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One-Pan Cheesy Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard Lasagna

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on September 11, 2020

Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Serves 4

One-Pan Cheesy Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard Lasagna

Ingredients

10 ounces (1¼ cups) whole-milk cottage cheese 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)1 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried1 teaspoon cornstarch Salt and pepper 1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (3 cups)1 pound Swiss chard, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon grated lemon zest ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg 6 no-boil lasagna noodles 4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)

Before You Begin

We prefer the flavor of whole-milk cottage cheese here, but low-fat cottage cheese can be substituted; do not use nonfat cottage cheese.

Instructions

  1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, Parmesan, cream, sage, cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in bowl.
  2.  Combine squash, chard, oil, garlic, lemon zest, nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper in bowl, cover, and microwave until chard is wilted and butternut squash is just tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer mixture to colander and let drain for 5 minutes.
  3.  Grease 8-inch square baking dish. Spread 1 cup cheese sauce into prepared dish and lay 2 noodles on top (noodles may overlap slightly). Top with half of squash mixture and half of cheese sauce. Repeat layering with 2 noodles, remaining squash mixture, and ½ cup cheese sauce. Lay remaining 2 noodles on top, cover with remaining cheese sauce, and sprinkle with mozzarella. (Assembled lasagna can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours; increase covered baking time in step 4 to 45 minutes.)
  4.  Cover dish tightly with greased aluminum foil and bake until bubbling around edges, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is spotty brown, 10 to 15 minutes, rotating dish halfway through cooking.
  5.  Remove dish from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
One-Pan Cheesy Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard Lasagna
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Marie Piraino.

One-Pan Cheesy Butternut Squash and Swiss Chard Lasagna

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1¾ hours

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

10 ounces (1¼ cups) whole-milk cottage cheese
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Salt and pepper
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (3 cups)
1 pound Swiss chard, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 no-boil lasagna noodles
4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)

Ingredients

10 ounces (1¼ cups) whole-milk cottage cheese
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Salt and pepper
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (3 cups)
1 pound Swiss chard, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 no-boil lasagna noodles
4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)

Ingredients

10 ounces (1¼ cups) whole-milk cottage cheese
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Salt and pepper
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch pieces (3 cups)
1 pound Swiss chard, stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 no-boil lasagna noodles
4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)

Why This Recipe Works

To create the ideal vegetarian lasagna—with a crisp, browned crust, tender noodles, and perfectly cooked vegetables bathed in a rich sauce—we started from the bottom up. We began with a creamy no-cook sauce (creamier than ricotta, way less effort than béchamel) by combining cottage cheese, Parmesan, cream, and cornstarch, plus fresh sage for its savory notes. To keep this a one-pot meal, we chose no-boil noodles. For our vegetables, butternut squash and Swiss chard paired well, and adding lemon zest, garlic, and nutmeg gave the veggies a refined flavor profile. To avoid a waterlogged lasagna, we microwaved the vegetables to help them release excess liquid. For a dish this rich, we went with our smaller 8-inch square casserole dish, which would satisfy four people. To assemble, we layered the sauce, noodles, and vegetables, topping it off with shredded mozzarella. After 30 minutes of baking under an aluminum foil cover, we finished it off uncovered for a bubbly browned top.

Before You Begin

We prefer the flavor of whole-milk cottage cheese here, but low-fat cottage cheese can be substituted; do not use nonfat cottage cheese.

Instructions

  1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, Parmesan, cream, sage, cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in bowl.
  2.  Combine squash, chard, oil, garlic, lemon zest, nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper in bowl, cover, and microwave until chard is wilted and butternut squash is just tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer mixture to colander and let drain for 5 minutes.
  3.  Grease 8-inch square baking dish. Spread 1 cup cheese sauce into prepared dish and lay 2 noodles on top (noodles may overlap slightly). Top with half of squash mixture and half of cheese sauce. Repeat layering with 2 noodles, remaining squash mixture, and ½ cup cheese sauce. Lay remaining 2 noodles on top, cover with remaining cheese sauce, and sprinkle with mozzarella. (Assembled lasagna can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours; increase covered baking time in step 4 to 45 minutes.)
  4.  Cover dish tightly with greased aluminum foil and bake until bubbling around edges, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is spotty brown, 10 to 15 minutes, rotating dish halfway through cooking.
  5.  Remove dish from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

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