LOW CARB BUTTERNUT SQUASH LASAGNA

December 12, 2018

This low carb butternut squash lasagna is lower in carbs than your traditional lasagna, but has all the flavor and cheesiness you need to feel warm and cozy inside. You may even want it for lunch and dinner (I did)! You can totally use vegan mozzarella shreds, vegan parmesan, almond ricotta, and meatless crumbles to make vegan (note: many of these can also be made from scratch!). You might also like my Low Carb Eggplant Lasagna!

Did you know? Butternut source is a rich source of potassium with 500mg per 5-oz. cup, which helps balance out the sodium of the cheese. The balance of sodium and potassium in your diet is actually more important for overall health that sodium intake alone (source). Of course, those with kidney disease should limit both.

Preparing the butternut squash

The first step in making this cheesy goodness is to pick up a roughly 3-pound whole butternut squash (or two smaller squash) from your local grocery store. Next, cut off the narrow part (use the fat end for a different recipe). Then, carefully peel the narrow part lengthwise with a sharp knife and sliced into 1/4″ slices. This is easier with a mandolin slicing tool if you have one! You will need about 12-18 slices (2 pounds final weight) depending on the size and shape of your squash.

Making the meat sauce

For the meat sauce, brown one pound of lean ground turkey, then add your onions and garlic. You can also use lean ground beef, meatless crumbles, or lean chicken sausage (this will increase the sodium content). After browning the meat, add a large can of crushed tomatoes with basil. If you can’t find crushed tomatoes with basil, just add one teaspoon of dried basil or one tablespoon of fresh basil. You’ll also add one teaspoon of dried oregano, which can be swapped for one tablespoon of fresh. Don’t forget two tablespoons of fresh Italian parsley! This can be substituted with two teaspoons dry parsley, but that fresh parsley adds so much to the sauce 😉

Making the cheese mixture

The third step for this low carb butternut squash lasagna is to make the cottage cheese mixture. You will combine cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, one whole egg, and nutmeg (so essential to that nutty flavor!). You can also use ricotta or vegan almond ricotta in place of the cottage cheese, but this will increase the fat and lower the protein in this recipe.

Instead of dairy mozzarella and parmesan, you can use vegan mozzarella and vegan parmesan. To make this recipe entirely vegan, use meatless crumbles and omit the egg!

Layering the lasagna

The final step for this low carb butternut squash lasagna is to layer everything: (1) meat sauce, (2) about six large butternut squash slices, (3) cottage cheese mixture, (4) mozzarella, (5) repeat the first four layers, and (6) the final layer of meat sauce with a sprinkle of parmesan. Add remaining mozzarella 10 minutes before the lasagna done cooking so it’s nice and melty! Mmmm.

Here’s the printable recipe for this Low Carb Butternut Squash Lasagna! I hope you’ll comment and rate below if you give it a try 🙂

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