Butternut Squash and Kale Lasagna

This recipe is a riff on   Food Network's Gnocchi with Squash and Kale that came about because I had several boxes of lasagna noodles in the cupboard that needed using and I wanted something I could prepare in the morning and pop in the oven later (and have leftovers for the week).

"Meat" Layer:
for omnivores:
12 oz chicken sausage
6 oz cremini (or button if you like white mushrooms) mushrooms
1 tsp thyme
3-4 sage leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1-2 tbl butter
olive oil and chicken stock to cook them in

for vegetarians:
12-16 oz mushrooms
1 tsp thyme
3-4 sage leaves
veggie stock to cook them in
2 cloves garlic
1-2 tbl butter
Soysage, or TVP, or just extra mushrooms

Cook sausage through (soysage or TVP just need to be heated/browned as they are fully cooked) and add chopped mushrooms, butter, herbs, and garlic.  Salt and pepper to taste and cook until mushrooms are nicely browned.

Butternut Squash and Kale:
1 medium sized butternut squash
1-2 cloves garlic
a few cups chicken or veggie stock to cook squash in
splash of olive oil
3-4 cups kale, chopped
3-4 sage leaves, chopped
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste
1/4th cup or a bit more grated parmesean

Get out your heaviest sharpest knife for chopping up and peeling your squash. I recommend cutting it into quarters first before peeling it so you have nice pieces you can just put flat side down on your cutting board to work.  Scoop out the seeds and chop it up into cubes.  Cook in the stock with garlic, sage, salt, pepper until tender. Add splash of olive oil, the kale, cheese, and red pepper flakes if desired and continue cooking until cheese is melted and kale is wilted down.  (You can double the squash/kale layer and save the other half in the fridge to use just plain over pasta or rice later in the week if  you like.)

Cheese Layer:
16 oz ricotta cheese (I like part skim)
1 cup shredded mozzarella  or mozzarella/sharp provolone blend
1 egg
1-2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
1 cup parmesean or parmesean and romano cheese
1/2 to 1 cup finely chopped kale
2-3 sage leaves, finely chopped
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes to taste

Mix everything well to combine it, taste for salt/pepper and adjust as needed

Sauce
What? You thought this got tomato sauce? No way.  Sage and walnut pesto finishes off this dish beautifully.
2 cups walnuts
2 cups chicken stock or veggie stock
Large handful sage leaves
2-3 cloves garlic
1/4th cup good olive oil
1/4h cup parmesean
salt, pepper to taste

Put everything except the chicken stock into the food processor and pulse to chop/combine.  Add chicken or veggie stock to thin it out a bit.


Assembly:
You will need 1 box oven ready lasagna noodles, an additional 1 cup shredded cheese, some good olive oil, and possibly more parmesean and chicken/veggie stock for assembly.

Put a layer of sauce into the bottom of your lasagna pan. Next comes a layer of noodles, followed by your meat/non meat and a splash more sauce.  Put your next layer of noodles in the opposite direction from your first ones for some added structural integrity. Cheese comes next.  Depending on how deep your pan is, you can put another layer of noodles between the cheese/veggies or not.  Add veggies and a tiny bit of sauce and top with your final layer of noodles.  Pour remaining sauce over noodles and add a bit of chicken stock around the edges if your lasagna looks dry.  Top with shredded cheese, some more parmesean, and give the whole top a nice sprinkling of good olive oil.

You can make this up to several days ahead.  Bake at 350 for an hour or so, until the cheese is melted and everything is bubbly and brown.  Enjoy!