Butternut Squash Mushroom Lasagna

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I LOVE butternut squash.  We planted a whole row of it this year in our garden and it's now starting to produce butternut squash that's ready to be picked.  I couldn't be happier!  Last fall, I got obsessed with cooking butternut squash, but we had to buy them and sometimes they can be a little pricey.  But one of my favorite dishes that I started making last fall was a butternut squash stuffed shells with Hurry Up Alfredo Sauce from Vegan Yum Yum.  However, when I use pasta, I like for it to be whole wheat and I can't seem to find large whole wheat shells.  Plus, it's already a fairly time consuming recipe, so stuffing shells just added to the recipe time.  So when we picked our first butternut squash the other day, I decided to reinvent the recipe to make it more Weight Watchers friendly and a little quicker to make.  It's not the prettiest lasagna, but I love the taste.  Here's the recipe:

Butternut Squash Mushroom Lasagna

(Makes 6 servings)

-1 small to medium butternut squash

-whole wheat lasagna noodles

-1 batch tofu ricotta (recipe to follow)

-1 batch Hurry Up Alfredo (I will note my modifications to this recipe)

-2 packages mushrooms 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut and prep the butternut squash-it should be cut in small cubes.  (Here's a link to a video for cutting a peeling a butternut squash.) Spray a pan with nonstick spray.  Sprinkle some salt on butternut squash before baking.  Bake for 10 minutes and, with a spatula, move the squash around and cook for another 10 minutes or until tender.  Once it is done, take out of oven and set aside.  

Make a batch of tofu ricotta:

-1 tub firm tofu

-1/8-1/4 cup soy or other nondairy unsweetened milk

-1 tsp sugar

-1 tsp salt

-1 TBSP dried basil

-1 TBSP lemon juice

-1-2 cloves garlic (minced)

Make sure tofu is drained or excess water.  Tear into pieces and put into food processor.  Process for a few seconds. Add all other ingredients until it has the consistency of ricotta cheese.  Make sure all big clumps of tofu are processed down.  Once "ricotta" is made, put in bowl and set aside.  

Boil the whole wheat lasagna noodles and drain when they are tender.  I run cold water over them to keep them from sticking together.  

Next you want to prepare the Hurry Up Alfredo Sauce.  These are some of the modifications I have made to make it more WW point friendly.  I use 1 ounce of cashews instead of 1/3 of a cup.  I use Smart Balance Light instead of Earth Balance.  I use 1 tsp of tahini instead of 1 TBSP.  Once you prepare the sauce, set aside.  

Then you want to saute the mushrooms.  I just saute them in some water and maybe just a pinch of salt.  Once they are ready, put them in a bowl and set aside.  

Now you are ready to assemble the lasagna.  Using an 8 x 8 pan, put some of the alfredo sauce on the bottom and on the sides.  Then place enough lasagna noodles on the bottom to cover the bottom of the pan.  Then place a layer of the "ricotta cheese" over the lasagna noodles.  Then some of the mushrooms and butternut squash.  Then some more sauce.  Cover with lasagna noodles and repeat the process.  My lasagna has 3 layers of noodles (on the bottom, middle and top).  I also try to save some of my butternut squash, mushrooms and sauce for the top.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until warm all the way through.  

For best results, let the lasagna sit for about 10-15 minutes before serving.