A festive dinner table is always filled with dishes that take you down memory lane. While you scoop one dish after another on your already crammed plate and finally reach the desserts, you have gulped down calories worth two days’ meal.
You might find solace in ‘one hearty meal once a year hardly makes a difference’, the extended celebration till the new year can derail the hard work of several months. But there is a way out here. Being slightly mindful of the recipes you host for festive dinners can make all the difference.
Giving a healthy twist to your usual lasagna, we introduce the butternut squash and spinach lasagna for the special dinner, to keep your health and taste in check. The star of the butternut squash lasagna is obviously butternut squash, not just for the sweet and nutty flavour, but also for the stack of micronutrients it has.
“Butternut squash is an excellent source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and manganese,” says Vidhyapriya R, nutritionist from Bengaluru. This also makes it important for healthy vision, skin, and immune function.
She says it is especially a good choice for weight watchers as cooked butternut squash is a relatively low-calorie food. “Being high in fibre also helps to keep you full and satisfied and promotes digestive health,” Vidhyapriya adds.
Besides butternut squash, adding spinach to the mix elevates the nutritional value. Vidhyapriya says spinach is a great plant-based source of iron, especially for vegetarians and vegans. “Spinach is also noted among the foods that prevent cancer risk, regulate blood pressure and aid in digestion among other benefits,” she adds.
Without further ado, let us dive straight into getting this vegetarian delicacy ready for dinner.
Ingredients
- 500gm cottage cheese
- 300gm baby spinach
- 50gm butter
- 50gm wholewheat flour
- 600ml low-fat milk
- 500gm shredded mozzarella cheese
- 250gm no-boil lasagna noodles
- 330gm butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into thin slices
- 10gm extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1tsp salt
- 1tsp ground pepper
- 1tbsp chopped fresh sage
Making the lasagna sauce
- Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until melted.
- Whisk in flour and cook for one minute. Slowly add milk while whisking continuously.
- Keep whisking until the sauce reaches a thick consistency, for approximately five minutes.
- Remove from heat and blend in 1 and ½ cups of mozzarella cheese, sage, and ½ teaspoon of salt and pepper until the mixture is smooth.
Getting ready to bake
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and coat two 8-inch-square baking pans with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, combine cottage cheese, garlic, and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in spinach and cook until mostly wilted, for approximately three minutes. Drain excess water and set aside.
- Spread ¼ cup of the sauce in each prepared baking dish. Layer noodles, followed by ¼ cup of the cottage cheese mixture, a layer of squash, ¼ cup of spinach, and ½ cup of the prepared sauce in each pan.
- Repeat the layers, finishing with the remaining noodles, sauce, and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese divided between the two pans.
- Bake until the top is lightly brown, for about an hour. Allow it to cool for 15 minutes before serving. Cut each lasagna into six squares and serve.
Please note this recipe serves 12 people.
Calories per serving
Calories: 308.8 Kcal
Protein: 19.22gm
Carb: 27.7gm
Fat: 14.88gm
Fibre: 2.28gm
Here is another recipe to try this festive season – Pudding, but make it healthy: a chia seed recipe
