Creamy butternut squash lasagna rolls (with spinach)

💙Why you'll love them

• Seasonal and super comforting dish the whole family will love - these lasagna rolls are super cheesy and creamy, but they're also a great way to eat veggies (or to make your children love them!).
• Really easy to make - I won't lie, they just require a bit of time to make BUT they really are a cinch to prepare and trust me, they're worth the try!
• Healthier than traditional lasagna with béchamel sauce, as the béchamel sauce is replaced with a cheesy and creamy butternut squash sauce, packed with flavors.

🤔What are lasagna roll-ups?

They're classic lasagna noodles, but instead of assembling different layers in a dish, they're filled with a delicious mixture, here a spinach and ricotta mixture - but it can be anything you like - and rolled on themselves. They are easier to portion than a regular lasagna dish and trust me, you're gonna love them!

🧀Ingredients

You can find a full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below. Here are a few ingredient notes to make these lasagna roll-ups.

• Fresh butternut, in season from September to February/March.
• Spinach - I use fresh spinach in this recipe, but I pre-cook them so that they give off all their water. If you want to use frozen spinach, you can, but cook them according to the package directions, if possible until it has as little water as possible. If you're in any doubt, I recommend putting defrosted and cooked spinach in a colander over a sink and leaving it to drain for 30 minutes.
• Lasagna noodles - I used flat regular lasagna, but if presentation is super important to you, wavy lasagna noodles make a beautiful dish! Make sure you use regular lasagna noodles, and not "no-boil lasagna" or "oven-ready lasagna", which are lasagna that were already pre-cooked. You can also you fresh lasagna noodles, that can be found in some grocery stores.
• Cheeses - I use a mix of ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese, but you can use whatever cheese you like (cheddar cheese, blue cheese, goat cheese, etc...). I really recommend to buy a block of Parmesan cheese and grating it yourself at the last minute, it's so much better!
• Egg - ideally pasture-raised organic. You can refer to the Eco Tips I've written on eggs to help you choose the right ones.

🍗 Variations

Feel free to change this recipe to go with your tastes. I suggest several options:

• Proteins - add rotisserie chicken or sweet sausage to the ricotta and spinach filling.
• More veggies - sautéed leeks, French onion confit or grilled mushrooms are great options to add to the filling.
• Spice it up with some red pepper flakes, to taste.

This recipe has not been tested using any other substitutions. If you do try substituting ingredients, it may not turn out as it's meant to. Please leave a comment below letting me know if it worked out!

🍴Utensils

11-inch frying pan

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Braun multi blender

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Non-stick saucepan

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If you're not sure which utensils or robots to buy for cooking, check out my guide to kitchen tools and utensils.

✨How to make these rolls?

Recipe details and quantities are in the recipe card below.

• Cook the butternut cubes in a large pot of waterfor 20 minutes, until tender.
• Reserve ⅞ cups of cooking water.

• In a frying pan, sweat the spinach until all the water has evaporated.

• Use an immersion blender or a food processor to mix the butternut cubes with two-thirds of the cooking water, in order to obtain a puree (add the rest of the cooking water a little at a time if necessary, so as not to obtain something too thick).

• In a hot frying pan on medium heat, add the butter with the chopped sage leaves and let infuse for 2 minutes.
• When the butter begins to turn nutty, add the garlic and shallot and cook for 5 minutes, until golden-brown.

• Add the butternut squash puree.
• Add half the Parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper.

• Preheat your oven to 215°C/420°F in the natural convection/static heat mode. Mix well, then spread half the sauce in an ovenproof dish.
• Meanwhile, boil lasagna noodles in a pan of boiling water until al dente, following the package directions. I advise you to boil them one by one, so they don't stick together.

• Place each boiled lasagna noodle on a slightly damp work surface. In the mean time, in a large bowl, combine the spinach and ricotta cheese.
• Add the remaining Parmesan cheese.
• And add the egg, salt and black pepper.

• Spread the spinach mixture in each lasagna noodle.
• And roll them up.

• Place them in a large oven-proof dish (there should be a single layer of rolls).
• Pour the remaining pureed butternut, add the shredded mozzarella cheese on top and bake for 10-20 minutes, until the cheese is perfectly melted.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh sage and basil.

👩🏻‍🍳 Chef's tips

1. Cook the noodles al dente - they will continue to cook with the sauce in the oven, so don't overcook them at first.
2. Lasagna sheets can be a bit fragile, so here is my best tip - I boil them one by one, so they don't stick together. And I put a utensil underneath the lasagna noodle, ready to take it out and retrieve it. It's much easier that way!
3. Run your hand under the water and lightly wet your work surface with your hand before placing each boiled lasagna noodle on it. It will be muuuuch easier to roll and won't stick to the work surface while the other noodles are boiling.
4. It may happen that the cooked lasagna noodles break when you roll them: it's really no big deal and won't change the taste. And if you're worried about the final presentation, don't worry, it won't show, as the roll-ups will be covered with butternut sauce and baked cheese.
5. Do a big batch and freeze the rest for an easy and lazy weeknight meal!

❄️ Storage and freezing

• Make ahead - it's a cinch to make these rolls the day before! I recommend that you fill the rolls with the spinach and ricotta mixture, and put them in a large airtight container in the refrigerator. Keep the butternut puree in a small airtight container aside, in the refrigerator too. On D Day, all you'll have to do is put half of the butternut sauce in an ovenproof dish, add the rolls on the sauce, add the remaining butternut sauce on top and the shredded mozzarella cheese, and bake according to the recipe instructions (you might need 5 or 10 minutes more). 
• Store - let them cool at room temperature and then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Reheat - put the portions you want to eat in an microwave safe bowl and heat until perfectly hot. You can also place some rolls in an oven safe dish and place for a few minutes in a pre-heated oven (160°C/320°C).
• Freezing - I like to do a big batch and to freeze what we don't eat (for up to 3 months)! Let the rolls cool completely and place them in a freezer bag, with the name of the recipe and the date labelled. 
• Defrosting - I recommend to put the portions you want to eat in the refrigerator the night before. That way, it'll slowly defrost and will be ready for lunch on the next day. All you'll have to do is to follow the reheating instructions.