These delicious and tasty Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups are stuffed with “ricotta”, spinach, zucchini and drowning in butternut squash purée. Perfect for any night of the week!

Who doesn’t love lasagna? It’s warm, comforting, filling and cheesy: exactly what we’re all looking for on a chilly night in. When creating this recipe, I debated whether to use a traditional marinara sauce, pumpkin purée or to switch things up with a butternut squash puree. So of course as per usual here in the HealthNut Test Kitchen, I went with the non-traditional route. Yes, I know, butternut squash is very “fall” and we’re in the middle of winter. But I love using this vegetable all year round! Have you been to the grocery store lately? It’s everywhere and in all forms: the freezer, canned, fresh and pre-cut and of course, whole. So the way I see it, it’s a year-round vegetable that can and should be used all year round.

I find that using butternut squash purée in place of marinara or a cream sauce gives this lasagna an earthy, yet rich and creamy vibe. Often times when we think of pasta, the choice is red or white sauce. Am I right? But why not switch things up once in a while and think outside the box. I already have a Healthy Pumpkin Lasagna recipe which is also super yummy, but I wanted to make a meat-free option with a twist! And by twist, I mean a roll…haha! I just love individual rolls of lasagna noodles! Not only are they easier to serve, but they are just so adorable. Trust me on this! You’ll get a kick out of how cute they look when you roll them up.

Dairy-Free Ricotta

Besides the butternut squash, I think my favourite part of this recipe is the dairy-free “ricotta”. I just couldn’t get over the deliciousness. I mean I’ve made “ricotta” before, but who knew that I could amp it up by simply adding a few key ingredients. I’m telling you guys, you are not going to believe this is a dairy-free ricotta – you’ll have everyone fooled! Once again, you’ll need tofu! I like to use extra firm tofu from Sunrise Soya Foods. It’s made with Canadian non-GMO soybeans, is high in protein, and is a perfect substitute for traditional ricotta. I also added fresh basil and oregano as I find it’s more flavourful and aromatic. Fresh is best!! You can however use dry herbs if that’s all you have on hand. The nutritional yeast gives that extra cheesy taste and the lemon zest is what brings it to the next level. Trust me, you gotta give this recipe a try!

Greens

So we got the butternut squash, the “ricotta” and of course we gotta add some greens!! The zucchini and spinach add a mild but tasty flavour – your kids won’t even notice! This makes the dish more colourful and packs a bonus nutritional punch. For the lasagna noodles, I went with a gluten-free option. But, you can also use regular lasagna noodles. I then topped the rolls with more butternut squash purée and a generous amount of cheese. If you want to make this meal completely vegan, then all you have to do is use your favourite vegan cheese.

These Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups are also meal prep friendly. Make a batch on Sunday and enjoy it throughout the week with a side of my Simple Kale Caesar Salad . If you make this recipe, be sure to share a photo on social media and tag me @healthnutnutrition and #healthnuteats so that I can see your creations!

Thank you Sunrise Soya Foods for sponsoring and collaborating with us to make these recipes possible! For more information about their products, visit their website!

Recipe

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups

These delicious and tasty Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups are stuffed with
“ricotta”, spinach, zucchini and drowning in butternut squash purée. Perfect for any night of the
week!

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 45 minutes mins

Ingredients:

Lemon Herbed Tofu Ricotta

• 1 block (350g) Sunrise extra firm tofu drained and crumbled
• 1 lemon juiced and zested
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup packed fresh basil finely chopped, or 1 tablespoon dry basil
• 1/4 cup packed fresh oregano finely chopped, or 1 tablespoon dry oregano

Puréed Butternut Squash

• 1 large (2.5 to 3 lbs) butternut squash peeled and cubed, or 3 cups canned puréed butternut squash
• 2 tablespoons nut milk of your choice
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Lasagna Roll

• 3 medium zucchini sliced thinly lengthwise (I use a mandolin)
• 300g chopped frozen spinach thawed and water squeezed out
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 12 lasagna noodles (I like Rizopia brown rice pasta)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• pinch sea salt and black pepper

category:

Course Main Course

serves:

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Instructions:

• To a food processor, add the crumbled tofu, lemon juice, lemon zest, nutritional yeast, olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pulse on high for 15 to 20 seconds, stopping to scrape down in between if needed. Add the fresh basil and oregano and pulse for another 5 seconds. Remove and transfer to a bowl and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the butternut squash and cook for 15 minutes, or until fork tender
• While the butternut squash is cooking, thinly slice the zucchini lengthwise (best to use a mandolin).
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large shallow saucepan on medium heat. Add the zucchini, spinach and garlic. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and sautée for 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
• Once the butternut squash is cooked, drain and toss into the food processor. Add nut milk, butter, salt and pepper. Process on high for 10 to 15 seconds, or until puréed.
• Preheat oven to 350℉.
• Boil the lasagna noodles in salted water for 5 to 6 minutes, until half cooked. Drain and set on a damp towel to prevent sticking. Pat dry
• Lightly brush a 9 X 13 baking dish with olive oil. Pour half the pureed butternut squash in the bottom of the pan. Set aside
• Assemble the rolls: spread 2 tablespoons of ricotta filling across each lasagna noodle. Then top with ¼ cup of spinach and zucchini filling. Roll snuggly and place in the baking dish, 3 across. Pour the remaining puréed butternut squash over each row of lasagna rolls. Top with
  shredded cheese.
• Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is golden.
• Remove and let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil and oregano. Enjoy!

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If you recreate any of these recipes please share a photo on social media and
TAG me @healthnutnutrition and #healthnuteats so I can easily find them and like them!