solid 10 stars! We had leftovers tonight and it was just as great as last night. Thank you so much for a new favorite:)
You’re welcome!
Made this again for friends giving last night as one of the main dishes (did a pulled turkey as well) and i was only left with a single slice!!! Thanks again!
I’m making this tomorrow! Do you have advice on freezing? Do I bake it first and then freeze it, or put it together and then freeze it. And bake it after it comes out of the freezer? Thanks!
Made this today and it’s very, very good. The Inspiralizer trick didn’t work for me either so I just layered the wide noodles the best I could. Still turned out great!
this was fantastic! even some lasagna haters said this was an awesome dish. I love it so much that I plan to make some just for the freezer to keep on hand for busy nights
Awesome!
Amazing. My husband and I loved it. The butternut squash has similar consistency of a noodle. Great flavor. Your recipes are amazing and so creative. Will be making this again soon.
Great!!
5 star…Fantastic recipe! I just made this tonight and we enjoyed it SO very much. The Al Fresco chicken sausage is extremely flavorful and I’ll be using that in the future as well. What a great combination and you do not miss the lasagna noodles AT ALL with this flavorful recipe.
I did not have a Spiralizer– I tried my mandolin but was having the darndest time cutting my squash on it, thus I switched to a large sharp knife, and it was MUCH easier for me. I am torn with getting one of the spiralizers… I hate to have another piece of kitchen equipment, yet it does look like it would be fun to cut veggies with!
Thanks for a wonderful website and recipe. I will be sure to be checking out more of your recipes and ideas.
Thank you! Yes the spiralizer is fun!!
Would it be ok to prepare today and put together. Refrigerate over night and bake for supper tomorrow night?
Should be fine
Did anyone grill/broil the butternut slices before layering to help with the water issue?
Fantastic! We love it!
Oh my word! Gina! You have totally outdone yourself with this recipe. I rarely comment on blogs but simply had to after making/devouring this recipe for the better part of the week. Not only was it easy enough to make (for the first time) for dinner guests, but everyone loved it. I’m not kidding when I say this is the best lasagna recipe I’ve ever made, including “traditional” noodle varieties. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Thank you Katy!
I made this over the weekend, and it was delicious!!!! Thanks for the recipe.
I have to say, I’m not one to traditionally post comments, but this lasagna is just too good not to tell everyone! I literally made it for 3 different sets of people last week and everything LOVED it. They all asked for the recipe. My only substitution was Hot Italian Turkey sausage (all I could find), but followed everything else to the letter. So wonderful and great as leftovers. My husband didn’t even complain after eating it for 5+ meals last week (including lunch) 🙂
Thank you, Gina, for continuing to impress me with your delicious recipes! This is now my ultimate favorite.
I looooove your recipe’s. Thank you for inspiring me to make interesting meals! I also love your countertops. Would you mind telling me what they are??
Thank you! This is a marble slab.
This was delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
I just ate this and it was incredible. I knew it would be good, coming from you, but this far surpassed my expectations. I couldn’t find chicken sausage so I just used regular Italian sausage and it worked well. Next time I hope to find the chicken sausage because I think that would taste even better. Wow. You never fail to impress and this may be one of the best recipes I’ve tried in a while. Thanks!
Thanks Kia!
Hi Gina! Would this be ok to assemble and then bake the next day? I just have to tell you how much i love your website! I’m a professional ballerina, and your recipes are so perfect for my dietary needs. Thank you so much!
I tried this tonight. Had regular mild Italian sausage I needed to use, so I know my calories and fat are off of what your info indicates. I added extra Italian seasoning to the sauce (used my own home-frozen tomatoes from this summer’s garden, yum!) to both the sauce and cheese mixture, but I do that with my regular lasagna recipes, too. This was awesome, so now I need to try it with chicken sausage, but overall it was super-flavorful. My brother-in-law has Celiac’s, so I cannot wait to make it for family. Thanks, Gina! Four stars!!
I made this recipe today and it is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!
Great!!
Dear Gina,
You have made me a much better cook!! Thank you for your amazing, consistently delicious recipes. I have not made one bad recipe from Skinnytaste! My husband and two sons love everything I make from your website!! I just put another butternut squash sausage lasagna in the oven… It was a Hugh hit the first time I made it from the abundance of squash in our garden. Thank you again!!
Lisa Neill
South Kingstown, RI
Aww, thank you!
I make so many of your dishes, and this is one of the best yet. My husband and I are both floored by how delicious this recipe is..I can see serving this for a dinner party. It is truly fantastic.
Thank you 🙂
I just made this, and oh my lord!!!! So good!! Can’t wait to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for another great one Gina 🙂 can’t wait to get the new book tomorrow, it’s already on its way to me. Your recipes are a lifesaver.
Just made this…so good!!! Even my husband loved it and he usually is not a fan of any noodle substitutions 🙂
This was so good. Even my husband loved it. I don’t think I’ll ever make lasagna with pasta ever again!
This was sooo good! My husband hates butternut squash and we got some in our CSA share so I figured this would be a good experiment. He loved it! And to start my day off right, I got an email saying my new skinnytaste cookbook had shipped!
That’s great!
I lost the tip of my thumb while slicing the butternut squash for this recipe using the mandolin. It was worth it. Delish!!! But next time, I’ll let someone else do the slicing.
Oh no!
I made this on Tuesday and have been making my way through leftovers all week. (I cooked it just for myself…. hehehehe) IT IS SO GOOD. Seriously the best lasagna I have EVER had. Thank you for the recipe and one that involves that INSPIRALIZER!! Love mine 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it!
What was the oil for? Do you need to spray the baking pan? Thanks!
I used it for the pan with sausage..but the recipe didn’t say ;/
Same question…? I just put this in the oven and realized that I never used the oil! Oh well, less calories I guess LOL
This was REALLY good. My husband never eats veggies and he ate several servings of this.
That’s great!
Um, Wow! I made this last night for my carb addicted family. We have a vegetarian, gluten free-er and we all love carbs. It was a huge hit! I cooked the sausage and sprinkled it on top to keep the lasagna vegetarian. I thought I would miss the pasta but non of us could tell. It will be our go-to dish!
Great! Glad it was enjoyed by all!
Made this last night for dinner! The taste was amazing – I found the squash didn’t cook though, it was still quite hard. I used the thin option on my mandolin instead of using the spiralizer – any advice for next time?
This was very tasty. Even the boys were impressed! I used a carrot peeler on my butternut squash and it worked like a charm. We did find the squash a little hard so I would cut them thinner or cook a little longer next time. Will make again! Thanks!
great!
Loved, loved, loved this recipe. Raves all around! We are empty nesters now so I divided the recipe between 8″ foil pans and that worked great for us-we had one for dinner and so froze the other pan. This week I am making a second batch for the freezer for those hectic days.
This was a huge hit at my house! My dairy-free daughter was staying with us so I made it dairy-free. I used Drunken Goat for the mozzarella, Pecorino Romano for the parmesan and Kite Hill’s Dairy Free Ricotta. Definitely makes this an expensive recipe but you gotta do what you gotta do when you have a dairy free guest.
I rarely comment but use your recipes all the time and tell all my friends that I never have found one that did not work or that did not taste wonderful! Thanks so much for making Weight Watcher friendly recipes that have flavor!
Yes, sometimes you just got to do what you got to do! Thank you so much, glad you enjoy them!
I have a lot of butternut squash from my garden, so wanted some new ways to fix it. I made this last night, it was wonderful! Looking forward to leftovers tonight! The only change I did was to use lean ground turkey instead of the chicken sausage, and I added extra seasonings to compensate for that change.
Made this tonight and must thank you – it’s so delicious! I made mine a tad richer with whole-milk ricotta and Jennie-O Turkey Store Sweet Italian Sausage because that’s what I spotted first at the store. My son is on his second piece…
So good! We put the mozzarella on top for the first 30 and it was nice and crispy byou the end of the second 30! Love it! Thanks Gina!
OMG!! All I can say is OMG!!! Everyone needs to run to the store ,get the ingredients and make this ASAP! Amazing…Thank You!!!
Can this be prepared the day before and cooked the next night?
Made this!!! Yum!!!! By far one of my favorite recipes. Although I have tried dozens of your recipes and I think only 1 recipe has fallen flat. Love your site and your book!
Gina, thank you for the fantastic recipe! I made this tonight (subbed ground turkey for the sausage) and it was delicious! Great tip about making a cut in the squash prior to spiralizing…I did that and it made perfect discs that worked so well as a lasagna noodle substitute.
Omg… so delicious! Made this tonight. My mistake, I bought precooked chicken sausage… so I cut it up and sautéed that and then added the opinion, garlic, tomatoes. My spiralizer can’t do a squash so I sliced a whole squash – about 3 lbs (I got 40 slices or so out of it. Very thinly sliced) . I seemed low on sauce too but I made it work. My 11 yr old daughter also loved it. THANKS GINA!!
So good Gina! I had a hard time with the spirializer so just used a knife
I’ve never commented here before, but have been following you and making your delicious recipes for years! 🙂 They are always a big hit with the family.
I’m making this right now and realized that I will have a bunch of sliced squash left. (That I cut with my mandoline and it was so scary. Especially with a screaming toddler running around. Lol)
Just curious if you have any ideas to use them up. I hate to waste food. Oh and leftover ricotta ideas?
Thank you!
Yes mandolins are scary. You could make a mini one to freeze, or add it to soup.
First let me share that this recipe was very good. My husband loves butternut squash and he really enjoyed it. I’m Italian and rarely make any Italian food that isn’t a family recipe but I will make this again.
There is one problem with the recipe as there is simply no way that this takes 1 hr + 15 mins to prepare as noted. The lasagna cooks for 1 hour, should rest for 5-10 mins and the sauce is to cook for 15-20 mins. That about 1.5 hrs without any prep time.
Make this yummy recipe but plan for something more like 2 hrs from beginning prep to serving. I’m a very capable cook and it took me about that long.
Thanks for the great recipe ideas.
I just made this, the dirty plate is sitting beside me! And it is delicious!!!!! I made a sauce from roasted red peppers/onions/peppers/smidge of maple syrup because my daughter can’t have tomatoes….fantastic! I also used half ground beef/turkey instead of sausage. Yummy!!!!
I made this recipe this week, and it was one of the best meals I’ve made in a really long time. Only difference for me was that I used regular Italian spicy sausage instead of chicken. I had a butternut squash with a long neck, and I peeled it with an apple peeler, sliced in in half (making two semi-circle halves) and used a mandolin to slice.
My husband requested I make this every week now…
Great! Glad you both enjoyed it!
Made this the other night and it was absolutely delicious! The whole family loved it! I was only able to get 2 layers out of it though, because I didn’t have enough sauce. I followed the recipe exactly, but it didn’t yield enough sauce to cover the layers 3 times. I also had to make extra of the ricotta mixture, as there wasn’t enough. It was super easy and quick to make and leftovers were sent to school for lunch! Thanks Gina for another great recipe!
Strange, I had too much sauce.
I too didn’t have enough sauce or ricotta mixture. I added a little milk to the mixture to stretch it out. I just put it in the oven so I hope it comes out delicious.
I also didn’t have enough sauce and had to stretch out the last layer of sauce.
This was SO good! I fixed it for a vegetarian friend so I didn’t mix the meat with the tomato sauce and only sprinkled cooked sausage on one half. I also baked it an additional 15 minutes to lessen the amount of liquid. I will be using this for dinner parties and pot lucks!
So good! We tried this last night as well as saving the left overs for meal prep for the week. It’s perfect! It’s just as good reheated!
Thanks for another great recipe!
I made this tonight. The spiralizer was a fail, but I managed to cut the squash on my own. Not sure if I used a smaller pan, but I only got 6 slices in each layer, which was actually perfect because it’s the exact amount of slices I was able to do. I used sweet Italian turkey links and fresh grated mozzarella. It’s so delicious! I’ll definitely be making this one again!
Great! Which spiralizer did you use?
Just made this and OMG so good. I don’t have a spiralizer so just used a knife, I did microwave before peeling and cutting and it helped. I also used ground turkey. Sooo sooo sooo good. Thanks so much for sharing.
Awesome!
Hi Gina! I made this yesterday and LOVED it!! I can’t wait to have leftovers tonight. 1 question – I have leftover butternut squash disks since I spiralized the whole thing. I was thinking of trying to make chips with them. Have you tried this? Any suggestions on how I would do it?
Thanks in advance. I’m a HUGE fan!
– Rebecca
Haven’t tried but drizzle with oil and salt and roast 450 until golden
Freezable?
Yes
Could I freeze this before cooking?
Not sure, I haven’t tried. Let me know if you do!
Made this yesterday, and it was absolutely delicious!
I did follow someone else’s suggestion on microwaving the butternut squash for 2 minutes before peeling, and it made it so much easier to cut and peel.
One other note: I had to buy two 2 lb pieces of the squash, because only the section before the “bulb” (where the seeds start) can be spiralized. I had a little bit left over that I can roast to go along with another meal.
Great!
I made this tonight and it was a hit with the whole family. I am very sensitive to sodium and TThere is a lot of cheese so therefore a lot of salt. To balance this I used unsalted crushed tomatoes and did not add the salt the recipe called for. You will never miss it and every little reduction I can make helps. Very good Gina. I will definitely make this again.
Made this for supper tonight – what a delicious treat!! Those butternut squash circles were so tasty. This recipe is a definite keeper – thanks so much!
The taste was great! But it was a bit watery in the pan after serving. Any sugggestions or tips for next time?
It was probably your ricotta. Ricotta can be very watery when it cooks. I know this sounds weird, but dump your ricotta on to paper towels and essentially pat it dry. You’ll be surprised at how much liquid comes out.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely delicious!
Made this Sunday night for my family, absolutely delicious, didn’t miss thee noodles for a second!
Just made it – it was a hit! Want to make it again when company comes from out of town. How well do you think this will freeze?
The shredded Mozz is currently show as “16 oz (4 cups).” Wouldn’t 16oz be two cups? Should it be 16oz or 32oz?
16 oz is 2 cups of liquid weight. 16 oz of rocks vs 16 oz feathers would differ by volume so I weigh and measure in cups for your convenience.
This looks so delicious – will definitely be making it for my friends!
Do you only use the skinny part?
This was great! I did use spicy Italian sausage and added some chopped spinach to the sauce and ricotta.
I too had a problem spiralizing the butternut squash at first. I separated the stem and body and microwaved each for a minute or two, after removing the seeds. This softened it just a little bit and made spiralizing the neck very simple. For the rest of the squash, I just used a knife.
Thanks for a great recipe!
best lasagna i have ever made, this recipe is a keeper
And wow, this is so delicious. The butternut squash gives it a sweetness! Thank you.
What about par cooking it in the oven for 10-15 minutes? (One of the produce men st my store said to put the whole butternut squash in the oven for 15 , when you take it out and cool it, it is much easier to peel. I am guessing this will help to slice and spiralize)
Sorry, last note had wrong email.
I love my inspiralizer, but I almost broke itmwithnthe butternut squash. It kept spinning and would not work. Any thoughts?
I have the spiralizer, which I love, but it definitely did not work for a butternut squash. It just kept spinning Any thoughts?
What a fantastic idea. I can’t wait to give this a try on my Seahawk’s tailgating crowd. I bet they love it!
Have you tried this recipe with sweet potato? What that change the cooking time?
Is the sausage the pre-cooked Al Fresco or raw?
Raw.
I made this recipe for dinner last night and it is fabulous! My husband agreed and we thoroughly enjoyed every bite! My only issue is that when I put the nutrition info in my WW tracker, the points per serving came up as 13 instead of 9. Any thoughts on why such a big difference?
This is most likely due to the nutritional info counting the butternut squash. Did you try putting it in the recipe builder (which will count the butternut squash as 0sp)?
oops! “Inspiralizer” has a typo!
Fixed, thanks!
I made this tonight. It was delicious! I will definitely make it again.
Looks delish! Pinned for later.
thank you!
Would the points change with ground turkey (with some spices added to it as I brown it for flavour) 🙂
Not sure, it’s chicken so it’s pretty lean.
Do you think the cooking time varies at all if I used spiralized butternut squash noodles rather than the half moons? My Whole Foods sells pre-spiralized butternut squash noodles so thinking it might speed up dinner tonight! Thanks so much – recipe looks awesome!
It would be hard to layer like a lasagna, not sure?
What brand of mozzarella cheese do you use?
I like Polly-O
What do you think about adding spinach or kale to the ricotta mixture?
This looks really good. I would like to try this once it turns cold. I have a really good mandolin. I think this will be great this fall. Thanks, Gina!
Wanted to check on quantity of ricotta – you use it twice (3/4 cup each time) but I don’t see how 1 cup of ricotta, 1/4 cup parm, parsley and an egg come to 1 1/2 cups.
It did for me, just use half for each layer. Quantity is correct.
It didn’t come out to 1 1/2 cups for me either. More like just a little over a cup.
Great question Janna, I was wondering the same thing!
What a super cool idea to cut down on carbs. I love the flavor of butternut squash!
Oh yum this looks so amazing.
I love butternut squash, so this looks really really yummy! But I have one question — do you only use the end of the squash that doesn’t have “guts”? Or do you trim the seeds, etc., out of the middle of those pieces after you’ve got it sliced up?
Same question!
same question here as well.
I used the whole thing, trimmed the seeds.
Could you leave out the sausage?
If you wish