This Butternut Squash Lasagna is full of flavor and so comforting. With almond ricotta, a creamy butternut squash sauce and kale, this lasagna would be a wonderful addition to your holiday table. Completely vegan and easily made gluten free.
This autumn inspired lasagna is the perfect cozy meal for entertaining friends and family. It would make a beautiful main course for Thanksgiving that everyone will enjoy! And I would bet no one will guess there’s no dairy involved.
While I love classic lasagna, this butternut squash lasagna is a completely different dish. There is no red sauce at all, but instead a creamy, mellow, delightful butternut squash sauce and layers of kale and almond ricotta. Sometimes simple is the most delicious!
There is a bit of work required for this dish, but it’s not too complicated and I’ve broken it down in easy to follow steps.
Ingredients needed (with substitutions)
- Butternut squash – About 1 large squash, or use store bought pre-peeled and cut butternut squash to make this even easier. I can often find it at my local grocery store or Costco. You need about 6 cups cubed.
- Olive oil – For roasting the squash.
- Unsweetened soy milk – Or another non-dairy milk like almond or cashew, but make sure it’s unflavored and unsweetened.
- Salt
- Nutmeg – This is a wonderful addition to the sauce. Grated is even better then ground if you can.
- Black pepper
- Vegan Ricotta – You will use the whole recipe for the lasagna. See the post about subbing cashews or even tofu for nut free.
- Kale – I usually buy bagged, pre-chopped kale, making this super simple.
- Lasagna noodles – I used Tinkyada gluten free lasagna, my favorite. Don’t use no boil here, we are going to pre-cook the noodles.
How to make it
This is simply an overview with photos, scroll down to find the recipe card with all the details.
- First, make the butternut squash sauce. Roast the cubed squash in the oven, then add to a food processor with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Make the vegan ricotta in a food processor, following the instructions. It’s very simple!
- Layer. Add a little sauce to a large dish, followed by lasagna noodles, then 1/2 the ricotta, 1/2 the kale and a cup of the sauce. Layer again with more noodles, the rest of the ricotta, the rest of the kale, another cup of sauce.
- Finish with more noodles, then pour the rest of the sauce over the top. If desired, you can add a bag of non-dairy cheese shreds here, but I did not.
Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven, sprinkle with parsley if desired and serve. Enjoy!
What to serve with butternut squash lasagna
A simple salad or cooked vegetable is a great choice for a simple yet elegant dinner.
How to store leftovers or prep ahead
This lasagna will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. It might freeze okay, but the noodles will likely get quite soggy.
To prep ahead of time, prepare the lasagna but do not bake, instead stick it in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a day before baking and serving.
More main vegan dishes for the holidays
- The Best Vegan Meatloaf
- Lentil Loaf
- Vegan Pot Pie
- Biscuit Topped Chickpea Pot Pie
- Vegan Stuffed Jumbo Shells
- Vegan Baked Ziti
Butternut Squash Lasagna
Ingredients
Butternut Squash Sauce
- 1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 6 cups cubed)
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk*
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- few shakes of black pepper
The Rest
- 1 Recipe Vegan Ricotta
- 4 cups packed chopped kale, stems removed (1 bunch)
- 12 lasagna noodles, gluten free if needed
- 1 bag (2 cups) vegan mozzarella cheese, optional
- parsley, optional
Instructions
Make the butternut squash sauce
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and lightly oil a baking sheet. Peel and chop the butternut squash, then add to the pan and drizzle with a little olive oil. Toss to coat the squash, then sprinkle with salt and bake for 25-30 minutes, until tender and golden. Remove from oven. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees.
- Transfer cooked squash to a food processor, along with the non-dairy milk, salt, nutmeg and pepper and blend until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a bowl and set aside (you will need the food processor for the ricotta as well).
Prepare the vegan ricotta
- While the squash is roasting in the oven, prepare the Vegan Ricotta.
Cook the kale
- Steam the chopped kale in a large pot with a steamer basket (about 2 cups of water on the bottom) for about 10 minutes on medium-high heat, or until tender. Season with a little salt and set aside. I often cook it in my Instant Pot instead.
Cook the noodles
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Drain, then rinse in cold water. I like to lay the rinsed noodles on a baking sheet so they don't all stick together.
Assemble
- In a 9x13 inch baking dish, place about 3/4 cup of the squash mixture over the bottom.
- Place a layer of noodles (3 or 4 noodles), then add 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, in spoonfuls. Layer 1/2 of the kale, then about a cup of the butternut squash sauce. See the photos in the post above for reference.
- Repeat with another layer of noodles, then the rest of the ricotta, the rest of the kale, another cup of butternut sauce. Finish with a layer of noodles and the rest of the butternut sauce.
- If desired, add a bag of non-dairy mozzarella to the top. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes (at 375 degrees). Sprinkle lasagna with chopped parsley, if desired and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make this easier, you can purchase pre-peeled and chopped butternut squash.
- You may use another kind of non-dairy milk if desired, just make sure it is unsweetened and unflavored.
- Gluten free: Use gluten free lasagna noodles, I used Tinkyada brand which I love, made from brown rice.
- Nut free: If you need this lasagna to be nut free, use tofu instead of nuts for the ricotta recipe. I include instructions how to do this on that recipe page.
- You may sub baby spinach for the kale if desired, there is really no need to pre-cook baby spinach, you could just layer it in raw, it will wilt when in the oven.
Made it again on Thanksgiving, by request. This time, I added frizzled leeks with the spinach layer ( spouse won’t eat kale) and some on top. Absolutely delicious! Thank you and happy holidays
You are welcome! Your leek addition sounds delicious, Fay! I’m thrilled you loved the lasagna! Thanks for sharing your stellar review and feedback! Happy holidays to you!
Such a great recipe! The whole family enjoyed it. Made it as written. The nutmeg was a great add to the squash. I also think a little cayenne or nutritional yeast could be great here too. I have tried a lot of vegan ricotta recipes, and this one knocks it out of the park. Definitely will be our go-to. Thank you, Nora!
You are welcome, Nicole! I’m thrilled this recipe has been added to your go to meals! I appreciate your stellar review and feedback! Thank you!
Made this today and Absolutely love it! The vegan ricotta is so delicious and easy to make! Used fresh kale from my garden too. The nutmeg really adds a nice flavor! I really love that its vegan and gluten free! I’ll be making this again!!!! Thank you!
You are welcome, Vikki! I’m glad to hear you love the lasagna! It’s a great fall recipe! Thanks for your wonderful feedback and review!
DO you think you could do rollups with these?
I’ve never tried it, but it sounds like a great idea!
I’ve made it as roll-ups. I’ve also used manicotti and stuffed them with the spinach, ricotta and the butternut squash cubes (instead of blending them).
Can you freeze before cooking? For meal prep?
Hi Stephanie. To prep ahead of time, prepare the lasagna but do not bake. Wrap well and place it in the refrigerator for up to a day before baking and serving.
I have made this lasagna at least 4 times now, twice already for non vegans and everyone raves about it! I do make a small adjustment (making the ricotta out of raw tofu instead of almonds) and the whole thing is so delicious!! Making it again soon for another couple who are coming for dinner 🙂
Delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m so glad you loved the lasagna! Thank you for sharing your fantastic review!
Delicious – everyone loved it! I roasted the squash, made the sauce and prepared the ricotta a day ahead. The ricotta seemed a bit dry when I took it out of the fridge today so I added some more oat milk to get a smoother, creamier consistency. I used baby spinach in place of the kale and made a topping with a bit of sautéed baby spinach for extra color. Flavor was perfect. I served with roasted green beans, homemade cranberry-orange sauce and dinner rolls. Thanks for this lovely recipe.
Hi Fay. You are welcome! Your whole meal sounds delicious and beautiful! I’m really glad the lasagna was a hit with everyone! Thank you for taking time to share your amazing feedback!
This was such a good balance of sweet (nutmeg and butternut squash) with the savory and earthy kale. My girlfriend who is a meat eater ate 3 servings!
I’m so thrilled you both loved the lasagna! Thank you or taking time to share your wonderful review and comments!
Easily one of my all time favourite home cooked meals! It’s delicious, comforting, and super easy. Thank you, Nora!
I’m thrilled that you love the lasagna! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
Made this last night. I have a new non-vegan boyfriend who can’t eat tomatoes, so I’ve been trying recipes we will both enjoy. Luckily he’s open minded.
I made this pretty much as written except I also added fresh garlic to the vegan ricotta, as well as a little oregano. I didn’t have kale on hand so I used baby spinach. It turned out SO delicious and my bf even went for seconds. I call that a win.
Hi Victoria. How wonderful that you both loved the lasagna! I’m so glad! Thanks a lot for taking time to share your kind review.
Loved this!!! I used frozen butternut chunks (just boiled to warm), then spinach (washed, patted dry, de-stemmed, and chopped), and your amazing vegan ricotta! Honestly wasn’t sure if I would like this, but it is delicious! I didn’t even add toppings, although for looks, I may add the parsley and some toasted almond slivers next time. Thank you for sharing this recipe; great to have vegan recipes that are actually tasty and simple to prepare!
Hi Kelly. I love hearing this turned out delicious for you! Thank you for using my recipes, and for taking the time to share! Happy cooking!
I love all your recipes Nora! I am using GF noodles which are oven ready – should I double the ricotta or make cashew cream as someone else has done? I wonder if they will cook otherwise (they were find in your traditional lasagna but that cooked longer and had tons of tomato-lentil sauce in it!). thanks!!
Thanks Sarah! I’m honestly not sure, for best results I’d probably pre-cook them. It’s hard to say without trying it myself, but there isn’t much sauce to cook the noodles. I haven’t tried doubling the ricotta or using cashew cream, but both of those might be fine. Hope you enjoy it!
Hello, Nora!
This is the second recipe of yours I’ve tried; the first was Best Vegan Lasagna. This squash lasagna was way to make and delicious. Just what I needed to feel that I too could have something special, yet vegan and healthy. Now I need to work on portion control! It is so easy to indulge when enjoying your lasagna recipes. Thank you!
You’re welcome!
I’m giving you 5 stars because I’m sure it’s delish!! I was just getting ready to make your traditional lasagna, which is AMAZING and found this and was thinking pumpkin might be a good exchange for butternut squash, What do you think? I have 2 sugar pie pumpkins waiting to be made into pie and perhaps lasagna!! Thank you in advance!!!
Thank you so much! Yes, I think pumpkin would be just fine in place of the butternut squash. Enjoy!!
I made it exactly as you said and it was an enormous hit! Everyone has asked for it again. Thank you!!
You’re welcome!
I like Diane’s suggestion about the walnuts that she used with her leftover butternut lasagna. I might try that next time, finely chopped. I like this recipe but found the sauce a little too sweet. I loved the ricotta made with almonds, surprisingly good. Your recipes are often very good. Keep up the good work.
Thanks!
I have a large container of baby kale. Wondering if I should precook it?
I don’t think I would worry about cooking it actually, baby kale tends to wilt pretty quickly. But you could if you want it to be more tender.
This recipe is one I will definitely try again. I liked the flavors very much but I struggled with the very soft texture. I I used a cashew cream made with garlic, and nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. And I served the leftovers with sautéed onions and sprinkled chopped walnuts over top for the texture I needed. It was delicious! Thank you Nora for the idea which I had never considered.
It sounds like you altered the recipe quite a bit here, which probably made it extra soft. But I’m glad you liked the idea and I hope you try it again! The almond ricotta really adds a lot, it’s drier than a cashew cream would be. Thanks!
Delicious!
Made this for Sunday dinner.
Used oven ready lasagna noodles and added cashew cream (1 cup overnight soaked cashews in 2 cups of water. Rinse and add to a food processor with two cups fresh water, I tsp garlic powder and 2 Tbs lemon juice. Salt and pepper to taste) for the noodles to cook.
This additional step provided extra moisture, almost like a bechamel sauce!
Amazing flavor and very satisfying!
Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome!
I’m all set to make this, but stuck on a question: what’s the weight of the butternut squash? I bought costco pre-cubed (2 lbs), but the chunks are gigantic. Does 6 cups mean smushed or not compressed?
About 6 cups of cubed or chopped squash. I’m not sure how huge they are, but I measured them once cut in about 1-2 inch cubes. So you could cut them a little more if they are really huge. Hope that helps! If you have a little more or a little less it’s not much of a problem here anyhow. Thanks!
I totally enjoyed this meal! I did use no-boil noodles because i had them on hand, but I boiled them for 4 min and they turned out perfect. I substituted the soy for oat milk, again my on hand unflavored supply. It’s a winning recipe!! Thank you!! I also paired my with a field roast Italian sausage! As with all your recipes, this one did not disappoint!
I’m so glad it came out great!
Sooo good! Perfect Fall dish. I will definitely be making it for Thanksgiving this year. It is creamy, elegant deliciousness. I used your Easy Stretchy Vegan Mozz recipe for the mozzarella. I had just made apple-mushroom-onion “sausage” so I threw some of that in as well. The dish didn’t need it but it went well with it. Thank you for another amazing recipe!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the lasagna, your version with the cheese and “sausage” sounds incredible! Thank you so much!
This lasagna looks heavenly. I’m also thrilled to have the butternut squash sauce recipe too–that would be terrific on pasta or potatoes. Thank you for all these wonderful recipes.
You are so welcome, thank you so much! I agree, the sauce it really delicious and would be great in other places. 🙂