Paleo Lasagna

OK, I made this on Saturday and it was SERIOUSLY YUMMY, but I didn’t take pictures because I predicted an epic failure on my part (didn’t think I had enough sauce or squash). HOWEVER, it turned to be a huge success and was mildly spicy and quite delicious! I also want to add that I am not a huge fan of squash, in general, but in this recipe you really can’t even taste it, but it provides a fantastic substitute for lasagna noodles. The squash is slightly sweet, soft, and appeals to the lasagna-lover (which I am)!

Paleo Butternut Squash Lasagna from Health-Bent.com

Ingredients:

• 1 lb hot Italian sausage, casing removed (I used Jimmy Dean’s All Natural Breakfast Sausage – they sell a big tube of it at Costco here in Orem)
• 1 red onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 15 oz can pizza sauce (I used a jar of marinara I got from Sunflower Market)
• 1/2 c roasted red peppers (I used a few shakes of chipotle pepper spice instead)
• 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
• couples leaves of fresh basil (leave it out if you don’t have it, just freshens up the sauce a bit). (I included the basil)
• 1 small butternut squash

Instructions:

Get your oven to 400ºF. In a saute pan crumble the sausage and brown it, along with the onions & garlic. While that’s going, cut the top and ends of the squash off and peel it. Split it into 1/4′s. What I mean by that is, right where the squash starts to turn bulbous, cut it in 1/2, width-wise. Split those two halves in half, lengthwise. This will make it much easier to cut into planks. Pull out the seeds. Don’t be anal about getting out all the strings, as you won’t even notice those when they’re cooked. Slice the squash into the aforementioned planks.

Make the sauce by pureeing the pizza sauce, red peppers, olive oil and basil. If you don’t a contraption that will puree (blender, food processor, immersion blender), chop up the red peppers and just whisk everything together.

Using a 9×9 oven safe baking dish, put down enough sauce to lightly cover the bottom of the dish. (This keeps the squash from sticking to the pan.) Next add the squash, trying not to overlap the pieces, then spoon on the sausage mixture, followed by the sauce. Repeat until all your ingredients are used up…trying to reserve enough sauce to cover the top of the lasagna.

Bake for 45 minutes. You’re looking for a bubbly pan with a crispy, browned top. Right out of the oven, the lasagna may by liquidy, let it set for a good half hour before cutting into it, as it will solidify.

Here is the link to the recipe source: http://www.health-bent.com/beef/paleo-butternut-squash-lasagna

This recipe will definitely be repeated in our home!!!

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