I am in awe of people who can make a meal plan, repeating many favorite dishes weekly or several times a year, knowing that they love what they love. Because I’m not: I like shiny new recipes. My favorite thing to cook will always be the last new thing I made. All attempts to be a responsible sort of person with a plan are consistently jettisoned by a sparkly whim that landed in my head in the last day or two, like a Big Apple Crumb Cake. Or, in this case, an Ottolenghi recipe from The Guardian I apparently bookmarked over three years ago and forgot about until this stunning image flashed across my screen a few weeks ago and all of my best-laid October plans were kicked to the curb. I haven’t a single regret.
This is not a usual pasta bake. We do not boil the noodles. We do not make or buy a sauce. We do not roast the winter squash or even sauté the greens. We throw every single ingredient raw into a big bowl for mixing and pour that into a parchment-slung springform (or equivalently-sized pan) pan and bake it for 90 minutes. That’s the rub; it takes a long time to cook. But this time is entirely hands-off, save removing the foil midway. You won’t be scrubbing pots, as the sum of your dishes to wash will be a cutting board, knife, whisk, grater, and a bowl.
What emerges from the oven is savory fall decadence. The proportions are upended — depending on your perspective, this has either half the pasta or twice the vegetables of most pasta bakes of this size. The squash softened, the spinach perfectly cooked, the noodles tender in the center and burnished to a snatch-able crisp on top, and the fragrance of garlic and toasted cheese is everywhere I want to be.
Previously
6 months ago: Spring Asparagus Galette
1 year ago: Skillet Turkey Chili
2 years ago: Chicken Curry
3 years ago: Even More Perfect Apple Pie
4 years ago: Quick Pasta and Chickpeas and Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
5 years ago: Garlic Wine and Butter Steamed Clams, Baked Alaska, Indian-Spiced Cauliflower Soup and Skillet-Baked Pasta with Five Cheeses
6 years ago: My Old-School Baked Ziti and Cannoli Pound Cake
7 years ago: Better Chicken Pot Pies and Better Chocolate Babka
8 years ago: Miso Sweet Potato and Broccoli Bowl and Purple Plum Torte
9 years ago: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
10 years ago: Apple Pie Cookies
11 years ago: Mushroom Lasagna
12 years ago: Quiche Lorraine and Breakfast Apple Granola Crisp
13 years ago: Majestic and Moist Honey Cake, Best Challah (Egg Bread), and Mom’s Apple Cake
14 years ago: Peter Reinhart’s Bagels and Peanut Butter Brownies
15 years ago: Lemon Cake
Winter Squash and Spinach Pasta Bake
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (250 grams) ricotta
- 1 cup (100 grams) finely grated parmesan, divided
- 1 cup (85 grams) coarsely grated fontina cheese
- 1 1/4 cups (300 grams) water
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon (8.4 grams) kosher salt (I use Diamond; use less of other brands)
- Freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 5 ounces (140 grams) baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons thinly-sliced sage leaves or 1 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves (optional)
- 1 1/4-pound (560-grams) butternut or another sturdy winter squash, peeled, seeded, sliced thin or 1 pound (455 grams) in prepared chunks, sliced thin
- 8 ounces (225 grams) dried pasta (see Note), broken into pieces if large/long
Heat oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a 9-inch springform with 3-inch sides (see Note) with a sling of parchment paper, pressing it across the bottom and creasing the sides to get it to fit as best as possible. If the sides aren’t well covered, repeat with a second piece of parchment in the other direction.
Whisk egg and ricotta in a large bowl. Stir in half of the parmesan, fontina, water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, a few gratings of fresh nutmeg, lots of freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, and garlic. Stir in squash, spinach, and sage or thyme, if using. Add dried noodles and stir until everything is coated.
Pour into prepared pan and press gently so everything is in as even of a layer as possible. Sprinkle with second half of parmesan. Gently fold any parchment that extends over the rim of the pan into the center and cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake on a sheet (for extra security against drips) for 1 hour, then remove foil, reopen the parchment folded over the top, and drizzle the dish with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Return to the oven uncovered for 30 minutes. Pasta will be baked through and the top will be crisp. If it doesn’t have as much color as you’d like on top, you can finish it under the broiler for a minute or two.
Cool in pan on a rack for 30 minutes before removing the springform ring, sliding the pasta bake by its parchment onto a serving plate, and cut it into wedges.
Do ahead: This keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week. Rewarm uncovered in a 350-degree oven. I haven’t frozen it, but would expect it to freeze well, tightly wrapped.
Notes:
* Structural note: Like a lasagna, this is more wet and messy when it first comes out of the oven. I recommend a 30-minute rest at minimum (what you see here in the loose slices) but it will be cleaner to cut and more set the longer it hangs out. It reheats fantastically and keeps up to a week in the fridge. Last night, we reheated wedges from 6 days ago and they were (still) perfection.
* Pan size: I only tested this in a 9-inch springform but would expect it to also fit in a 11 to 12-inch ovenproof skillet and also, less glamorously, a 9×13-inch baking dish. No need to line with parchment if you’re serving it from the pan or not worried about leakage.
* Pasta shape: I am using a ribbon-shaped pasta called mafaldine or reginette. You can find it from many brands with slight variations such as: Anna (what I used), Sfoglini, Garofalo, Eataly. Classic ruffle-edged lasagna noodles broken into pieces will work too.
* Adaptation notes: I used Ottolenghi’s recipe as general inspiration, but not a literal guide. I skipped the tomatoes, pine nuts, feta, basil, parsley, and even the fresh noodles, instead using dried ones and adding more liquid so they could fully cook. I add some fontina for richness, a bit more parmesan, more salt, and sage.
* Salt [an update]: There have been so many comments about the salt level, I’m adding the weight of the salt and more guidance. As originally noted, Diamond brand kosher salt is much lighter than other brands of kosher salt so if you’re not using it, it’s a good practice to use half of any other brand when reading a recipe. More about salts here.
This looks amazing! Thoughts on if sweet potato would work in place or butternut squash?
As someone who can never cook the right amount of pasta for my family (use the whole box, way too much. Anything less and somehow there’s not enough. Is there a scientific explanation for this? Probably not), I’m wondering if this would work with cooked pasta. Maybe just back off on the water? I’ll give it a go and report back. Thank you for this inspiration!
I didn’t test this with cooked pasta, but you’re looking at something closer to a classic baked ziti. It will not need the water, most likely (it’s to cook the pasta), but the pasta is likely to be overcooked before the squash is tender.
Just make it as Deb says and TRUST. This is a genius recipe, and we all need to take it as a freaking autumnal gift.
Agree!!! The steps are there; just follow them!!
Daron, try weighing the pasta instead of trying to figure out based on box size. I’ve been doing that with lots of ingredients lately and have had pretty good luck. I’m using my kitchen scale so much more and it’s so much easier for so many things.
I’m thinking of adding caramelized onions to the mix, has anyone else tried this? Does it sound like a good idea to you?
I added scallions, but raw like everything else. Worked beautifully.
I of course didn’t test it with sweet potato, but I bet it would work. Might just be softer.
This is a new family favorite, we’ve made it twice this week. So easy and so delicious. The store was out of ricotta, fontina, and fresh sage so we used cottage cheese, sharp pro alone, and dried sage. The second batch we substituted the full amount of water with 3/4 1% milk and 1/4 water. Both varieties were great. I also Microplaned the garlic since I had it out for the Parmesan.
Can you make with GF pasta?
Yes I’ve done this with banza and it came out good. You might need to adjust the water a little- check the box of your particular gf pasta
Also I realize I’m about three years too late to be helpful sorry!
This is so freaking delicious I can’t stop eating it, I’ll be too full to sleep tonight, hahaha. Made a few changes just because of ingredients I had that needed to be used up. Used cream cheese and sharp white cheddar instead of fontina and ricotta, kale instead of spinach, and added a little tomato paste and basil that would go bad soon. So. Amazing. Thanks!
I made this with sweet potato last night! It was simply ah-mahz-ing, easy, deloicious.
I cut the sweet potato into girthy chunks a little bit bigger than recommended, and yes, they were probably a bit softer than most squash would be – but with the thyme, the rosemary, the cheese (I used gruyere, chef’s kiss), the PASTA! And oh yeah the spinach is in there too :)
It ended up like a really filling, flavorful riff of a gratin. Tasted phenomenal with savory sweet potato, but I’ll definitely be trying it with squash variations. I tend to be wary of dishes involving uncooked pasta (the excitement often overwhelms the reality), but not here.
I halved the recipe (yes, kept the whole egg), and it was DIVINE. Admittedly I baked it in a 9×9 pyrex so, unglamorous as it was, It Was Still So Good It Really Was.
Can’t speak to leftovers because there were none, ahem, cough, cough, no shame.
how did you avoid the “uncooked pasta on the top” issue? I followed this exactly and ended up with just hard uncooked noodles all over the top (the ones inside cooked but were still chewy).
I’ve made this a dozen times and have never had an issue with the pasta. What kind are you using? In a pinch, broken lasagna noodles work beautifully
Trader Joe’s small fun shaped pasta I forget what it’s called but it’s what I had on hand and I assumed anything would work… like a mix of small shells, pinwheels, and squiggles :)
Just hard and uncooked all over the top. Inside al dente. Followed recipe exactly. (Amount of water, time covered in oven etc)
Also it doesn’t look at all like it could feed 8 people and i have six coming over! It looks and smells gorgeous though
This recipe calls for noodles that can lay flay – noodles in shapes like pinwheels and shells might stick out of the liquid in the dish too much and be unable to absorb the liquid, leaving them dry and crunchy in the end. Try with a flat noodle!
well I actually made it again tonight with the same noodles BUT in a dutch oven. Still did the uncovered half hour and everything was perfect. So good.
Made this tonight exactly as written. Delicious! BUT….I made it in a 9×13 pan, probably too big, in the end the pieces were too thin! Will try the spring form pan next time. Husband loved it!
I made this tonight for supper and it is truly wonderful. I didn’t have fontina, so mixed together mozzarella, cheddar and feta (sounds like a weird combo, but I had it on hand and wanted a creamy bite.) It worked great.
Delicious flavors, and super easy! I made it with chickpea rotini for fewer carbs/more protein, and it was very dry…definitely need more water if you’re using a non-standard pasta.
Also, Deb is not lying about the tablespoon of salt…I tried it with less thinking that the cheese would be salty enough and it was under seasoned. That’s what I get for not trusting the master!
This was wow level delicious! The only thing I changed was to use 1/2 parm and 1/2 umbria cheese, both of which I just brought back from Italy. I also did pop it under the broiler for a few minutes to brown. I do wonder if it needed more time to bake, only because even after 30 minutes rest it didn’t cut cleanly and was a bit more liquidy than I imagined it would be. Next time I might reduce the water a bit and see if that helps. Overall – a winner! I’ll surely freeze a couple big slices for a cozy dinner for another time, IF we don’t eat it all first!
This is awesome. I had read the recipe, then the other day, I saw a nice sized butternut squash at the store. This was so easy. And clean up was a breeze. I had to swap the fontina for mozzarella cheese, but this is soo good. My wife even said it’s something you could just eat the whole thing. Thank you.
I was wondering the same thing!
I just received a huge spaghetti squash in my csa box. Do you think I could substitute this for the squash?
I subbed the squash with sweet potatoes because my kids don’t like the former. In terms of flavor, it was delicious. I sliced them thinly (about 1/4″ thick) and they cooked up nice and soft and kept their shape. I do wonder, if the overall dish was a little drier because squash contains more water. Some of the pasta on the outside was not cooked. Perhaps more water should be added? 2 tbsps? You can’t go wrong trying. It could also have been a function of my leaky springform pan. In any case, ours was moist and delicious.
Has anyone tried freezing this? How did it go? Tips for freezer success?
I didn’t but expect it to freeze well. Wrap it tight. Reheat at 350 with foil on until defrosted, then without to get some color and crisp on top.
I made this last winter and froze it in single serving pieces wrapped in wax paper then in a ziplock bag. To reheat I followed Deb’s directions. It was as good as the first day I made it. Currently making a pan with the first butternut squash of the season. One of my very favorite autumn dishes.
Where I live I can’t get this pasta shape… anyone tried with other shapes and can report back?? I can get spaghetti, elbow macaroni, fusilli, penne, broken vermicelli pieces, or regular small pasta rings. Also plain flat lasagna (not curly edge).
Yes, I did it with a Trader Joe’s combination of small shapes (mini shells, pinwheels, etc) and it was great with the exception of hard & crunchy ones on the top but it sounds like that happens no matter what.
It doesn’t happen “no matter what.” From the first time I made this I poked any pasta pieces that were on top down a bit so it would not be on the surface. Never had any crunchy ones other that the occasional one that evaded me. I mean, think about lasagna. The inside layers of pasta are soft. The top layer is crunchy. Why would you expect anything different with this recipe?
good to know- just sharing my experience. I did see someone else had the same one who used lasagna noodles. Let me amend “no matter what” to “possibility of it happening no matter what”.
I say possibility of it happening if you leave noodles on top. If you don’t want crunchy make sure all the noodles are down inside a bit.
My experience.
Would this turn out if I omitted the pasta ?
No, the liquid is there to cook the pasta so it would need a few adjustments.
How do I make this without pasta ?
I haven’t made this yet but my plan is to leave out both the pasta and the water, because the water is there for the pasta to absorb. I plan to replace the pasta with a vegetable, like green beans because they’re kind of like macaroni.
Update! I have made this now and it was good! No water, green beans instead of pasta.
Hi. I am allergic to ricotta so I’m wondering if cottage cheese can be used instead, or maybe a whipped goat cheese?
I would think either would be fine! Goat cheese would add a nice tang, but cottage cheese might be more similar to the ricotta – might blend it a little so the curds aren’t as noticeable?
I made this yesterday…. so simple to make. And what came out of the oven was absolutely tasty! And the aroma wonderful. This is a great recipe for brunch, lunch or dinner. Thank you so much
I made this for lunch and it was delicious! Took me an hour start to finish for prep. Used 1/2 tablespoon of Morton table salt bc I didn’t have kosher. Used a 13 inch cast iron skillet. Also used precut butternut squash from trader Joe’s and then used the food processor slicing attachment and it was perfect.
This was good. Needs longer to cook than recommended time. The next day I baked the leftovers until they got dark carmelized it was much better. I added halved grape tomatoes to cut all the richness. Make a day ahead if you can.
I’d think a mixture of the two would be nice. All goat cheese might be too intense.
What protein do you recommend adding to this? Rotisserie chicken or ground Italian sausage maybe?
This already has plenty of cheese as well as an egg so an additional source of protein doesn’t seem necessary. I’d just accompany it with an interesting salad and good bread or focaccia.
What can I use In place of Fontina? I can’t find that where I live.
Gruyere, swiss, cheddar, or parmesan, basically any cheese you’d like with these ingredients.
I personally prefer it as it, but grilled sausages on the side might not be bad at all.
This looks delicious! Do you think it could be made in a slow cooker?
I’ve actually never made a pasta in the slow-cooker before but I don’t see why it would work. It would just take longer than one that began with cooked pasta.
Would it be possible to use zucchini and yellow squash instead of butternut or would they be too watery?
I’d add Italian sausage! You and I were thinking the same thing! I know it’s a vegetarian dish but I enjoy my meat and in a dish like this I think it’d be fantastic!
THIS WAS INCREDIBLE! Tasted rich and yet still light enough that I’m not knee deep in a food coma. Made the recipe as is and it was absolutely perfect. Thank you Deb for sharing! Everyone at the table was quite impressed
I’m considering adding a can of chickpeas when I make this weekend. If I don’t get any replies to dissuade me, I’ll come back with a report!
I haven’t made this yet – but my daughter and I adore butternut squash ravioli that I dress with spinach, chickpeas, extra virgin olive oil, and grated pecorino or parm. I feel like that is a pretty close test run for how your addition would work. We love it.
Sounds good to me!
Added the equivalent of one can of chickpeas to the recipe as written, except I had over-cooked them in the pressure cooker so it was just chickpea mush – but super tasty!
Actually tripled the recipe (had a big squash), used pureed fresh peeled tomatoes instead of water, didn’t bother chopping the spinach, mixed it literally with my hand in a giant stock pot, and put torn up proscuitto on top before baking it in two 9×13 pans – DELICIOUS!
Any suggestions for omitting or reducing the cheese? Lactose intolerant but the dish looks great.
OMG – sounds wonderful. I do wonder, how the squash cubes need to be sliced? How thin?
I made this with red lentil lasagne noodles, which are protein rich, and it turned out well.
I haven’t done it yet… but I think crumbled sausage would be delicious in this if you were looking for a meaty version which my husband and kids always like. Can’t wait to make this! Thanks for the recipe
A smoky or hot sausage. Not Italian, since that take the flavor a different direction for me. I greased the pan with lard which should add a little flavor.
This looks really good! I might be missing it, but I see water in the ingredients list, but not in the steps.
After reading the original recipe and then looking at Deb’s comments, you are supposed to add the water to everything else in the bowl. Hopefully she will see the questions and confirm this.
The water goes in with the cheese; now fixed.
The water goes in with the cheese; now fixed.
This looks like a great recipe! But I can’t seem to see where I would add the one and a half cups of water. Am I just missing it?
The water goes in with the cheese; now fixed. It’s 1.25 cups.
a. That looks amazing!
b. An extra parmesan snuck in there – paragraph 2 – “a few gratings of fresh nutmeg parmesan,”
Ha! Thanks, will fix.
Hi, This sounds amazing. One question though, when do I add the 1 1/4 of water? The water is not mentioned in the directions.
Thanks, I love your recipes and have made quite a few.
The water goes in with the cheese; now fixed.
What other cheeses might work in this dish? Maybe Mozzarella?
Definitely. I choose fontina for flavor/richness, though.
I used Asiago because there was no fontina at the particular store where I bought my supplies for this. It turned out great!
What do you do with the 1 1/4 cup water in the ingredients list? I don’t see it utilized in the recipe steps.
The water goes in with the cheese; now fixed.
Hi! I just gently pulled on the dry parchment and it slid right out. Getting it on a serving plate was a bit trickier, but I managed to slide it on with the help of a large spatula and another set of hands!
It was worth all the prep – absolutely delicious!!
I don’t see where the water is added? Does it go in with the egg and ricotta or did I overlook it? It looks amazing, can’t wait to try it.
The water goes in with the cheese; now fixed.
We’re definitely living in the same improv mode over here. And I have to say that living in a small town with multiple points of grocery access helps a lot. We moved recently from the pandemic/rural house, and any thought of planning has been forgotten in some cardboard box. So thanks, will be making this within a couple days..
Oh my goodness, this will be perfect to use up all the veggies in our CSA box!
After making your apple cake (twice!) this week, I will happily try any recipe you print… this looks amazing and I have all the ingredients in my pantry. Just confirming the water step and I’m in!
You list 1 1/4 cups water in the ingredients, but I don’t see how it is used in the recipe. Sorry if I missed it, but read through several times and don’t see it. It seems like a lot to just add to the mixture.
I love everything about this, especially because my spouse now works from home and often needs an afternoon break. I have tons of kale and I’m thinking to swap it in for the spinach. I was thinking I might add a couple extra tablespoons or even a quarter cup of water to compensate, since spinach has such a high water content. Do you think that’s necessary? I don’t relish the idea of crunchy noodles.
Also, often when some thing is supposed to be covered with foil, we just stick a silpat on top to reduce the disposable factor. It generally works quite well.
Kale, fontina and squash are one of my favorite combinations, so I am especially looking forward to this. I bet the summer veggie farro dish could also be adapted to this flavor profile as well. Thanks again!
Okay this looks amazing but I’ve currently got gestational diabetes so need to make a few subs. Planning to try with chickpea pasta (will up the water based on comments) and delicata squash. Any ideas on a different slide for the delicata, given it tends to roast more quickly than butternut?
You list 1 1/4 cups water in the ingredients, but I don’t see how it is used in the recipe. Sorry if I missed it.
The water goes in with the cheese; now fixed.
Has anyone tried this with thawed frozen spinach and squash? Would it work the same?
I regularly make it with thawed frozen spinach, and it turns out the same. I’d imagine the same to be true of thawed frozen squash.
This looks awesome, and I’m making it to put in the fridge now so I can toss it in the oven to bake while I’m in a meeting! But I missed where the water goes in – I assume with the fontina, etc.?
The water goes in with the cheese; now fixed.
This sounds so delicious and fairly easy to make ( which I love!) We’ve been eating more vegetarian meals and this looks perfect! I’m curious to know why you left out the tomatoes and pine nuts? I’m not a huge fan of feta so I like that sub!
Didn’t want them here. I wasn’t very concerned with the original flavors, just liked the concept, and wanted to apply it to my idea of what an ideal squash bake would be.
When is the water used? Is it mixed in at the end before pouring it in the pan?
The water goes in with the cheese; now fixed.
Is it possible to sub kale for the spinach? Will kale cook in that same amount of baking time? Thanks.
I didn’t test it with kale, so I can’t say for sure. I’d expect that 90 minutes will soften any greens, however, it just might be a bit more heaped in the pan before it cooks down.
I substituted kale – chopped – and it was fine – used 3 different kinds of kale – no need to blanch. Made it 3 times so far and used more kale each time – all good. It cooks beautifully.
You could “blanch” the kale by putting it in a colander (in the sink), and pouring a kettle of boiling water over it. I think I’d chop it first, that way you wouldn’t have to wait for it to cool. If you pressed the water out of it afterwards, I don’t think you’d have to adjust the water in the recipe.
As for cheese, I could see adding in some nuggets of blue cheese.
I made it with kale and didn’t change a thing. It was piled super high when I put it in but cooked down perfectly.
I also used kale. Didn’t blanch, but did chop it pretty well beforehand. Didn’t change anything else, and it came out great!
Sounds easy and yummy. Would it be okay to skip the ricotta ( or cottage cheese)? Husband doesn’t like soft cheese.
I didn’t test it without, so I’m not sure what the effect will be. Perhaps more dry?
This is exactly what I love about your site – every day ingredients combined in new and interesting ways to make something utterly lovely and family-friendly. It’s like you know exactly what I want to cook (and eat!!) before I know it myself. Making this tonight!
Thank you for the beautiful recipe. The photos were super also. I cook for myself and like something like this that I can reheat. I am 85 years old and do not eat as much at each meal anymore.. I can see freezing part of it. I am so excited and am going to put an order in for Walmart delivery for the items I do not have. Such a good service for housebound people like me.
I hope you love this meal!
Just finding this recipe. You are quite the inspiration to be doing this at 85. Good thoughts
Hi Deb. Any thoughts on whether this would work with gluten free pasta? It looks SO AMAZING, I don’t want to miss out on it. Thanks, Karen
I haven’t worked a lot with gluten-free pasta. It gets softer, right? And might need less water? These would be adjustments to consider.
Hi Deb, I’m hoping to use Tinkyada brown rice pasta with this. Its cook time is usually 14-15 min (compared to 10-ish for wheat pasta). Do you recommend leaving it in the oven for longer and if so, how much longer given the slightly longer stovetop cook time?
No, I think it will be just fine because this cooks for eons.
Reporting back to say that it came out perfect. It was even better next day after the microwave! Thank you!
Hi, Jennifer- Same question here- so, did you change the water at all or leave the same for your gf pasta?
I was wondering the same thing, Karen. If you try it, will you report back any recommendations? This looks so delicious!
I made it with gf pasta with no adjustments and it worked great! I used Barilla, which is corn based.
I haven’t made this recipe yet, but have found Jovial brown rice pastas to be rather sturdy.
Was just reading and wondering if it would work with Jovial. Have done other one-pot pasta recipes that aren’t specifically gluten free and it has worked out.
I just made this with gf pasta (some fancy Italian brand with corn), and it worked great!
Did you make any adjustments in terms of measurements or time? I am planning to make it this week. Thanks!
Could you sub cheddar for fontina? And tofu ricotta for ricotta? Trying to make this lactose-free.
I didn’t test with either but I suspect they’d be fine.
I’m going to attempt basically this tonight. I made it last week as-written, but the store was out of ricotta. So I’m just going to make a lazy tofu ricotta by mashing up firm silken tofu & some nutritional yeast. And maybe a bit more salt and other seasonings than I used last time.
I was going to decrease the oil, but I think with using tofu, I’ll probably keep it the same.
How did this work out? I want to make it dairy free too.
This looks great! Is there any reason not to use a Dutch oven and cover with the lid for the first half of the cooking time instead of foil?
No, you totally could.
I just made a frittata in my dutch oven, please beware, anything with an egg or cheese will stick in the oven for 90 minutes. I buttered and oiled it, but you know eggs, they love to stick. It was le Creuset so it cleaned up beautifully but I bet you would still need the parchment. Just a thought, and my 2 cents.
I have a delicatta squash – do you think that’s sturdy enough? Maybe if I chop it slightly thicker?
Absolutely. I find it on the studier size, regardless.
This looks delicious! I feel so inspired and excited to try it with 20 lbs of winter squash I’m picking up from a local farm in a couple weeks. I wish I didn’t have to wait that long.
Can I use broken wholemeal spelt spaghetti broken up in this recipe?
Could you skip the egg? Have an egg allergy in the house
Do you ever use JustEgg? I think it would work perfectly here (egg free over here also).
I didn’t test it without the egg; it’s mostly here for structure since there’s so much vegetable and relatively less pasta. But I don’t think the dish will be ruined without it, just softer set.
@Bekah I just made this and used 3 tbsp of Just Egg (well shaken) and it worked great. Maybe you’ve used it before but in case not, despite the name Just Egg contains no eggs it’s a mung bean vegan egg substitute. I also have an egg allergy and use this when eggs are used as a custardy binder in things.
I can’t wait to make this! My israeli friend makes something similar with spinach. She makes it vegan using tahini- and she makes it in a loaf pan. It sounds delicious as you have designed it!
I’d love your Israeli friend’s recipe. It sounds delicious! Please share. :)
I would love it if you made an easy printable recipe?!!
At the bottom of the recipe under the photos there is a “do more” note. Click on the printer icon and voila!
There is a print icon that leads to a print template at the bottom of each recipe, where it says “DO MORE:” You can also click CTRL or ⌘ + P [on desktop] from any recipe post and it will take you to a streamlined print template.
Other ways to print:
File > Print on a Mac
From the share button (the one that looks like an up-arrow coming out of a box) at the bottom of the Safari browser on an iPhone
Can you use frozen spinach instead of fresh ?
I’d think so!
Looks incredible! Do you think this would work with no-boil dry lasagna noodles? Or would they get too over cooked?
I think it would work! I suspect it might need a little less water. I might try it with just 3/4 to 1 cup here.
I used no-boil lasagne noodles and somehow forgot to add the water entirely and it pretty much ended up fine, with a few noodles poking up at the top being slightly excessively crispy.
Just wanted to share that I used TJ no boil flat lasagna noodles (otherwise prepared as normal and used the amount of water suggested) and I found the noodles to be a bit underdone and kind of gluey? I think maybe they stuck together more than ruffled noodles might which could have been the problem. Happy to hear other suggestions as I’m hoping to try again since I have the other 1/2 of all the ingredients still in my fridge :)
I’m so excited to try this! It’s currently in the oven. I do have a question about the TABLEspoon of salt ???? I did put it in. I really really hope that is not a typo ???? I will let you know when I try it. I did use Kosher salt but still …
Was it too salty? I’d like to make it today but a tbsp sounds like a lot of salt when there’s a good amount of cheese already.
Made according to recipe, but halved the salt. Absolutely delicious— perfect autumnal dinner served with arugula and pomegranate salad.
I used 2 tsp regular salt and would try 1 1/2 tsp like you the next time. I only had 1/3 cup parmesan so substituted mozzarella for the rest. It would have been very salty if using regular salt and a full cup of Parmesan. It was yummy though. Definitely will make again.
I used a T of kosher. Not too salty.
Making this for the second time. It’s such a great recipe! My family loves it! Thank you
It’s not a typo. I tested this with 2 teaspoons of salt and it was very under-seasoned. 1 tablespoon was just right.
Per King Arthur ingredient weight chart, 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal Kosher salt weighs 8 grams, while 1 tablespoon Morton kosher salt weighs 16 grams. Since Deb is recommending 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal, that means whatever salt you use, you should weigh out 8 grams. Link to (very handy) King Arthur ingredient weight chart:
https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart
Weighing the salt was a great idea. My Morton’s Kosher salt came in at around a half tablespoon for 8 grams. Seasoning was perfect.
And this is exactly why recipes should list salt by weight, not volume. Thank you for pointing this out. If only I had seen it sooner.
The issue with salt by weight is that almost no home scales weigh things reliably under 10 grams, and often up to 15 grams. So, were I to call for 8.4 grams of salt here, the weight of 1 tablespoon Diamond kosher salt, few would measure it correctly with other salts.
That’s not an issue with salt by weight, it’s an issue with low quality scales. It’s true that many scales are not perfectly accurate at very low weights, but they are also not wildly inaccurate to the point where it would ruin the recipe. Even cheap digital kitchen scales do a good enough job of measuring 5 or more grams. Even if they were off by a gram, that would still probably be okay. We don’t need precision down to the quarter gram level for a recipe like this. Given the number of people who have had an issue with the salt in this recipe, it couldn’t hurt to just add the weight, especially since you have all the other ingredients by weight. Or perhaps add a recipe note? Thanks for the recipe and for considering this suggestion.
This looks amazing and may be just the vegetarian dish I was looking for to serve at an upcoming dinner party. Any suggestions Deb, or fellow food community, on what else I can serve with this to bulk up the meal a bit more (since it’s a dinner party)?
This might seem minor but could be helpful, especially to NYC Fresh Direct customers/people who order ingredients online! The pasta reginette should be reginetti (w an I on the end). I was copying and pasting to look for it. Fresh Direct does carry it!
This is delicious and super easy to put together! Followed the recipe as written, used delicata squash because didn’t have butternut. Everyone ate 2 helpings, even the 6 year old. Will definitely make this again.
Do you think this would work with gluten free pasta?
I made it with gluten free pasta and it was great. I did add a bit more water though not very much.
This looks fantastic! I assume you’ve overcome your previous aversion to baked ricotta? ;) seems like this could be a blueprint for so many amazing flavors too – I’m wondering about a butternut-gruyere edition! Will report back.
I seem to be coming along with it. I don’t want to be too difficult about ingredients, i.e. make people feel like they have to hunt down a lot of specialties to cook my recipes, but if you can find fina-style ricotta, that’s what did the trick for me. It’s not chunky like cottage cheese; and it’s thicker too. I’ve been using this brand (because I can get it from my grocery delivery service). I suppose running regular ricotta through a food processor or Vitamix would create something similar.
Sick to death of people posting recipes…who drone on and on about their lives and thoughts. BIG NEWS! No one cares!!! Get to the recipe…which is the reason users clicked on your site. Keep your opinions to yourself. The world doesn’t need more self indulgent, entitled, self -appointed experts. Please share this content with every recipe blogger you know. Thank you.
It’s always interesting to me how people who post comments to say “no one’s interested in your opinions” think everyone’s interested in theirs. Humanity is a vast tapestry!
haha. Love your comment! So appropriate.
Haha slow clap
No. Recognize that different people enjoy different things and YOU can indulge your own preferences without bossing other people. I enjoy Deb’s stories and musings and will always read her posts even if I have no plans to make the recipe!
I rarely have time to cook much. I love the stories – they are reason I read this site! I skim the ingredients and use them to riff on my own creations when I do cook. But I have never been a recipe follower and am 100% here for the stories. I also only buy cookups that tell us the story of the grandmother who made something similar, or why farmers started finding uses for X product before it spoiled, I couldn’t care less about a tsp of this or a 1/4 cup of that.
There is a ‘jump to recipe’ link at the top of each post if you prefer to go straight to the recipe.
Please remember that you are commenting on a real person’s post. If you met Deb in real life, would you say this to her face? I hope not. And I hope that you think more considerately and kindly about how you interact with people on the internet in the future.
Personally I love Deb’s stories and would be very disappointed if she stopped writing and got right to the recipe. But if you don’t enjoy them, simply click “jump to recipe” which is at the very top of the page. Or if it is a recurring problem for you, I recommend the Chrome extension called Recipe Filter that will load up just the recipe in a pop up screen when you visit blogs or websites with recipes on them.
Lastly, I think it’s important to note that many food bloggers write longer stories because of the way search engine algorithms work (and/or to optimize ad revenue – although clearly that’s not the case with Smitten Kitchen). If they didn’t write their stories, you might not see their recipes in your search results, or they might not have the extra little cash to buy the ingredients/equipment needed for their recipes.
I agree! I love Deb’s stories. For those who don’t, I would suggest unsubscribing or just slide down to the recipe. No need to complain for free recipes! Please don’t change, Deb!
Imagine being so self-obsessed that you think others should change their art to fit your viewpoint. This is a blog, it’s not transactional. Deb owes you nothing. How nasty do you have to be that the nanosecond it takes to scroll down half a page is too much for you. You’re welcome to stick to AI-generated garbage recipes riddled with errors. The rest of us will continue to enjoy recipes from the heart.
Um, you need some help. I suggest meditation. Maybe a walk in the woods. Therapy is probably a good choice. And a friend to give you a hug. All of the above is your best bet.
This is Deb’s blog. She’s allowed to post whatever she wants in it. Personally, I love hearing about her anecdotes and thoughts, and that’s the reason why Smitten Kitchen is my favorite blog. I regularly go back and read her previous entries.
Astonishing that you can’t see how Deb has created a community of readers who not only very much enjoy reading the stories and context that accompany the recipes and bring them to life, but also contribute so much of their own experience and ideas. These readers wouldn’t be here if they didn’t find value in how Smitten Kitchen works, stories and all. Go elsewhere if you aren’t interested—no need to crash a party where you’re not having fun.
That’s rude, you’ll take someone’s recipes and brag about the out one. Sounds like you have a not so nice life. Ugly people say and
Do ugly things- definitely speaks who you are.
If you want a recipe go to a recipe site or go read a cookbook. Don’t go to content sites created by bloggers who have a passion for the topic and created the site to showcase their passion, then complain it’s not what you want. And most of all, don’t be rude on their site. How entitled you sound!
LOL yes, you’re right. Absolutely no one cares what Deb has to say. A mega-successful blogger and cook book author. No one!!!!
You must be new here.
I’m an inefficient cook so this took a while to assemble. It’s now been in the oven for 15 minutes with many more to go. I’m hoping against hope that the instruction to use one TABLESPOON of salt isn’t another typo, especially since this isn’t a cheap dish if you use quality cheeses.
The tablespoon of salt is not a typo. I tested it with 2 teaspoons, too, and it was way under-seasoned. Usually you’d cook each ingredient with salt — salt in the pasta water, salt when you roast squash, salt when you saute greens. Here it’s just done at once.
This would have been very good, but it was WAY too salty. I’m so very sad about it, because it is so beautiful to look at, and I’m going to have to throw it all away. I want to cry. Let me say that I am a salt fiend, and almost nothing is too salty for me. I salt everything – I can’t even eat a piece of pizza without salt. I carry salt packets in my purse! This was just way too much. I should have looked up what Diamond salt is, I guess, and looked up a conversion like someone else did. I just kind of thought, “how different can one kosher salt be from another?” and used a scant tablespoon – maybe 1 tbsp less a quarter teaspoon. Nope, that was too much. Ugh, what a waste.
There is a HUGE difference in crystal size and consequently in saltiness between Morton’s Kosher and Diamond Crystal Kosher salts. My understanding is that most recipe developers use Diamond Crystal. Heartbreaking that it didn’t work out for you, but I’d encourage you to give it another try using Diamond Crystal. It’s a definite winner!
With respect, I really shouldn’t have to use a specific brand of salt. The recipe should list the amount of salt required by weight instead of by volume and an imprecise direction to “use less.” Using the weight would allow people to use whatever brand of salt they prefer (in my case, David’s). It’s my fault for not reading the comments, I guess, and for not realizing I needed a conversion chart, but of all the things that warrant a recipe note, this is almost certainly one of them. In any case, it was otherwise delicious, so I probably will make it again, after I stop being mad 😂
I understand your frustration and agree that cooking by weight is the way to go, but I’m not sure that would work with Kosher salt? I honestly don’t know. But I was just trying to alert folks to the fact that if they see “Kosher Salt” in a recipe whether it’s from Deb or Bon Appetit or wherever, the recipe developer most likely used Diamond Crystal. I think there’s another comment that refers to a conversion chart at the King Arthur baking site which might be helpful.
First, if you’re accessing a recipe online, chances are you know how to use google. If “use less” is too unspecific for you, you should’ve done the unthinkable, opened a new tab on your already-open web browser, and googled it. It’s so so SO easy to figure out how much salt you should use considering what type you have.
Second, the recipe does not say “use diamond brand kosher salt and ONLY diamond brand kosher salt OR ELSE,” it literally tells you what to do if you don’t have that brand. And if “use less” isn’t helpful enough for you, again, GOOGLE IT. See earlier point. You’re not helpless here.
Third, you’re forgetting that these recipes are created by an individual person, not a company with recipe testers and a pantry of company-provided ingredients. Deb is using the salt she has on hand, providing the measurement for what she used, but she is even thoughtful enough to specify that “if you have a different brand, use less.” Do you want her to make this three times with three different types/brands of salt (paying for three recipes’ worth of ingredients)? Do you want her to hold your hand, or continue providing you with brilliant, thoughtful recipe inspiration?
Fourth, give Deb the benefit of the doubt–she literally has a post about kosher salt brands on this site, which if you had bothered to google (which you should’ve, if you were so annoyed about the salt direction in the first place), you probably would’ve found.
Wow. This is a truly disproportionate response to a reasonable and constructive piece of feedback on the recipe. If this were my blog, I would want this type of feedback to improve. For those of us who have never heard of Diamond Crystal (GASP! THE HORROR!) salt, providing weights or a note stating that it is literally about twice as salty as other salt would be helpful, because it’s a case of not knowing what you don’t know. I am an experienced cook, and in my 30 years of cooking, I have never encountered a brand of salt that is so drastically different from other salts. I have also never oversalted a dish before, although I guess that’s because I usually just salt to taste. But, having never heard about Diamond Crystal, it didn’t even occur to me to Google it because the direction seemed very clear at the time – use less, which is exactly what I did. I know nothing about this blog, having never heard of it before someone shared this recipe with me, but I do know that if I had a recipe blog, I would want to make the recipes accessible to everyone. I would want each recipe to stand alone, rather than requiring additional research for something as basic as salt. And, if even a few people were saying that they had to throw out a dish with all those expensive ingredients because of an instruction that I could easily make more clear (perhaps even by linking to my previous post on the topic of kosher salt brands, since, as you note, this is the internet, after all), I would do it. It’s not such a crazy ask, so please get a grip.
It’s clear people aren’t reading her notes about the salt. Any seasoned cook with over 30 years experience knows not all salts are the same. Gasp, one use iodized in a recipe like this. But, if you do use iodized and are such an accomplished cook, then one reads a recipe through entirely.
Deb Perelman is one of the most accomplished and experienced cooks I know. And her blog is legendary. Just sayin
Obviously I know the difference between types of salt. I was referring to differences between brands of kosher salt. Say what you want, any good cook knows that measurements should be by weight, not volume. Sorry if your feelings are hurt by this, but it’s not really debatable.
Feelings not hurt in the least. I’m a classically trained chef. People in the know realize Diamond Kosher weighs less. It’s become the salt of choice for seasoned and well known bakers and chefs/cooks spanning the globe… Hence Deb’s asterisk’d note for home cooks not in the know. Cheers
I don’t live in the US. I don’t think we have that brand, at least I’ve never seen it. Please try not to be so ethnocentric, because I promise you that there are plenty of good cooks who don’t read the same blogs as you and don’t live in places where that brand is sold. I didn’t attack the blog or the recipe, I only pointed out that more specific information, either in the form of measurements by weight or else a more detailed note clarifying that “less” means about half a much, should be given. I did read the note and used less than a tablespoon, but not enough less. Where I live, we don’t have a wide variety of kosher salt brands and the brands we have are pretty similar. It’s a totally reasonable comment, and it’s bizarre to me that people are responding to me and implying that I’m not a good cook because I’m not up on all the American brands. If there is no room for constructive feedback such as this, why have a comments section?
I have literally never seen salt listed by weight, in any recipe, ever. A quick test on the scale shows why–for example, both 1/4 and 1/2 teaspoons of salt weight the same, according to the scale. It’s just too small an amount to weigh correctly. I just looked at the original Ottolenghi recipe for this dish, and it also calls for salt by the teaspoon (the parsley is measured this way too).
Made this with Gluten Free Rice penne and it came together perfectly with the proportions of liquid to pasta.
Except I unfortunately didn’t read the salt note carefully enough, threw in a tbsp, and it was waaaaayyyyyyy too salty. Had to throw half away :(
How many calories per serving? This looks seriously delicious!
I entered everything in MFP while I was making it last night.
At 8 servings, it amounts to 327 calories per serving.
You are the best! Thank you for doing this!
Definitely making this over the weekend, any other ideas to sub out fontina? And do you think it would work with Banza chickpea pasta? Normally takes about 7-9 minutes to cook so thinking either less water or shorter cooking time? Thoughts? Can’t wait to make it!
I haven’t tested this with gluten-free pasta but your hunch is probably correct — try a little less water. Actually not sure about needing less baking time, now that I think of it. This 90 minutes (but only 1/4 cup water) was called for in the original Ottolenghi recipe and he began with fresh pasta sheets (which need less water and cooking time).
Hi Lori, I made this with Jovial gluten free pasta and used the same water and time. The noddles on the very top edges remained a little crunchy but otherwise very delicious and just as good as my first attempt with regular pasta. I’ve found that Jovial GF pasta behaves pretty similarly to regular pasta and lacks the mush of many others. Just my thoughts!
90 minutes in an oven is a very long time, especially if there’s nothing else being baked or roasted there at the same time. That seems very wasteful of power.
I’d use a big round and deep silicon dish for this and bake it in the microwave instead. Not ending up with a crispy top is a small price to pay for saving so much time and energy.
Can you suggest an appropriate microwave cooking time, or should I just experiment? I’ve cooked lots of vegetables and an occasional cake that way but never anything this dense and bulky….
wow–just wow.
Holy cow! I can think of dozens of ways to make use a 350° oven for 90 minutes. While the pasta bake is cooking on one rack you can use the other to make: cookies, a quick bread, some baked apples, a quiche, a cottage pie, cupcakes, muffins, braised veggies (like broccoli or asparagus)… The key is to plan.
I don’t think microwave would consume less energy if not more. My oven actually uses very little energy after getting to the temperature it is assigned to. On the other hand microwave should be working all time, and unit energy consumed is far more than an oven (esspecially if it has a good isolation). The vegetables also are not precooked, so this also saves some energy.
I’ve not tested this in the microwave so I cannot give instructions for it. But most pasta bakes with already cooked pasta (think: stuffed shells or lasagna) take 40 to 45 minutes in the oven, but the ingredients go in already prepared. Here, you’d first have to boil the pasta in a big pot + sauté the greens and garlic in a skillet + roast the squash in the oven, which would easily eat up the 45 minutes you’d saved by not using this dump-and-bake method. This is actually the first pasta bake on SK with winter squash for that reason; every time I wanted to make one, I was put off by the number of processes and pans involved to do it well. When I saw this method, I knew it was the one.
I am literally drooling over this! It is nice to “meet” someone else who is easily apathetic about recipes and the next favorite one! Thank you–I am making this tonight!
Anyone try this with gluten free pasta?
I didn’t test it with gluten-free pasta. Does it ever need less water? Or less cooking time? If so, those adjustments should be considered here. Otherwise, I’m sure it will be fine.
This looks awesome! I love your desire to continue to make new recipes!!!
This looks amazing! But wondering how you cut that squash so perfectly square and thin? Mandoline? Extreme patience? 🤣
The day I photographed it, I bought 1 pound of prepared chunks! I then sliced each thin with a knife. You can watch me make it here.
Can you let me know when I am to use the water. It is in the ingredient but not in the instructions. Thanks!
The water is added along with the cheese; now fixed.
The only problem I have with this, is that it has veggies in it that are at opposite ends of the growing cycle. It is a first world recipe.
Eileen L, spinach and butternut squash grow in autumn in the north eastern United States.
I’m speaking from the perspective of west central Maine, where local farmers just don’t grow spinach this time of year, even those with greenhouses. They would have to plant in late July, early August when it’s hot here and the spinach would bolt.
Then we usually have a hard, killing frost by mid to late Sept. – but here we are, mid Oct. and no killing frost in this area yet. Strange, warm fall weather – tho we aren’t complaining!
Farmers do have chard and kale now, ‘cause they are hardier than spinach, so are a good substitute.
After I hit send, I also thought frozen leaf spinach would work well too.
Have used combos of 3 kinds of kale and swiss chard – all perfect. In fact, I thought this was such a great dish b/c it used exactly what is up in my garden right now! Kale and squash
Hi there! This looks great. Do you think if i did use some marinara would it make sense to do 50/50 marinara and water? Thanks!
I bought both at the farmer’s market this week. There was also heaps of swiss chard and kale, both of which should work here.
Also squashes store really well, and lots of leafy greens including spinach are locally available year-round (grown outdoors or covered or in un-heated greenhouses). I expect I’ll be able to cook this most of the winter with locally sourced squash, greens, garlic, herbs & eggs. And by local, I mean direct from the farm (or my balcony for the herbs).
Um, it’s a lovely recipe and if using seasonal produce is your jam then make some modifications. Also, maybe start your own seasonal only blog. Jeesh, with the negative and critical comments.
Ummmmm…. I’m in CANADA and I received squash AND spinach in my farm-share box. Grown locally, 10 minutes away. Why be so rude.
Not true in the South. I work for an organic farmer in Atlanta and got both spinach and butternut squash from them to make this past week. They are both in season if you buy local…. at least here in GA
I’m about to make this with winter squash and spinach from my zone 5b garden in western Canada. I would imagine you’re in a similar zone in west central Maine. I sow my fall greens in early/mid August. Spinach can tolerate quite a bit of frost.
Looks wonderful! I’m intimidated by chopping the squash so thinly. What’s the largest-sized chunk I could get away with?
I made this last night and found it wonderfully adaptable. Didn’t have fontina so substituted Havarti, used chopped fresh kale instead of spinach and only had about 5 ounces of lentil pasta with basil and spinach. As a result, I didn’t use the whole butternut squash and it was still delicious!! The most difficult part is waiting for it all to bake and be ready to eat! Are use the glass 9 x 13 pan, ungreased. Next time, and there will be a next time!, I will try it in a Dutch oven.
I bought the ready cut butternut squash at my market, it’s in cubes so I just cut into 4 thin slices, went very quickly and the recipe turned out perfect.
It’s my all time favorite of Debs.
This recipe looks amazing, and I can’t wait to try it! Do you think it might work in an instant pot? Maybe for 30 minutes or so?
I was also wondering if I could do this in the instant pot! I’ve only had mine for about a month, so I want to try everything in it! Please post if you try it and the settings. Thanks!
I love the idea of this but…I hate squash. Have tried it a million ways to change my mind, but no. Any ideas of vegetables to use in addition to the spinach, to add the same amount of vegetal bulk? The method seems great, and I’d love to try it! Thanks, Deb!
Sweet potatoes would seem to be the easiest swap, if you like them. Or, the original recipe had tomatoes in it. That might be a nice flavor combination, but you’d have to adjust the liquid. I also think mushrooms would be good, but I’d be inclined to sauté them first. I’d be interested to know what you come up with.
i bet cauliflower would be outstanding here, or even broccoli
Any hard veggies that take a long time to cook would be my instinct. Some of my first thoughts would need a lot of flavour adjustments (rutabaga, celery root, beetroot), but might be doable. Carrots could work, or maybe a combo of carrots and sweet potatoes?
Cauliflower or broccoli might work but I would be worried they’d get over-cooked. A mix of mushrooms/leeks/onions might be nice, but would probably be best if pre-sauteed a bit.
Sharon – I don’t usually like butternut squash in recipes but the picture looked so yummy I went out on a limb and made it for dinner last night and it was amazing! Between the sage and garlic and nutmeg and cheese it all melds together that you can’t really taste the squash separate from everything else. I ended up buying precut squash (because that is all our lame grocery store had!) and sliced them much like Deb showed in her picture. Hope this helps! Alternatively you could pick out the pieces of squash if you have family members that like it…..
Will this recipe work using gluten-free pasta?
I used brown rice lasagna noodles broken into random sizes and it worked fine. I used the same amount of water as mentioned in recipe.
This is delish! Mine is all done and ready to go at 1:30 PM, but dinner isnt’ until 5:30-6. Do you think I should refrigerate and then re-heat, or can/should I just leave it out for that time frame? Thanks and sorry for the rookie question!
Never apologize about asking a question! It’s the only way we learn!
Either will work! It reheats well.
I’ve asked this before but somehow my question keeps disappearing lol. If I make this in advance, what is the best way to reheat the entire dish? I’m assuming I’d leave it in the pan to reheat? Would love some guidance!
Thanks!!
You can heat it in the pan or out of the pan. The latter gets it even more brown, so I like it.
Deb, I am always on the lookout for a vegetarian recipe for when my 15 year old granddaughter visits. This looks perfect, and I might make it for her while the rest of us are eating turkey next month. Thanks as always for a great recipe!
I am looking forward to trying this. My plan is to chop the spinach up small–Get the benefit of the spinach and pass it off to the husband. We love winter squashes.
Do you think this would freeze well? I know ziti and lasanga will freeze wonderfully so I assume that this would as well.
Well, it’s in the oven, and smells wonderful already. A quibble, however: it takes MUCH MORE than the15 minutes you list to prep. I do mise en place, especially with a first-time recipe. By the time I had gathered the pantry ingredients, grated two cheeses (suggest in a recipe update that fontina grates much more easily after a few minutes in the freezer) harvested and chiffonaded the sage leaves, peeled (ugh! My usual technique is to chunk the squash, steam, then put on my rubber gloves and scoop out the softened squash from the skin) and sliced a big hunk of butternut squash, lined my pan, peeled and sliced garlic, etc….it was nearly an hour. Mixing, pouring and foil-ing take 15 minutes, maybe, but putting the recipe together takes much longer. I’m sure it will be worth it; never had a recipe of yours fail, never.
It was delicious! Husband had three helpings! Not too salty. Next time – thyme (fresh) in place of the sage, thinner pasta (I used up lasagna noodles, broken up. Too thick, and uneven so they didn’t cook evenly.) I didn’t like the really crispy (Too hard, actually) pasta pieces on top; will use a thinner noodle and be sure to bury them. Just a few tweaks to a really great cool-weather dish.
Do you know if you can use a chickpea pasta , will it work the same? The cook time is similar to regular pasta when you boil it.
Yes – I just made this with a box of Banza chickpea penne pasta and reduced the water to 1 cup (while using an entire container of ricotta and two eggs). Came out perfect!
I just made a vegan version of this and it’s in the oven. Pretty sure it will turn out great based upon the way it looked going in : ) I make my own vegan cheese and simply skipped the egg. If I used soy I would probably add a blended cake of tofu to simulate the ricotta but I’m going without it on my version – I’m pretty sure there’s enough ‘cheese’ to hold it together. Either way it will be tasty! Always looking for ways to use fresh sage from my giant shrub out back. Thank you!
I was curious if this would work vegan so let us know how it turned out!
also used rice spiral pasta instead of flats and it was totally great.
@Doug, et al:
It was VERY good haha. I’ve never had a “pasta bake” before so I thought it was going to be, “meh, lasagna variation, ok”. But it was actually very delicious – the fresh sage was key, I thought. (I also used a RED kabocha and it was the best kabocha I’ve ever used. They are the primary winter squash I eat because I love them. But first red one and wow – also delicious fyi. I’ve saved the seeds so I can grow my own.)
Even without the egg it held together fairly well for being eaten right out of the oven and it went in quite wet between the extra water and the “cheese sauce” I came up with. I used an 8×8 glass baking pan but will be doubling this recipe in the future because I know I will want this for lunches the day after! It definitely converts to vegan!
How did you convert it to vegan? Do you have guidance on the cheeses? Thanks.
I’m going to make it vegan tomorrow with a couple different storebought vegan cheeses and a homemade vegan ricotta. I will let you know how it works out!
Wonderful recipe. I used brown rice lasagna sheets and broke them up. 1 5oz bag of power greens instead of spinach. I kept the water amount the same as written. I had to cook 135-140 mins total and run under the broiler a couple of mins as suggested. This will be a great make ahead meal for over the holidays.
thanks
Danita, what brand of lasagna noodles did you use? Were they the no boil kind? For example, Jovial makes one like that. Or were they the regular boil kind like Tikinyada? Planning to use a brown rice lasagna too so I would love to know!
Sorry I never saw this question. I use Tinkinyada brand.
This was absolutely delicious. I may even bring it as a veggie main for my family’s Thanksgiving meal! Thank you!!
This looks delicious and fun to make. Any suggestions for replacements for the egg?
I suspect you can skip it, it just helps the bake hold its shape better for slicing.
This looks amazing! HOWEVER, I’m lactose intolerant and would love to know how to make this recipe without the cheese. Any suggestions?
This recipe looks yummy but it has SO MUCH CHEESE… it’s a real struggle for those of us who are lactose intolerant. It’s getting slightly easier to find lactose-free cheeses (though it’s a special trip to a special grocery). Green Valley Creamery makes LF cream cheese, yoghurt, & cottage cheese though they can be hard to find. Maria, have you tried sheep milk cheeses? I’ve found a parmesan-romano sheep cheese that’s digestible.
FYI to Deb: we lactose intolerant folks would really appreciate more recipes that are LF– either vegan or not, just minus the dairy products!
I haven’t read the comments in SK’s recipes for a few years, and I do not remember this consistent level of criticism being directed at her. If there’s a cheese-heavy recipe and you’re lactose free, choose a different recipe and find some specific dairy-free blogs. If someone is mad that spinach and squash don’t grow at the same time in their region, either use non-local ingredients or make something else. If someone doesn’t like a story before the recipe, find another site. Sheesh. SK doesn’t exist to make every single person happy.
I agree 100% Janet! Deb – keep doing what you are doing!!! I love your blog and have read every post for probably the last 10 years.
Thanks for this delicious recipe, it was perfect – I doubled the recipe for a friend in need and for my family! Next time I will use half the salt, a tablespoon was a bit too much for us. This one will be going in my regular rotation !
Wow! This is an autumnal delight! I made this for some friends last night for dinner. It is a stunning dish, way more than the sum of the parts. I highly recommend. Thanks Deb for tweaking this dish to perfection!
Hello Deb! Do you think this would work with Farfalle pasta?
I had to buy Farfalle also, trying it right now
Oh please let me know how it turned out! I want to make this tomorrow and was thinking of using Farfalle because my cupboard is already full of different pastas and they’re the “flatter” ones :)
I made this tonight using Fussili – spirals, basically. Turned out beautifully! Definetely a keeper!
Farfalle came out great I thought
A few others have used it and I think it’s a great idea for an maligned shape!
Hi – ready to make for Sunday dinner tomorrow.
2 questions:
How many servings does this make (for big eaters!)
Suggestion for a side dish? (Maybe a salad?)
Thanks!
For big eaters, I think it’s always good to assume people might want seconds, so I’d call this 4 servings. Definitely a salad. If you eat meat, grilled or roasted sausages would be good. Or you can make this, which combines sausages and salad. :)
I’m gathering everything right now!
I only have a 7” springform Pan, so safe to say I should bake it a little bit longer, correct?
Scratch that question, I found a 10” springform and it was perfect.
In a word… DIVINE! Made it last night – as written. Will definitely add it to the rotation. Thank you for another delicious recipe!
Made this for dinner last night and it was amazing! I’m not usually a fan of ricotta. And I don’t usually like butternut squash mixed into recipes. But that picture was so beautiful and we have been in such a recipe rut in our house that I thought I would give it a try. I am so glad I did! The end product was so flavorful and all the flavors of sage, nutmeg, garlic, salt and pepper melded with all that cheesy goodness that the squash was not as noticeable. Served it with some rustic bread for a simple dinner. I like that this is vegetarian but think a grilled sausage on the side would be a good accompaniment if you needed a larger meal (two teenage boys in this house!) This one is definitely going in the rotation!
Same!! I’m not a ricotta fan. My husband’s not a butternut squash fan. My 6 and 8 year olds both complain about melted cheese (I know, I’m considering DNA testing) and casseroles in general. But it looked so good, we made it anyway, and everyone raved about it, even the pickiest eaters. We’re making it tonight for the second time. The only change I made at all is I had extra fontina so I added that to the cheese on top for extra melted goodness and I made it in a 9×9 pan which came out perfectly. Thanks so much for the new dinner recipe Deb!
I made this pasta bake last night. It was amazing! I made it for friends and one of them is gluten free, so I even decided to try it with brown rice pasta. I was shaking in my boots that it would not turn out, and boy was I surprised. It was absolutely delicious! Thank you.
Made this last night- here are my notes in case they are helpful for others…
-My large mixing bowl was not quite large enough. Readers, Deb is serious about using a LARGE mixing bowl!
-Prep time took me much longer due to using a whole un-prepared squash. So all total it was a 3 hours from start to finish for me
-I thought David’s kosher salt would be large enough crystals, but it was a smidge on the salty side after all with the whole tablespoon. So yes- Davids does qualify as another brand that Deb advises to use less of here.
All in all, it was good, rich, and cozy. My toddler pretty much shoveled it in his mouth.
I’ve been on a kabocha squash kick, so I peeled one yesterday to use for this — I forget how hard they can be to peel!
My husband can’t eat pasta due to issues with his esophagus. I’m assuming that no pasta = no water, but are there any other tweaks you’d recommend for a bake without pasta?
Kabocha squash s much easier to peel if you microwave it for 40 seconds or enough to slight warm it.
Yes, but I don’t have a microwave.
Technically speaking, you don’t *need* to peel squash — the peel is edible — but I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea to eat.
Re, no pasta — I think it would work well, although a very different dish. It might not need as much cheese without the bulk of pasta. It also might not need 90 minutes. Let us know how it goes!
This looks amazing. Will this work with frozen butternut squash instead of fresh? If so, what adaptations would I need to make, it any?
I am putting together a dinner party with a vegetarian/meat-eating mix, this will be perfect.
Made this today. The flavors and texture is spot on – delicious. It took longer to cook, used a pottery baking dish, and I was patient. Cannot wait for dinner. As always, Deb, you bring it.
I made this tonight just as it was written with the exception that I used a cast iron pan. It was perfect!
Has anyone constructed this the night before and baked it 24 hours later? Would love to eat this on a weeknight but prepare the night before to save time!
It should be no issue.
Absolutely delicious! Made this tonight with some precut squash from the supermarket and WOW was it good. This will absolutely go in my rotation for meatless meals and it’s also a great portable option for a potluck!
May I ask what size cast iron pan you used?
I just have t say how thankful I am for this site. The recipes are almost always delicious, Deb seems like such a sweet & funny person, and the comments are generally positive and supportive. So when someone is snarky here—and doesn’t “get it”—I feel very protective of Deb & this community. If you only want the recipe, that is fine, I guess. Cut & paste & cook. And feel free to adjust the recipe as you see fit. But please keep your arrogant, snide comments about the rest of us & our “inferior” opinions to yourself. We try to be friends here, not snobs.
Would this work using a large ceramic bowl to bake it in?
I haven’t tested it in one but… probably? My biggest concern would be sticking.
This sounds delicious. I am a diabetic so I was wondering if you have any information on carbs per serving.
I made the recipe tonight and entered everything (having weighed all the ingredients) in MyFitnessPal.
For 8 servings the macros are as follows:
16.4g Fat
30.9g Carbs (including 2.7g sugar and 1.9g fiber)
15.4g Protein
Thanks for sharing, Fleur! I’m watching my carbs, so this is very helpful
Successful!!! Even the squash-reluctant liked it and said it’s a “keeper”.
I made this tonight as written and it was amazing and beautiful to serve our company with a salad and chicken on the side. A total keeper!
I substituted red kuri squash (no need to peel) and swiss chard from my fall garden, aged gouda for the fontina and gemilli pasta and this turned out wonderfully. My squash was nearing 3lbs whole so I doubled it and baked one in a cast iron skillet to eat now, another in a springform that I will cut in half and freeze did two meals later this winter.
Bless you for this comment because I got a red kuri squash in my CSA and have never handled one before.
They’re so good, Claire! (And you should probably have texting-questions privileges by now.)
Noted! ;)
I made this dish exactly as written (well, I had regular, non-baby spinach and just took off the big stems) and I loved it-. And if anyone can find the kuri squash, get it–the lack of prep work is totally worth it! I used campagnelle pasta and it was perfect.
Wow. I made it with whole wheat lasagna noodles broken into pieces, so I added an extra half cup of water. Normally I play it fast and loose with recipes, but I tried this one exactly as written with the above exception. It worked perfectly. The T of salt was right (I use Jacobsens kosher).
Spectacular! Made it last night. Was as beautiful when came out of the springform pan and absolutely delicious. Sage was perfect! A definite make again. I am looking forward to the leftovers!
Made this last night; even though I continue to be inundated with tomatoes, I wanted something autumnal. It was very tasty, and got the “make it again” designation from the husband. But, the prep took a LONG time- an hour, since I had to grate both cheeses, chop the spinach, peel and cut the squash and break up lasagna into pieces. I made exactly per the recipe but might add even a little more squash next time.
Forgot to ask this seemingly silly question. I grated my parmesan cheese by hand with a microplane, and weighed as I went along to get the 100 grams, which I used and seemed like the appropriate amount, but that was just over a cup of very tightly packed cheese. If I had just used the cup measure, I wouldn’t have packed it that tightly. So what’s the right way? Weigh a block of cheese first then grate?
Most grated cheeses, especially parmesan, are impossible to get a consistent weight per cup of. I use a box grater or a food processor (chopping, not grating blade). While there isn’t a correct way although I advise against the Microplane rasp for parmesan; it creates puffy cheese clouds with little weight, so 1 cup won’t provide the same flavor. Measuring by weight will always be consistent no matter what you grate with.
Would this work with a non-flat pasta? I have a box of rigatoni and I don’t want to buy another shape if I don’t have to.
I think the biggest concern is that it might not “submerge” or mix enough that the top noodles will bake well. Add more foil-on time if needed.
Already made this 4 times. We can eat this for dinner every night! Subbed cottage cheese when I ran out of ricotta and used frozen spinach. Was incredible.
I used Fussili and it worked perfectly!
Delish! What a great idea and so easy. I made three small casseroles (one to devour, one to freeze, one for a friend!). I used cheeses I had on hand – I think that anything reasonably melty with the Parm would be good. I am going to consider other veg for a similar idea. The house smells divine! I used my biggest bowl, so I wouldn’t slop on the counter. I think I did, nevertheless. This took about 15 minutes to put together. Yum!
Could you add tomatoes? If so, what kind? Roma? I like tomatoes with everything!!
You should check Ottolenghi’s original recipe in The Guardian (linked in the first paragraph and above the recipe). He adds two grated tomatoes. I didn’t test it with tomatoes because I wanted it to taste like this, not that, but I am sure it works wonderfully here.
Can you email the recipe for the winter squash spinach bake? Please.
Made this last night- really outstanding. I made a few swaps based on what I had on hand- Kabocha for the butternut squash, used rigatoni for the pasta and baked it in 3” deep Corningware-style oval dish. I used an extra wide Japanese mandolin for the Kabocha and garlic. So simple and delicious!
Oh my gosh, I made this this morning. It is absolutely delicious! Followed your instructions and recipe except I used the whole container of ricotta because I knew I wouldn’t use it again soon enough. Thank you so much!
What a great recipe! I made this yesterday and used mascarpone instead of ricotta, took it to a potluck, and came back with an empty casserole dish. The mascarpone melted right into the cheese, smelled all buttery out of the oven, and tasted very luxe. 10/10 would repeat!
ok, so even for a practiced cook, peeling and slicing the squash, grating cheese, washing and draining spinach, measuring and mixing all the ingredients and putting paper in the springform definitely takes more than 15 minutes. adding two hours of time before dinner is on the table, this does not really make for a weeknight dinner. BUT for this beautiful, sunny fall Sunday, this was a very lovely meal and the family loved it. And I am not surprised (Ottolenghi + Deb = double guarantee in my book). I’m already thinking of some options like broccoli, apple and chestnuts with goat cheese! Thanks for the inspiration.
PS: Cooking it without salt makes it a great option for baby led weaning, by the way (the rest of us put salt on it afterwards) :)
I loved this too. Some things that helped me speed it up in case it’s useful: I used delicata (no need to peel) for the butternut, used a bag of prewashed/chopped kale, shredded mozz for the fontina (I used just a little, prob 1/3 cup, but doubled the ricotta to just use the whole container) and did the whole thing in a dutch oven so no messing with the springform or parchment. It went quickly! And so delicious. Love your goat cheese and apple idea, omg.
Good point! I was thinking that if speed was a concern, people might buy prepared (i.e. peeled and seeded) squash chunks, as I did the time I photographed this. I’m glad it was a hit!
There IS potentially a lot of prep here, so good place to use prewashed spinach, precut squash, preshredded cheeses, etc. if you have access to them. Delicata is probably the easiest squash to deal with, no peeling or large butcher required to cut it!
Made this following the recipe closely, though substituting gruyère for fontina… Seriously: YUM. It was more or less instantly and fully devoured by four people. So, so good. Will be added to regular rotation. Thanks, Deb!
If I want to add tomatoes or marinara will that make it too wet? What kind of tomatoes?
Can this be frozen? I would like to divide this up into 2 or 3 pans. Would I bake first then freeze? As an empty nester this is way too much food.
I had trouble with the noodles on the top not having enough liquid to cook. I add some more water after the first hour but they’re a bit on the inedible crunch side. The ones underneath cooked through just fine. Any tips for next time?
You might want more foil-on time next time, just to ensure they soften enough before it begins to crisp on top. What shape did you use? (I wonder if a less flat shape needs more “submerged” time.)
Loved this but I had the same problem using the same mafaldine noodles. The top noodles were inedible. (The top squash was great.) I cooked this in a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a lid. Maybe the lid isn’t as tight of a seal as foil, so some water escaped during the first hour despite being covered? Anyway next time I’ll try 5m or maximum 10m uncovered and I think it’d be perfect.
Or, adding sliced bacon/cheese on top at the uncover step would also prevent the crunchy noodle problem. In that case, probably go with 15m uncovered? Regardless 30m seems to be too much.
I also used a 12 inch skillet and had the same problem. I think this really needs to be cooked in a pan with smaller dimensions so that it’s thicker/higher.
So first of all, I love everything I have made from you, even my husband has been on your sight to get cooking tips and he never does that.
My question is not food based but rather technology based,does the print recipe option need an extension now? I can’t seem to print or save this recipe even after downloading the extension and probably getting on some list. BooHoo, I imagine I am missing something “ITish” about this all. I am not very good about keeping my phone/iPad open when cooking but I guess that is the backup. And another cookbook of course, but you are so prolific that a cookbook could never keep up!
Thank you. Nothing should have changed in the way recipes are printed. You can print them a few ways from any post:
* There is a print icon that leads to a print template at the bottom of each recipe, where it says “DO MORE:”
* You can also click CTRL or ⌘ + P [on desktop] from any recipe post and it will take you to a streamlined print template.
* File > Print on a Mac
* From the share button (the one that looks like an up-arrow coming out of a box) at the bottom of the Safari browser on an iPhone
Made this today with some minor modifications and its delicious. Used slightly less pasta (6oz), so reduced the amount of water to 1 cup. Also, reduced the amount of parmesan by half. The kosher salt that I own is a different brand and 2 tsp worked well.
This is sooooo good. The sage is really perfect for this dish. I used a larger grater for the butternut squash instead of slicing and it really meshed well with everything. True comfort food. The salt amount is perfect as long as you’re using kosher salt (Diamond brand ideally as the recipe states). I would think twice about dumping a TBS of table salt in for sure. I didn’t have fontina so I used what I had–the Kerry Gold dubliner brand. Thanks for a great recipe!
I want to eat this for every meal October-February. Easily the best pasta bake I’ve ever made. I subbed a rice & quinoa based GF pasta with no issues. Absolutely stellar!!
Delicious! I subbed crumbled tofu for the ricotta to cut down on the dairy. Kept the fontina and parm. Baked in a dutch oven lined with parchment. Came out looking just like Deb’s. Fabulous fall dinner with salad.
If I were to assemble this ahead of time, could I refrigerate it overnight and bake it the next day? Would that work? It looks delicious, but trying to figure out how to fit it in on a weekday!
I had the same question!
I definitely think so. I also know that it reheats really well, as a whole or in slices.
Did you try assembling ahead of time? I’d like to do it too and wondered how it turned out. Thanks!
You have a real talent for knowing exactly what I want, even before I do, because every time you publish a new recipe, I realize I need it RIGHT NOW. This is not exception, and the results were amazing. Made almost exactly as written with mozzarella instead of fontina and herbs de provence in place of thyme or sage, because that’s what I had on hand.
Intent on finding fancy ruffled pasta to make this with, I impulse bought Sfoglini’s whole wheat reginetti (it was all they had at the store that was ruffle-y and more exciting than plain old lasagna) – I think the whole wheat flavor will mesh really well with the fall flavors of squash and sage, but do you think whole wheat pasta will take longer to cook from raw here than regular semolina pasta?
I think you’ll be fine since there’s a full 1.5 hours in the oven, but I will say that I find that *all* of Sfoglini’s pastas take longer to cook than other brands, and longer than the package says.
This does look delicious and a good way to use the squash from our garden. I can peel it easily after microwaving for a few minutes. Is there an easy way to slice it thinly? Has anyone done it in a processor, or would the squash be too hard? Or just to use my Chef’s knife an option also.
Also, does the pasta shape have to be flat? Or can we use ziti or something else?
Thanks.
Food processor works great for the squash. I cut mine into spears (or columns?) and used the slicing disc.
I only tested it with flat pasta but I’d expect other shapes to work, just make sure they’re well coated and pressed in the sauce for the baking time.
Although the peels are edible, for butternut or honeynut, I usually peel the squash 2x with a y-shaped peeler, then halve, scoop, and thinly slice it, flat side down — always.
I used penne and it worked great, just took a little pressing down/rearranging. And then having some overhanging parchment to cover the edges helped too, I think.
I’m glad so many others loved this, but my finished product was a disaster. After trying a few bites, we threw the whole thing away and my husband is now out getting us a pizza. I’m a pretty experienced cook, and although I made a few small substitutions (delicata instead of butternut, a different kind of pasta and a casserole dish instead of a springform), I otherwise followed the recipe exactly. I should have trusted my gut when the proportions seemed off, but now I’ve wasted my time and a ton of ingredients. Beware, this recipe needs more testing.
Surprising that so many others seem to have had no problems—can you say more about what was wrong with it? What proportions were off? Thinking of making this soon so I’m curious.
Can you tell me more about why it went in the trash? Flavor? Structure? Baking time?
This didn’t work out for me either and is headed for the compost, so bummed. I even waited a day to try it again before giving up. The only thing I changed was to swap Feta for the Fontina (used in original recipe/by other reviewers) and cut back on salt per other comments & feta use. The flavors didn’t meld well and seemed dry – I didn’t use quite the full amount of pasta so don’t think it was the water/pasta ratio. It looked great and even my picky eater was excited to try. Would love for someone to make for me to see what I am missing out on. Did come together easily with the use of the food processor/adjustable slicer for squash slicing. Luckily I have more squash so going to try the Galette this weekend!
This was amazing. We have 2 gluten intolerant family members and I decided to leave out the pasta instead of using chickpea pasta. I subbed 3.5 c chopped butternut squash for the pasta (in addition to the squash already called for), added a little extra spinach, and left out the water. Added some Aleppo pepper as well as some chopped parsley. Texture was great, and it was full of flavor- like a firm vegetable gratin. I considered adding some chickpeas for protein but I am glad I didn’t. Next time I would sauté the garlic before adding it, or cut the amount in half. Recommend using a food processor to slice the squash to save time.
Made this tonight with butternut squash, Trader Joe’s GF rice & quinoa pasta, and 1 c water and it turned out beautifully, although next time I’ll cut down on the salt. Used Diamond kosher salt and it was still too much for me. But the flavor is wonderful, especially with fresh sage.
So glad I made this tonight. A big hit with everyone!
This was an excellent dish for a lazy, rainy day. Prep was super easy (I used delicata and honey nut squash). Just need to be patient, bake and rest according to the instructions. Delicious! The squash and noodles cooked up perfectly. Used pecorino & sage.
Made this last night, and it is terrific! Bonus: the house smelled terrific too, if ya like that sorta thing. Flavors are phenomenal. Takes a heck of a lot more than 15 minutes to prep, though – squashes can be dangerous and I’m not a fast cheese grater. But it was all worth it! Don’t be tempted to just use up that bigger squash or all the spinach in the bag, because there is no way it will fit in the pan, this recipe fills it up. Use amounts given, but sure, try subbing some ingredients, it’ll be yummy.
I made this for dinner last night – The only changes I made to the recipe was using Greyere cheese and adding a full container of ricotta (450 grams). It was amazing. The layers of flavours were superb – restaurant and company worthy. Thank you, Deb!
Absolutely fabulous. I subbed Swiss chard for the spinach. Served it as a side and have enough left over for another meal. Really good and fun to make. I did cheat a bit using precut squash. Too crazy to do battle with the whole butternut. Thanks Deb!
Made this yesterday. Easy to pull together. Ate a corner of it after the rest period and thought, meh. But then, I had some this morning for breakfast (don’t ask, lol) and WOW! The flavors really come together and it’s so, so much better the next day.
I am so excited to try this! Do you think fusilli noodles would work (or maybe they’re too thin?)
I think most dried noodles will swap fine by weight.
Delish! I added green onion, more fresh herbs, a little less salt and a little more cheese ;)
Probably could add any extra vegetables to this and it will be amazing.
Someone made this recipe in a vegan version, and I’m wondering if they would share. There are dairy, soy, gluten issues in the family, and I’m wondering what cheeses were used. Thanks.
I followed the directions mostly as written, only switching to kale from spinach and used gluten-free lasagna noodles. I baked it in a 9 x 13 dish and timing was perfect. Overall it was delicious, however it was much too salty. Next time I’ll use less or leave it out and add when cooked.
Kathy, Were your gluten-free lasagna noodles the no boil kind? What brand did you use? Thinking of trying gluten-free lasagna as well
I used the regular Tinkyada lasagna noodles. The very top was pretty crispy but tasted really good. The filling was fully cooked.
If I wanted to double this and bake in a casserole dish, would a deep 9″ x 13″ lasagna pan be big enough, and would the cook time increase substantially? Thank you!
I haven’t tested it doubled. 9×13 will fit 1.5x but not sure about 2x.
Did you try? That’s my question.
Wow, this was delicious even though we made an error. My husband made it last night and forgot to add the water (whoops). He added it halfway. Towards the end, it still seemed wet but the pasta was done so he drained off the water and let it crisp. I was skeptical that the dish would be ruined but it was delicious. Will double next time. We used cottage cheese instead of ricotta and a generic Swiss block because that’s what we had. My picky toddler even at a few pasta noodles that still had a little spinach on them. Success!
Made this Saturday – Delicious!! Definitely a do again in the recipe rotation.
I used Mozzarella instead of Fontina and dried spaghetti.
The bake time was perfect.
Thanks Deb for another great recipe !!
Do you have a vegetarian substitute for Parmesan (animal rennet used in DOP)? Thanks!
*I know of Twineham Grange but hard to find in u.s. (British cheese)
I would just use another sharp, flavorful cheese that works for you.
I made a double batch yesterday in two 9×13 pans. My husband and I ate 3/4 of one last night (we were hungry!!) and I am bringing the second to a potluck tonight. It was DELICIOUS! So good, in fact that I am making it again the day after tomorrow to bring to a friend’s for dinner.
You need a REALLY BIG bowl to mix all the ingredients. I had started the two recipes in two large mixing bowls but then had to dump the contents one at a time into my 6 qt Kitchenaid bowl to do the mixing.
Warning – if you ask the kiddos to break lasagna noodles into pieces you will have shards of pasta all over your kitchen!
Lucky me, I had all the ingredients to make this in my fridge ( with chard in place of spinach). Everyone enjoyed it. Even the pickiest child said he liked it.
I don’t have a spring form pan. Which do you think would work closest (I am specifically wondering about cooking times as posted in your recipe) – an 8×8 square ceramic baking dish or a 9×13 Pyrex?
I think an 8×8 might be too shallow (unless 3″ deep) but you can try it. A 9×13 will work but be thinner.
I made this last night (Sunday). Planning on this serving as dinner/lunches to help my week go smoothly. It tastes wonderful! I used rotini pasta and mozzarella because I could not find fontina. I did a scant tablespoon of salt because I was not sure where my kosher salt stood! I will say I was worried about the pasta being cooked enough—like another user who noticed that pasta on top didn’t seem to be cooked (kind of dried out). The pasta in the rest of the dish was perfect. I think the solution will be next time to push down the pasta such that it’s not directly on top (most of it was like this anyway!). Thanks for a great fall recipe!
We always us whole wheat pasta. Any change to the recipe?
thannks
Whole wheat pasta should work fine here.
I took a gamble and made this with gluten free shells (couldn’t find anything flat/lasagna like), and it turned out great, even for leftovers. Thanks for adding a new staple to our lineup!
I made it this weekend and it was delicious! So good that 8 servings is extremely tempting to turn into 4 servings… I made it as described, except with 100g extra squash and with 1/2 T non-kosher salt instead of 1 T kosher. A few notes:
-Took me longer to prep than expected (~45 minutes, but part of that time included running out to the garden for sage, washing a couple dishes, and rescuing the robotic vacuum, so probably ~30 minutes without distractions). Peeling and slicing the squash was the main time thief – I may try with larger chunks next time.
-After cooling on the rack for 30 minutes, it was still a bit too messy to sit prettily by itself on a serving plate. Deb does note that 30 minutes is the minimum, so I was forewarned, but I wanted to reinforce her note. :-)
-After those 30 minutes cooling, it was jussssst starting to transition from perfect warmth to a little too cool. If you are making this for a fancy meal, you may want to make it the day before so that not only will it look pretty, but you can also reheat it to the perfect temperature.
-If you are on WW (Weight Watchers), 1 slice is 9 points on Green.
Thank you, Deb, for delicious and healthy fall recipe!
This looks fabulous. Has anyone tried it with whole wheat pasta? I’m wondering if it will need a parboil? Thank you so much for simplifying this dish!!!
Can’t wait!! Makes the early dark more tolerable to eat squash.
Used a 9″ round corning ware dish with parchment paper & glass lid. Chose mini farfalle. It’s cute and it makes a crunchy crown around the outside edges which I may have eaten in the name of testing for doneness. Mine set up nicely in that 30min wait. Wedged beautifully with a serrated knife. It’s a really great dish. I hope to get a slice into the freezer to see if it “freezes beautifully”. I will make this dish again very soon. Thank you.
Hello! Just wondering if there’s any advice on cooking temp and time if you forgot to put it in 2 hours before dinnertime!
I wonder if you used a pasta like orzo and heated the whole thing thoroughly in the microwave if that would get things going and not only speed heating time in the oven but would take less time since the past is tiny. You could heat the oven to 400. I wanted to try the broken lasagna pieces before I changed anything, but next time I am going to try orzo. Might need less water though. Just a few thoughts, it is worth the wait though. Really delicious.
I made this tonight—used rice noodles, vegan ricotta (cashew based homemade), goat cheddar, pecorino Romano, 1/2 T salt, used 3T lemon juice; used 1/2t. red pepper flakes. Also substituted aquafaba for the egg. It was excellent, and we decided it is definitely a repeat. Now I am hoping that it freezes well, because two of us could only eat about 1/4 of the recipe!
I made this and it was delicious. Might add some onions next time, perfect with a salad. And I bet it will be even better next time when I add the water :) I swear, it was still good without it!
Made this tonight as written. Wonderful, homey, cozy meal. NO WAY it would feed 8 people….maybe as a side, but not as a main. (Maybe if you added more pasta) It is in no way heavy, but delicate and delicious. I thought it was a hair too salty, but the rest of the fam loved it as is. Will def make again. Particularly good for folks who aren’t crazy about butternut squash.
Warning: squash must be cut very thin!! I apparently cut the squash too thick, because I had it in the oven for 2 hours and it still had crunch to it. Or is the squash supposed to maintain the crunch? I had assumed it was meant to soften completely which is how I would have preferred it. After 2 hours it was dinner time; we’ve just finished the dinner and I’ve put the leftovers back in the oven to see if I can completely soften the squash, so I can fully enjoy later tonight!
The squash was my only complaint and my lesson is learned–next time, really try to cut the squash thin!! And I hope there will be a next time; we really enjoyed the dish!
If anyone cares, I used 1 2/3 cup of frozen chopped spinach from a bag, 2 teaspoons table salt, cottage cheese (instead of ricotta), shredded mozzarella (instead of fontina), 1/4 t dried thyme (not sure how much that flavor came through) and whole wheat penne (plus extra water because of the whole wheat). I also kept it covered the whole time and skipped the extra parmesan and oil as a topping; I don’t need any crunch (notice a pattern?).
Easy to prepare and so, so impressive… This pasta bake tasted even better the next day and was a great hit in our home.
I wonder if I could make this in my slow cooker. Sadly my oven is out of commission.
I made this on Sunday and we ate it Monday night. Our only issue was with the hard noodles on top. Would covering the top with panko or another breadcrumb help the pasta on top cook and not dry out? I don’t mind the edges being a bit hard but it was the whole top. I used farfale, and the rest of it was thoroughly cooked. Thanks!
You could give it more foil-on time for less crisp on top — maybe 1 hour 15 minutes, then 15 minutes uncovered.
Deb, Do you happen to know the brand/make of your springform pan? Mine leaked. It is new and from Williams Sonoma, but still not liquid proof. It wasn’t too bad, but I’m sure it would have been better had I not lost some of that moisture.
This just came out of the oven and I can barely stop walking into the kitchen to pick at the top! Yummy.
First, I would definitely return it, especially if it was advertised as leak-proof. My current one is this. I have replaced mine probably every 7 years or so entirely due to my own sloppiness with them — dropping them from high shelves and then the ring doesn’t fit tightly anymore. This is from 2017.
Thank you! Just hit Buy Now on Amazon. Hope you get a little coin out of it. I wish I could return the WS pan. I bought it some time ago to make a basque cheesecake, also ensconsed in parchment, and had no problem. I suppose the water, although mixed with the cheese, etc., was just more than it could handle. I’ll look forward to trying again with this new one. It didn’t suffer however, it was delicious! I just mourn the lost ricotta that seeped out with the water. It wasn’t much really, but you know. Cheese. I went heavy on sage and I did not regret it at all. It was like a pre-Thanksgiving warm-up treat!
Thanks again! Much appreciated.
I love your adaptations. I mean I also love Ottolenghi but I seriously value my time and fingertips way too much for anything involving “two plum tomatoes, coarsely grated”.
This was outta this world. Used thinly sliced dino kale and kabocha squash, mix of long fusilli and broken lasagna sheets. Personally, I think the sage is key here, and 1 tbs of diamond was spot on for our tastes, even added some fleur de sel at the end. Deb, I think mine might have been even prettier than yours! Cannot stop thinking about it.
Hi Deb. Long-time fan, first-time commenter. This looks amazing! Do you think this would work with kale? My CSA bin and garden are overflowing with it right now.
Yes, absolutely
Thank you!
Made it and it was delicious. Also so many servings for this single gal :)
Made this last night with delicata squash and mixed greens from my CSA. The flavors were good and it smelled heavenly, it was just a little on the dry side for me for how much cheese was in it.
I used part skim ricotta and only 2/3 of the water since I was using no-boil lasagna noodles, so not sure if either of those could have been the issue…could also be a personal preference. I may try again using a bechamel to bind everything together (like another Smitten favorite, sausage and broccoli rabe pasta bake!)
If you used less water and it was dry, it was almost definitely the culprit.
could i replace spinach with broccoli?
I made this and as I am not a fan of pasta so much I used farro. Used feta and parmesan cheese only and no egg but did put a scoop of mayo in the mix. Used one cup of chicken broth rather than water. I also added a handful of sliced cherry tomatoes (red and yellow) and a shallot. For the last 30 minutes I put some crispy fried onions on top too. Excellent! A real keeper and I see changing it up again and again.
This recipe is indeed a keeper, sort of glorified mac n cheese. I live in a small town where exotic cheeses and pasta shapes don’t exist. I subbed cheddar &jack for the fontina and used brown rice macaroni. It came out great. I used 2t. sea salt and it tasted a bit salty to my palate. And it fit into an 8×8, no parchment, smashed it down with my hands. It took about 60 minutes in a convection oven. Thanks for an easy weeknight recipe Deb!
I love this blog and Deb’s cookbooks, but this was not one of my favorites. It was… fine. We’ll definitely eat all of the leftovers, but it’s somehow less than the sum of its parts – kind of flat-tasting. It need something to give it a punch of flavor and maybe a bit of acidity – adding something like Italian sausage might help, or I might try the original Ottolenghi recipe, with its tomatos and feta and additional herbs. Or, I’ll go back to this recipe from the NY Times for Spicy Butternut Squash Pasta, which does not call for super-fine squash chopping and cooks in less than half the time (https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021535-spicy-butternut-squash-pasta-with-spinach).
There IS potentially a lot of prep here, so good place to use prewashed spinach, precut squash, preshredded cheeses, etc. if you have access to them. Delicata is probably the easiest squash to deal with, no peeling or large butcher required to cut it!
Overall, I like this, though it’s a little too salty and I will cut back if I make it again. But I struggle a little with 30 minutes of prep, 90 minutes of baking (needed every one) and 30 minutes of resting time — something that’s going to take 2 hours should be really special, and this was just…good? Decent? Tasty? But not special, and most things I make that are good / decent / tasty come together much more quickly.
Sounds yummy!
Would you have concerns about baking this in cast iron? Mine is about the right size and I’m not seeing anything that looks too acidic in the ingredients, but I thought I’d ask in case I’m missing something obvious to people other than me.
It should be just fine.
Trader Joe’s sells a 5-oz bag of Power Greens & that’s the only thing I did differently. Just removed the foil & it’s smelling amazing!
Substituted Kamut lasagne broken up and Swiss chard instead of spinach. Delicious! Made it in a 9 x 13 and as Deb said, it was less elegant, but still tasty. I’ll be making variations of this through the coming winter for sure.
What about doing this with quick farro…?
Rich and delicious. Note: I’m a fairly competent cook, but it took me 50 minutes, not 20, to assemble all the ingredients and get this in the oven. Chopping, grating cheese, etc. were all more time-consuming than I expected. But worth it!
Very good. I used a large dutch oven. Had 5 cups of butternut. Replaced a few ingredients by what I had on hand; cottage cheese, an ounce of goat cheese, a small camembert cut up in chunks without the rind, leftover batches of farfalle and casarecce pasta. Left cover on for 1.5 h and then cooled uncovered for 20 minutes. Pasta was soft as i had pushed further in mix the ones sticking out on top. Thank you Deb for this wholesome dish. Looking forward to eating the leftovers tomorrow!
This is absolutely delicious. A tip on reheating the leftovers: heat some olive oil in a nonstick pan over high heat, then throw a slice/slab of the pasta in the pan. Cover it and cook, never disturbing it, until the bottom gets brown, then knock back the heat to low and let it sit for a few minutes so the interior gets warm. If you worry that it’s burning, give it a little more time: the darker/more burned, the tastier the crust. I’ve used this method for lasagna in the past, but results are next-level with this dish.
1 tablespoon of salt was way too much. Inedible and I am a fan of salt. Also I did not like crunchy pasta. I tried this recipe twice. The second time I made adjustments and it still didn’t work. I think I would like it made with cooked pasta. Uncooked doesn’t cook evenly.
This was truly amazing! I veganized the whole thing, and it impressed even the meat eaters in our group. It was reminiscent of lasagna made with a bechemel sauce that seemed to be all the rage in the 90’s. So good. For the substitutions- I omitted the egg (didn’t bother with an egg substitute), used Violife brand vegan Parmesan as well as their shredded cheddar. I also used Kite Hill ricotta (really good ricotta substitute!). For the pasta, I used ditalini, which I thought was perfect here. I didn’t add nutmeg as I didn’t have any fresh, but I definitely added the sage- really key for this dish, I think. I wouldn’t dream of making it without, now that I’ve had it with. I used precut butternut squash from the market as well, so the whole thing came together really quickly and easily. I ended up broiling it for about 5 minutes at the end as vegan parm isn’t as apt to browning as real parm. Truly a crowd pleaser- will be making this again soon! Thank you Deb, as always, for the inspiration!
Thanks for this comment! Am about to try making a vegan version using the same brands of vegan cheeses, and I was feeling concerned about how it would turn out. So I searched the page for “vegan”, and now I can’t wait to get this in the oven! :)
if only all of humanity worked this way…together…just to make something better… i’ve enjoyed the comments as much as i might enjoy this dish…thanks to you all…
Is this THE Isaac Mizrahi??? LOVE you! Miss your fun show!
More delicious than anything this easy has a right to be! This was bronzed, crisp, gooey, and so flavorful that my family couldn’t stop eating it. One addition (fresh basil), one substitution (feta instead of fontina), and one mistake (forgot to drizzle the last tablespoon of EVOO on top towards the end of the cooking time). It unmolded beautifully from the springform pan and although it almost killed us to wait 30 minutes before slicing, we did and were rewarded with clean slices. Hats off, Deb!
This was excellent. We made it as written and could not have been more satisfied. Other than the cooking time, this wasn’t that time consuming. We would take this over lasagna any day.
Hi Deb
I made this in a 9×13 pan and it turned out perfect. We waited the 30 mins to let it set up and it was easy to serve. Just as great for leftovers. Will definitely make it again. Thanks for your recipe magic
…..your books are well used staples in our lives.
I, too, had trouble with the top (and some sides) being too hard/crunchy to eat. I used a glass baking dish, baked for an hour covered in foil, and then 30 minutes uncovered. I basically had to peel off the entire top layer. Otherwise, the flavors were good; looking forward to trying the leftovers!
My partner made this last night and it was…well, the reviews were mixed. I love the taste of the spinach and cheeses together. She wanted it to taste more like butternut squash. Both of us were disappointed by the inedible hard pasta on top. Seeing now that others had the same issue, we’ll probably just leave it tented longer next time. And use all the ricotta since we can only get it in two cup packages. But if we solve the noodles problem, and use the whole squash next time, I think it’s a keeper. If it sounds appealing to you, definitely give it a try. Just poke the noodles a bit when you go to take the foil off and make sure they aren’t hard. And PAY ATTENTION TO DEB’S SALT INSTRUCTIONS!
Love this — a lot of work (especially because I made my own tofu-ricotta), but as Deb notes, way less work than pre-cooking a lot of the veg for a traditional pasta bake.
My household is low-lactose — we’re fine with eggs, but avoid cow milk/cheese; we find that goat dairy products are much lower lactose. Substitutions I made, all of which I liked: Tofu-ricotta (tofu + lemon juice + garlic + salt + olive oil (I usually use firm tofu, but accidentally used silken this time, and it worked just fine); goat cheddar instead of fontina; goat mozzarella instead of parmesan (it browned and bubbled up nicely on top); lacinato kale instead of spinach (put it in raw; cooked up just fine); broken-up lasagna noodles instead of mafalde (though the specific pasta shape would have been more fun). Tasted amazing.
I used the full recommended amount of salt. Since Deb noted she used Diamond, I used a fleur de sel I had whose crystals looked about the same size. It was just about the maximum amount of salt this dish could handle; next time I’ll cut it down by 1/2 t.
I made this last night and the taste was sooooo delicious! I made it in a 9 x 13 metal pan. I felt that it was too thin and that the pasta wasn’t as soft as I like. Next time I will use either a deeper casserole dish or I’ll get a springform pan. The taste was wonderfully savory and just the right amount of salty-loved the garlicy flavor as well! It would make a great vegetarian dish for any holiday
I made this last night for four adults as the main dish with just a salad and we inhaled the entire thing! It’s definitely not large enough to serve 8 unless it’s meant to be a side dish. I followed the recipe exactly and the only thing I would do differently would be to amp up the spices – more nutmeg, crushed red pepper and sage. And I might add some halved baby tomatoes for additional color and flavor. But as I said, we consumed every morsel. Will definitely be making this again!!
LOVED THIS. I made this using torn up lasagne noodles and honeynut squash, I read the amounts a bit wrong so I used the amount of squash listed for whole squash but had already cleaned / trimmed my squash so prob used a bit extra. I also went a little overboard with the nutmeg. I also didn’t bother peeling the honeynut bc the skin is edible and I’m lazy. And I did not add an egg bc I didn’t have any, and as I mentioned already, lazy. I cooked it for the times instructed but let it sit for closer to an hour. It is amazing and I’ll be making it again immediately. Only addition is I may add onions but really – just amazing dish! Massively recommend!
I made this after a friend recommended. I roasted the butternut squash first for about 15 min at 425 before mixing it in with everything else (based on her reviews of the squash being a little under done) and used a regular swirly pasta shape. The nutmeg is fabulous, both my husband and I loved it. Will be making this again!
Delicious! I used orecchiette, the only flat-ish pasta I had, and it worked great. Followed everything else as written. Will definitely make again!
I had a hard time getting this to fit in my 9 inch ceramic casserole dish, so I did a second batch. But then was a little thin… so next time I will just mound it up or use a 9×13. It still was absolutely delicious and my husband (who usually says he feels like he didn’t even eat if meat wasn’t served) really enjoyed it! This is a winner, can’t wait to try it again!
If I can’t find mafaldine or reginette here in Brazil, is it possible to do it with another shape paste?
Absolutely! I made this with the kind of short pasta I happened to have at home (radiator) and it turned out great.
Yes. Most flattish shapes will work — I suggest lasagna noodles, broken into pieces. Several commenters mention using farfalle/bowties, which sounds cute.
This was so, so, so good! I used kale instead of spinach and mozzarella instead of fontina because that’s what I had. Then used mushrooms instead of squash because my husband isn’t a huge squash fan. (Roasted it on the side for me though and then he ate it so next time, I’m making it as is!) Despite the changes, it was incredibly delicious and baked up perfectly.
I used a 10-inch Dutch oven for this with foil inside the pot lid during the first hour. Worked out well, everything is cooked and the texture is good. Very tasty! I used about 5/6 Tbsp Morton kosher salt and the seasoning is just right but I am wondering if the leftovers may become saltier in the fridge.
It was tasty but I was disappointed that where there was pasta on top, the noodles did not get enough moisture so cannot be eaten. Are too hard.
Who invented meal planning? That doesn’t leave any room for genius like this. Haven’t made this yet, and it won’t be in “the rotation”, cuz that is just too regimented, but it will be a star on our table soon.
This was definitely a sort of “ooh, I need to make this ASAP” situation. Didn’t stray much from the recipe, except for slight variations on ingredients by what was more available to me – used radiator pasta because that’s what I had at home, used kashkaval cheese instead of fontina because over here it’s mch easier to find and I felt it’ll work well with the other flavours, used something called “Gulliver spinach” which I found at the store because it seemed easier to handle than baby spinach (which I always hate cleaning) and after seeing in the comments that people successfully used kale as well. Baked it in an oval casserole pan just because I like it, but that also meant I didn’t need parchment paper. This is what counts as “sticking to the recipe” for me… :)
Anyway, great success. I might have overdone it a bit on the sage (2 tbsp is a lot, or maybe I just packed them in there), but I like sage, so don’t mind that. Really like the radiatori in there, I’m sure other pasta shapes would work just as well but those little “ribs” crisp up really nicely when they’re at the top.
Since my dad had to recently go on a low-carb diet, I’m now toying with the idea of adjusting this to use beans instead of pasta (probably start with canned beans and omit the water, and it might need a shorter baking time). Inspired by things like your “pizza beans” and such.
This recipe is INCREDIBLY unhealthy! What idiot would use THREE CUPS OF CHEESE in a 9″ spring form pan! Sickening!
Please remember that you are commenting on a real person’s post. If you met Deb in real life, would you call her an idiot to her face? I hope not. And I hope that you think more considerately and kindly about how you interact with people on the internet in the future.
Don’t like the looks of the recipe? Simple: don’t make it. Move on with your life, go find a recipe that you do want to make.
Absolutely agree, and also, there is nothing “unhealthy” about three cups of cheese, especially when they’re combined with pasta and vagetables to create a balanced dish. Eating a portion of this can definitely be part of a healthy diet (not to be confused with a “slimming diet”, which is a different issue altogether).
I agree. Why is it people feel a need to be so rude and unkind? Seems to be an epidemic these days. If a recipe doesn’t work with your diet or dietary needs, don’t make it! This recipe was amazing and one I will make again and again. Thank you Deb!!
Also agree! Plus this makes 8 portions, and by total weight of the cheese used that works out to just under 2 oz per portion, which isn’t much. I made it Tuesday and it was delicious. I used farfalle for the pasta and gruyere for the cheese because that was what I had on hand. Will definitely make it again, and was thinking that it would make a great holiday do-ahead side dish.
I made this last night and the flavors were great! The only changes I’ll make next time will be to find different pasta (I accidentally bought no-boil lasagna noodles, which cooked fine with the 3/4 c of water adjustment that Deb suggested but since they were flat some of them did kind of clump together in an unappealing way) and add a bit less salt (I think my salt crystals are smaller and I adjusted by about 1/2 tsp but should have used even less). My 2-year-old came into the room while it was baking and asked “pizza?” because it smelled so good.
I wonder how this would be with Kale? I am looking forward to trying this. I love to cook new recipes for my family. Thank you for this!
Made this yesterday. It was/is delicious! I used chicken stock in place of water.
I baked in a 9×13 pan. I’ve ordered the springform pan today since I don’t own one. I think it would be better in the springform pan since it would be deeper & not so much crusty pasta.
I trust Deb’s recipes. She hasn’t ever let me down. Many thanks. Nancy
Question for those of us who can’t have gluten (regular pasta). Will this work with gluten free pasta?
I made this yesterday, and as many others did, I used a small delicata squash AND a small little butternut type. The noodles on the top when I baked it in a 9×13 were not quite crunchy, but close, and it seemed a little dry. I am thinking a bigger pan where everything is thinner needs less time with no foil. Maybe even no time with no foil. But the flavors are delicious
This was amazing! I made it according to the instructions except for the following: 1) I ran out of parmesan and made up the rest with pecorino (ended up being a 50/50 split); 2) for this reason, I reduced the amount of salt by a bit. I especially appreciated the inclusion of the weight (grams) for the cheese as it’s not always clear how much one should “pack down” when measuring. I opted for the sage (instead of the thyme) and it really augments the dish.
Great recipe but, 15 minutes prep time?? Only if everything is bought precut and pregrated! The prep for this took me almost a full two hours plus two hours cooking. This was a serious undertaking.
OMG, I just made this today and it’s deeeeeeeeee-licious! Thank you so much for getting me out of my cooking rut! Your recipes never disappoint and this is one I will be making again.
The instructions mention an egg. The recipe doesn’t list any. How many?
Forgive me. I do see the egg right at the top. Nevermind! Some days you’re the bug, some days you’re the windshield. Today was my day.
Ha! This is a good comment. :)
I can’t wait to try this!
This was delicious, like a really good vegetable lasagna without all the work. The whole house smelled divine and I loved the colors.
I pretty much made it as written except for substituting Gruyere for the Fontina cheese. We even found the exact same type of pasta. :,)
Next time – and there will be a next time! – I might make it in a closed dish instead of a springform and do away with the parchment, because it gets a bit soggy underneath
Would you be inclined to share the Grams per serving of (1) Protein, (2) Saturated fat, and (3) Kcals in the novel Winter Squash and Spinach Pasta Bake? Your nutrition calculations will be gratefully received by so many of your fans. Thanks for sharing your luscious and easy looking recipe!
Has anyone actually frozen/reheated this? thinking it would make an amazing pre-Thanksgiving dinner for the out-of-Towners but would love to hear of some experience with freezing…
I really, really like it reheated, either as a whole or in wedges. You can skip the springform and just heat it on a baking sheet (lined with something) for better browning.
How long do you think it will take to reheat the whole dish? 45 minutes? Making this again for Thanksgiving because it’s so good and because I can make it days ahead of time.
I am wondering this too (reheating time for the whole dish, starting at refrigerator temperature). I don’t see it in any of the other comments. Did you ever figure it out?
Ok, I’ll answer my own question. I used a 9×13″ pan, and it reheated ok from refrigerator temperatures after about 35 min at 350 F.
I wanted to love this because I have loved literally every recipe I have ever made from SK and every one has gone into the rotation (the chicken rice leek soup, OMG), but this was a bit of a fail for me. I used a smallish penne — I think that was a mistake. Noodles on top were so hard they were inedible, and the sauce was watery even after sitting for a half hour. And because it sits for a half hour, it’s only lukewarm when you eat it — the amazing flavours can’t really make up for a tepid dish with a runny sauce and inedible layer of noodles on top. I’d love to try something with the same flavour profile again, maybe a butternut squash, spinach and sage lasagna. The cooking method really intrigued me and maybe I wouldn’t have had the problem with a long pasta, so I really recommend NOT using penne.
This was absolutely delicious. Even my 6 & 3 year olds, who saw and it said “yucky”, eventually tried it and declared they liked it. Will be making again soon. Thank you for another great recipe!
This looks lovely! Do you think this recipe would work well with some adjustments to make it vegan?
I made this tonight and followed the recipe exactly. Unfortunately there were some problems – some of the squash was a bit crunchy and some of it was perfect. The same goes for the pasta. Also, there was a lot of moisture at the bottom of the dish as it was sitting for the final 30 minutes. Could the uneven cooking be due to a low temp oven? My oven was set at 350 but maybe that isn’t an accurate temp. Or did it just need more time in the oven? The flavor was excellent but next time (and there will be a next time) I’ll use the full tablespoon of salt.
Extremely YUMMY!!! I had to down size it for 2 and veganize it, but it came out delicious!
Thank you for a lovely easy warming supper idea
This was delicious! But any tips on how to get the paper out from under the food? The dry paper ripped off and I was left with wet paper under the casserole (I used a 10” springform pan). It made serving it a bit dicey because I was afraid people would get paper along with their slices. Thanks for the recipe!
Amazing. Made it for a vegetarian friend, exactly as written except sub’d pecorino-romano for parmesan, reducing the amount by 1/3 (thank you, Cook’s Illustrated) Baked in an oiled Corningware casserole. Everyone demolished it and I looked like a better cook than I am.
Delicious! Made this for dinner tonight. My husband loved it and had seconds. I followed the recipe using my scale. Bought butternut squash already cut at Costco. Cut the cubes into thin slices. Used campanelle pasta although farfalle would work well and is always stocked at my local grocery store. Used sage but thyme would be tasty also. Had a few too crispy pieces of pasta on top. No big deal. Cooked up beautifully and will make again. Thanks Deb!
I made this scrumptious dish yesterday! I give it a 5-star review, although I did a little tweaking, due to what I had on hand. I used a compost pile volunteer that looked like a pumpkin on the outside, but acts like a spaghetti squash on the inside. I weighed more than your recipe called for, so I upped the other ingredients, as well. My store didn’t have fontina, so I substituted a good gruyere. I used two eggs, and gluten-free corn and rice based pasta. Other than that, I followed your directions, which are very good. Our household is looking forward to yummy leftovers today! Thanks for the inspiration in kitchen chemistry!
I knew as soon as I saw this recipe that I was going to like it, and it did not disappoint. I tend to take artistic license with most recipes, but when baking raw pasta and butternut squash I figured that I should stick to the recipe. The proportions here were perfect. We really did enjoy the result, but the garlic still had a bit of a raw flavor. Next time I will bake it for a little longer to see if that helps. I gave mine a brief run under the broiler to brown and crisp the top and would consider this an essential step. Looking forward to eating the leftovers.
This was fantastic! I made it according to the recipe but didn’t have fontina so subbed feta. While the work is in the prep, once it’s in the oven it’s time to relax 🍷 😄
I plan to keep this recipe in rotation over the winter, Great way to eat more veggies, too.
Also, thanks for the adaptation – I enjoy looking at Ottolenghi recipes but I rarely make them because of long ingredient lists or complicated prep. Whew!
I love the combination of ingredients. This was delicious! My concern is about the color of the spinach. It cooks to an olive green or gray. Your photo shows a similar result. Its slightly off-putting. The pasta on the top bakes to a rock hardness so perhaps I need a little more moisture?
Wouldn’t serve to guests but its fine with my regular old husband!
Made this last night. I followed the directions exactly. I even went out and bought a 9″ spring form pan. The pasta (broken up lasagna) was not fully cooked. With the 30 min. rest on rack, there was way too much liquid under the food. I’m sure it was just her personal preference, but my wife said it was way too rich. For the amount of work involved I doubt I’ll try it again. Sorry to be a downer.
Made this last night as written, and I found the flavors rather meh. I didn’t have fresh sage or thyme, so I added a few dashes of dried, but still found it bland. I’d try again with carmelized onions, more garlic, and maybe a sharper cheese than fontina.
I made this the other night and 4 of us ate every morsel. It was absolutely delicious!! I’d like to make it again but do it ahead and reheat. What’s the best way to reheat the whole thing? Would you leave it in the springform pan?
Thanks!!
You can or you can reheat it right on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment.
Looks great!
Do you thin it would work in the Instant Pot? Maybe on slow cook?
My oven it disconnected during a kitchen remodel.
This is a very specific question, but wondering if anyone has tried to modify this for altitude. I just went for it (I’m in Denver so a mile high) and have a soupy bottom after two hours baking at 350 (one hour with foil, one without). Thank you from an amateur!
I’m in Denver too. No problem with soupyness but I did use a 10″ cast Iron skillet so that may have had some effect. Did you use uncooked pasta? I used uncooked lasagna noodles but guessed at the quantity so may have been a bit more than the 8 oz. called for. Also, what squash did you use? I used a very fresh and very firm butternut so not a lot of extra moisture from that. Have you checked your oven’s temperature with a thermometer? I recently found mine was running almost 25 degrees low which was causing problems!
I loved this! All the comfort of mac and cheese but with more complexity, flavor and nutrition. Also nice that it can be cut into wedges and reheats wonderfully. I used really thick farfalle that normally take more than 12 mins to cook in boiling water so I parboiled it for 4-5 mins and it was perfect. I understand why you say to cut the squash into thin slices now – they make layers like lasagne noodles. I only had soft feta cheese and not ricotta but it turned out great. Cut way back on salt because of this.
Thank you so much
Absolutely wonderful! Easy to make, beautiful to look at, and delicious. I was fortunate to have a good butternut squash from a local farm, found mafaldine in the local grocery (Roche Bros in Boston), and used a grated cheese blend from Whole Foods (parmesan, asiago, and fontina). I followed the recipe pretty much exactly, and mine came out looking just like the picture. Thank you for this awesome recipe and inspiration!
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Thanks!
This was great! I cooked it in a ceramic pie pan (it made two batches), greased it first and then laid corn tortillas in the pie plate for a shell. Middle was one whole one, and then half-ones overlapping around the sides of the pan. Subbed havarti for the fontina, used two eggs and fat-free ricotta. Sprinkled finely chopped walnuts with romano on the top.
Great recipe! Used a 10″ cast iron skillet as we don’t have a spring-form. I forgot to put the fresh sage in the mix so I sprinkled it on top. Having held back half the fontina (misread the directions) I sprinkled the rest of the fontina on for the last 30 minutes. The sage was way too much that way. The fontina went a nice golden color. Making it again I’d probably use half the sage in the mix but would use half the fontina again in the same way and maybe sprinkle some pine nuts on first just to give it a bit of a different texture. I also used about 1 tsp. of Morton fine sea salt and that was just right to my taste.
I had mixed results with this. I used pre-cut squash that I then re-cut into thinner slices, but after the full cooking time, the squash was still a bit crunchy. I am not really quite sure how those thin slices of squash were still hard after 90 minutes in the oven! I also would pare back the amount of sage a little bit. But otherwise this was a nice dish to make on a weekend or a work-at-home day. I’ll just need to adjust the cooking times to make sure the squash gets fully cooked.
My first post! Thank you Deb and everyone else for sharing <3
I followed the recipe pretty much exactly with the exception of:
pasta choice: Tinkyada brand: brown rice shells
and I added a tad bit more water to be on the safe side.
I made sure to cut the squash like Deb's picture. I baked for 1 hour, removed foil, tasted pasta and squash for texture and they were on point, then decided to stir it up before leaving uncovered for the remaining 30 mins.
We loved it! Leftovers the next day a bit mushy, maybe because of the GF pasta?
Added peperoncinis on the side for zing!
I have all the cheeses left over and more pasta, so I plan to make it similar minus the spinach and add broccolini. In the future I would like to adapt it to a Greek style bake, feta cheese, kalamatas, capers, roasted red peppers…endless ideas!
I typoed my handle/name! Can you change it to Dusty
please and thank you!
Made this tonight, and even my meat loving husband said “wow, we should make more vegetarian things.” Score one for me. I ended up subbing aged cheddar for the parmesan, which I was *sure* I had…and Monterey Jack for Fontina (close) it was delicious! Baked in my enameled cast iron pot lined with parchment, worked great. Next time I’m going to try using brown rice instead of pasta. It should work.
Made this tonight for dinner. It was delicious. I used whole wheat lasagna noodles broken up. Because of the substitution I increased the water by 1/4 cup and first and second bakes by 15 minutes each. It turned out absolutely perfect in every way. Thanks for a great recipe. This will go into my “keep” file.
Question. How “thin” do you recommend the b-nut squash be sliced into, 1/8″, 1/4″?
Thanks!
This was wonderful! I used a mandoline to slice the squash. Worked like a charm. I used farfelle pasta as that was what I could find around my area. Made it for company and it is a dish I will make over and over. Thank you!
I made this tonight. Such a mess it makes in the springform pan– a casserole dish would be much simpler! To me, it seems much TOO cheesy (and high-fat). I’d rather have more green vegetables in it. And it really does take closer to 45 minutes to an hour to grate cheeses, slice squash, etc, etc. Interesting to try, but not a keeper recipe for me.
I first made this as is and it was delicious! For the second go round, I used the sad veggies in the fridge – eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini, and spinach. I subbed a good handful of fresh basil for the sage and also used Jovial brand gluten free pasta. It was a little softer but still amazing. This is a solid base recipe to swap out veggies and experiment with fresh herbs. Another Smitten Kitchen recipe added to my dinner favorites!
This was SO good. Made it as written (with broken lasagna noodles) except I didn’t have parchment so I lined my springform with buttered foil which worked great. Took a good hour and 10 in my oven but that happens. Definitely make this ahead of time if you can – it was good on day 1 but AWESOME reheated on day 2.
I meant to say “10 extra minutes covered” – it definitely didn’t cook in an hour and 10! It was about 70 minutes covered, then 30 uncovered.
“I like shiny new recipes. My favorite thing to cook will always be the last new thing I made.”
This is me. Can’t wait to make this.
I made this today and found it was easy to make. I baked it in my LeCruset shallow casserole without the parchment paper. The flavors are amazing. My husband and I enjoyed this delicious dish very much. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers!
Somewhere I learned to crinkle up a sheet of parchment paper into a ball and open it to make it easy to tuck into the crevices of a pan. This trick is perfect for “pressing it across the bottom and creasing the sides to get it to fit as best as possible” easy!
I’m ready to make this next week for my in-laws, with the help of my trusty mandolin.
Made this is the 12 inch skillet and it was perfect- so easy – I think I added too much salt..didn’t quite follow your comment and used an entire tablespoon… less next time but still so good and wonderful… I also used cheddar because I had a cup left over from another recipe. no Parmesan so I added Parmesan rinds and removed them before serving.
Thank you for your wonderful recipes, I enjoy so many of them
do you think a whole wheat pasta would work?
Breanne, I made this with whole wheat radiatore – thought about adding more water but didn’t, and it was delicious!
This was absolutely delicious! I cooked everything in my Dutch oven and it worked out great. I did sub cottage cheese for the ricotta and kale for the spinach, both swaps were perfect. I absolutely love the fall flavors in this, I will make this again for sure. Thank you!
This is a wonderful recipe! However, it took this experienced cook longer than 15 minutes to prep, (the squash takes a while to peel and slice) and you need a really big bowl to combine everything in! It would be helpful I think to quantify the amount of squash – 3 cups sliced squash? 4? more user friendly than a weight, I think.
I made this as written but with no-boil noodles and 3/4 cup of water, as suggested in the comments here, and it came out perfect. I loved how easy it was. A keeper, for sure!
This came out amazing!!!! I love how it went from huge enough to fin in my largest mixing bowl to squished down in the spring form, that was fun. I used kale instead of spinach, and missed the part about mixing half the Parmesan until I had already put it in, but who doesn’t love extra cheese? Next time I would put some drained (or maybe not, just use the juice in place of some water) fire roasted tomatoes to lighten it up it a little. Thanks for such a great recipe!
I made this last night and it was delicious! I’m posting this note because the pasta was nowhere near done after an hour. I added an extra 1/2 cup of water and cranked up the heat to 400 for another half hour, then took the lid off and browned the top. Again, delicious, but it needed a little more water and heat. Perhaps it was the pasta I chose; it called for a 12 minute boil.
Unfortunately I did use a whole tablespoon of salt for this dish and it was inedible, even for me who loves salt. I know Deb said that she tested it with less salt and 1 tablespoon is the right amount, but it was really salty. Sad, because I could tell the dish would have been good and I hate to throw out food. I would cut the salt in half and add to taste later.
What kind of salt did you use? :(
I made this yesterday and it was delicious! I followed the recipe exaclty but forgot the thyme and used a larger spring form pan because I thought the 9 inch would be over flowing. It was a little too moist.
I made this yesterday, following directions exactly (well, I prepped butternut squash by peeling, cutting in half, deseeding, cutting squash into pieces that could be put into food processor with largest slicing blade so that I didn’t have to do that by hand). It turned out pretty good, but I just think that my preference for butternut squash is pureed in a soup, eaten roasted with some additions on top of glazing or toppings, but not accompanied by other good things that take away from silky-ness or roasted-ness. So basically it’s just a food preference, but recipe works great. And yes, I lessened the amount of Diamond kosher salt, and ended up adding some back in to finished dish, so Deb is right as always….
I made this today. Used broken up lasagna noodles. No sage and just a little dried thyme. Also used mozz cheese instead of fontina since I couldn’t find fontina at the store. I let it rest for an hour after coming out of the oven. I tried a slice and I thought it was very delicious. I would recommend!
Loved it! I will be making this throughout the winter at home and to take to others. Use a big bowl. I underestimated how much the ingredients would add up to. I’ll probably add toasted pine nuts next time.
I am also a member of the Should-Have-Used-A-Bigger-Bowl Club. I may try to account for it next time by changing to a smaller pasta shape (used gigli). I love the idea of pine nuts and have added it to my recipe notes. Thanks!
I made this as directed, and it was delicious! Given some of the negative reviews, I was a little worried, but I shouldn’t have doubted Deb. It came together pretty easily using a couple tips from other reviewers: slicer attachment on the food processor with pre-cut butternut squash chunks, shredder attachment for the cheese, and dutch oven sprayed with nonstick spray and covered in foil plus the lid (worked perfectly). Follow the recipe and you won’t be disappointed!
To add to my earlier comment, I used two and a half delicata squash, which has edible skin! I used a peeler to remove most of the skin, very easy (unlike butternut) and then ran it through my food processor on the slicing disk. It was perfect and super-easy. I weighed the squash after peeling and scraping out the seeds so the quantity was correct.
Made this today and three of us polished it off. It was perfect because I have an abundance of squash and spinach from my CSA. Earlier in the day I prepped the grated cheeses and one delicata squash which I peeled (issue for my husband) and sliced really thin. After reading comments about pasta not being done, I chose mini bow ties which cook in 5 minutes. I used 1 tsp of Morton’s kosher salt and it was perfect for our taste. I sprayed my Lodge dutch oven/casserole with cooking spray and baked covered for 1 hour and 15 min, then took the cover off for 15 minutes. I let it rest out of the oven with the cover on for another 15. It set up very nicely with some crispness on top and the edges, but it released easily from the baking dish. I served it with a nylon pancake turner but the wedges barely held together so I was glad I used pasta bowls for serving. Will definitely make again. A good combination of sweetness from the squash and a tiny bit of heat from the pepper. We’ve been trying to alternate meat and meatless dinners each week so this will be a great addition to our dinner table!
Made again with some frozen spinach which I had defrosted and squeezed out. I cut back on the water in the recipe a bit thinking the spinach would still be soggy but I should have just gone with the full amount. Tasted fine just not quite as moist. Also threw in some chopped basil since my aero garden runneth over.
Made this tonight with a small acorn squash from our CSA (maybe 1 lb total before trimming) as well as a good big bunch of chard (maybe 12 oz?). I added a little more ricotta, bc I had it and it needed to be used up. Thyme instead of sage bc that’s what I had from our garden. Super yummy. I love the hands off nature of the dish. Oh, and I didn’t have fotina so used a mix of sharp cheddar and mexican mix, just what we had on hand.
I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious. It was easy to throw together once the mise en place was completed. I will definitely make it again. I appreciate the weights included, as I like to be as exact as possible, except when it comes to cheese. Thanks for this great recipe.
I made this last night with GF elbow noodles, tofu for the ricotta, and vegan cheese replacements violife feta and miyokos mozzarella. I also used canned coconut milk instead of water to replace the fat and richness it would have with real cheese. The weight measurements are so helpful for substituting. It turned out beautiful, sliced well, and was SO yummy!
I’m going to try making it vegan next time – thanks for the substitution ideas, AnnaB!
This turned out beautifully. Don’t be like me — make sure you have a big enough bowl (and baking dish) for all of the things you want to squeeze into it. I may have dirtied half the kitchen by underestimating how much bulk there is to the initial mix. I am already thinking about all the things I could sneak into the next batch, like maybe a little bit of pancetta or another kind of squash. With a little more labor invested, I think you could add some caramelized onions and sturdier greens. It’s gorgeous as it is(and it feeds a zillion), but I think you could make a riff here and there if you have things you’d like to get rid of or if you just feel like being a fancy-pants. Cheers, Deb.
This is an excellent pasta bake. I used fusilli and Havarti, kept all measures the same. Came out perfect after 1.5 hr at 350F. Will make it again
Has anyone had luck with gf noodles?
I used gluten-free Barilla no cook lasagna noodles, and it was perfect! I had regular rice lasagna noodles but didn’t try it.
Hi Deb I feel like this is a stupid question but is wax paper an okay substitute for parchment paper in this recipe? I have no idea. Thanks :)
No. Completely different product.
No. It’s not for cooking with heat (the wax melts off). You should never feel like you can’t ask a question. If you don’t have parchment, try coating foil with nonstick spray (or use nonstick foil). Just be super-careful putting it in so it doesn’t tear. You can mold the foil over the back/outside of the pan first to get it in shape before lining the inside with it so it might be easier.
I am new to Smitten Kitchen. Is there a way to save recipes on the site? Thank you.
Not yet. But soon. :)
Why is there no Print function for the recipes. All I see is some other app or you have to copy and paste to a Word document to print. Or am I am not seeing a Print function for the recipe only?
You’re not, perhaps, using Firefox? We noticed an issue on it last week with printing and they should be putting a fix in as we speak. [Clearing cache should do the trick.] Let me know if you’re seeing this in another browser, if you don’t mind.
This was so freaking good! When I was mixing it together it really didn’t look like there was going to be enough liquid to cook the pasta. But trust the process — it came out perfectly. I used cheddar cheese and 2.5 Tbs of Diamond Crystal. Only other comment is that I used a 10 inch dutch oven, and it nearly filled it at the start — I think I would have had a tough time getting it all in a 9 inch springform? No way this was eight servings – it was all could do to stop at eating just under a quarter of it!
It was great. But it didn’t hang together like in the picture. What did I do wrong?
Secondly, it says to slice the squash thinly. Slice by width or length? I did both…sliced it by length into long thin slices, then cut length wise and then some other slices by width of the squash. Your advice welcome as the directions aren’t clear. (I used half a butternut squash).
It doesn’t matter what direction you cut it in, only that the pieces are flat. Did you cut it shortly after it came out of the oven? That’s why it might seem softer and not hold together as well. I talk about this in the “Structural note” right under the recipe.
Just made this and it’s delicious! The spinach is the best part, I would actually increase the amount next time!
What type of Fontana did you use? Drier, Italian?
I used Fontina Aosta DOP, so slightly firmer and more flavorful, but I’ve absolutely also used inexpensive Danish fontina in pasta bakes and it’s delicious.
I made this and it was DELICIOUS! We’re thinking of making it again and subbing kale for spinach and sautéed mushrooms for butternut squash (precooking so as not to release water during the over cook, since we’ll have them leftover from cooking for another dish).
Deb – what are your thoughts??
I won’t know for sure without testing it but I suspect it will be good. The pasta gets cooked mostly from the water added. Sauteed mushrooms will absolutely taste better than those simmered in cooking juices only.
This is absolutely delicious and has been added to our pile of go-to recipes. I haven’t tried even one recipe of yours that I haven’t loved, btw. Please never stop cooking and baking!
This is a spectacularly versatile recipe. I substituted what I had in the garden, fridge and pantry: red Russian kale for spinach; delicata squash for butternut; cheddar cheese for fontina; rotini for pasta. I like to freeze meals ahead, so I doubled the recipe. Since I don’t have a springform pan (never mind two for the double recipe!), I baked half in a 9″ x 13″ pyrex and half in a 10″ Emile Henry dutch oven. They performed equally well.
I suggest that you add one instruction: tell me how to stop eating it!
This was delectable. I followed the recipe exactly (including the amount of salt—Diamond Crystal is the only way to go), and it was perfect. Plus, the 90-minute cooking time produced warm, autumnal aromas wafting throughout the house. Thanks, Deb!
I made this and used the full one tablespoon of salt. Whoa! Too much! But, I could see that this would be a great casserole if not so salty.
This was delicious [I used eggy pappardelle/delicata/chard] but my kids– who are pretty good eaters– weren’t fans of the intense garlic mouth. I’ll drop down to one clove next time.
Delicious! This is going to be a Fall/Winter favorite from here on out.
I planned ahead with the cooking time (for once, but then again, I found the recipe this morning, so was able to get groceries just before school pickup), and it worked beautifully. With two of us with Type 1 diabetes, I added an extra egg for the protein. It was either that or use bone broth, and the egg wouldn’t change the flavor, just the texture. So, it puffed up a bit more than as pictured above, but we ended up with 28 g of protein per serving (we cut it in 6ths), so didn’t mind the extra eggy fluff. Both kids/teens devoured theirs: this was just the right balance of texture and flavor and yummy goodness. Thank you, Deb!
So excited to make this! Question: the original recipe calls for a 1.5 hour bake, then an additional 30 mins for browning. Your version says a 1 hour bake, even though you’re using uncooked pasta noodles. Is the original bake time (with fresh noodles) to long, do you think?
I didn’t test it with fresh noodles, so I cannot say. This works, however!
This was so delicious! I made a 1/2 recipe in a pie dish and cooked it for maybe 20 minutes less than the original cook time. It came out perfectly. If it’s helpful, I’ll note that I was multitasking and accidentally added 1/4 cup too much water; I stirred in a little extra ricotta and you’d never know the difference. This is going in the rotation!
I’m soo gonna try this! It looks pretty easy to do, even for me :D (I’m a total noob when it comes to preparing food)
This. Was. Incredible. I usually try to stay away from too much pasta, which is the beauty of this- it isn’t too much pasta! Hoping that if I keep making this eventually it will be a family fave. Darn kids wouldn’t even try it, they have no idea what they’re missing…it’s just toooo good not to keep trying!
Wow. I was so excited to make this! The comments have all been super helpful, too. I finally made it today.
First of all, it’s BEAUTIFUL. Definitely holiday/potluck worthy. It definitely needed longer to cook through, and the pasta on top remained “crisp” but felt uncooked…even with an extra 15 minutes covered and another 10 uncovered.
Still, the inside is delicious and balanced. I did use cayenne instead of pepper flakes, and added a bit of preserved lemon paste because I had it and thought it would work here–it does!–in lieu of the sage/thyme. I also used random greens–some raw lacinato kale, some frozen spinach straight from the bag–and both were fine. I used the full tablespoon of diamond crystal kosher salt, and it was not salty.
I would love to make it again but trying to address the uncooked pasta on the top…maybe the trick is to reserve a bit of the mixture before mixing in the pasta, and use that as a final top layer?
I followed this recipe to a T and chose to use fresh sage and farfalle pasta. It was so lovely and perfect. One of my dinner guests remarked after 2 servings he never really liked squash dishes and wondered aloud if it would be a good addition to our Thanksgiving sides this year. I bought prepared butternut squash cubes and sliced them into thinner pieces and used freshly shredded Fontina. Once you get everything prepped and measured out it’s truly a remarkably easy dish and perfectly seasoned. I used a heavy 1/4 chili flakes and a small pinch more. Truly a beautiful dish. It reheated wonderfully for lunches the next day. I can’t wait to make it again
This was very flavorful and satisfying on a chilly autumn night. My husband was skeptical when he saw me wrestling to stir all the raw ingredients in a big bowl, ricotta flying around, but the end result was a delicious deconstructed lasagna cake. I agree that a resting time of at least 30 minutes is key, and the leftovers the next day had set even better.
Next time I would slice the butternut squash on a mandolin to get it as thin as possible. I used 2 tsp. of salt which seemed like plenty given all the flavors of the cheeses etc.
For once, I have to say meh. I really don’t think I forgot anything, but not much taste, no texture.. We’ll choke down the leftovers but this’ll be the last
Wow! So delish. I’m trying to eat less meat so made this for dinner tonight. Followed the recipe as written (except didn’t have sage, threw in some fresh parsley and dried thyme), cooked it in cast iron skillet. Turned out perfect. This will be on my regular rotation for sure. Note, I agree with others that this is not 8 servings, but maybe because it was so good, my husband and I ate more than half of it!
This is phenomenal. I used chicken broth instead of water and it really enhanced the flavor. Already went out and bought ingredients for another batch.
My husband and I loved this! In an attempt to better the odds that my kids would eat it, I subbed sweet potato for the squash. The effort was wasted, but the adults really liked it. The garlic cuts through the creamy cheeses and permeates the dish. It will join the rotation of fall/winter meals! Thank you for sharing it with us, Deb!
I made this last night. I was out of parmesan (shocking!) so used a combination of feta, cheddar, and manchego. I used kosher salt but have a different brand, so used 2 1/2 t. For me the saltiness was a tiny bit high on bites that had no squash, but was perfect on bites that did have squash. I used 3/4 t each nutmeg and black pepper, and 2 t dried sage and 1t dried thyme, and upped the oil to 4T.
It was delicious! Even my carnivore housemate liked it and didn’t say it would be better with meat as he sometimes does. To me this is the essence of fall flavors!
I might up the nutmeg, pepper, sage and thyme just a bit next time. And my cheese combination was so good I may not go back to parmesan! I also noticed that when I cut a piece for seconds, it was firmer and easier to cut, so by then it had rested 45 min to 1 hour, so if I have time I may rest it more next time.
Thanks for the great recipe!
I made this a second time 2 nights ago. This time I used a Honeynut squash, as that is what I had. I used a combination of parmesan, cheddar, manchego and feta cheeses (1/2 c ea). I added a 2nd egg and upped the spices to 1 1/8 t nutmeg, 1 1/8 t black pepper, 1/4 t red pepper flakes, 3 t dried sage, and 1 1/2 t dried thyme.
Even with all those changes, SO delicious! I love how flexible this is.
Made this tonight and really liked it! Just a bit different from the usual lasagna I’d make. I topped this with garlic butter toasted breadcrumbs, which added another flavor/texture that worked well. Also used Asiago since I didn’t have access to fontina and it made for a great substitute.
I made this last night for lunches next week. I used farfalle for the pasta and a “spicy greens” mix from the college farm that has spinach, kale, arugula and mustard in it. I had peeled and cubed a butternut squash earlier this week, so slicing that up didn’t take too much time. I used a 13″x9″ Pyrex casserole and it came out very well. Couldn’t wait for lunch so had some for breakfast this morning. Very good! I think this would also be good if you subbed gruyere or swiss for the fontina.
I used farfalle too because I couldn’t find the other shapes and it was great. I parboiled the pasta for 4 minutes in salted water, then cut to 2 tsp salt. Dumped it all in a big soufflé dish with a round of parchment on top before covering and no trouble with undercooked noodles on top. Uncovered and broiled the parm on top at the end to get a crunchy lid. Love this recipe and will make again.
Any idea if this would be awful if I didn’t add the cheese? We’re lactose intolerant and I generally sub most of the cheese with almond milk.
Other posts have subbed tofu for the ricotta.
Yum, made this last night and everyone loved it (even my child, who was less than enthusiastic about squash and spinach). I used Barilla precooked lasagna noodles.
Meant to say gluten-free Barilla no-cook lasagna noodles, broken into pieces. Baked in an oval Le Creuset with parchment paper and the lid instead of springform and foil.
This was delicious & turned out beautifully! I didn’t have fontina or spinach so I used gruyere and arugula instead. I also used an acorn squash instead of butternut. Perfect dish for a cold rainy day!
So easy and really delicious! I wasnt quite sure what to serve with it. I think I might make garlic bread next time.
I made this, and while the whole family liked it, I didn’t. I fou f it heavy and a touch greasy, and I didn’t like the texture of the pasta.
Definitely don’t want to put this in the broiler with the parchment still in the pan like I did. What a mess.
:(
I have now made this twice. The 1st time it was ehhh. I made it as directed as used the same pasta which I broke into 3 pieces and all of the odd shapes made for a large volume of food. I tried to mix it together in my largest mixing bowl and I probably needed a bucket instead. I poured it into the springform pan and it could have easily filled 2 pans so I dumped it all into a 9×13″ pan and called it a day. It was ok not great. 2nd time was better. I used less squash and a shell pasta which all fit into the spring form pan. I also subbed vegetable stock for the water.
Hi Deb, I have been following your blog since 2009. First time commenter. Just wanted to say I have tried this recipe twice so far…first time with butternut squash and kale. Second time with pumpkin and spinach. I followed the recipe to the T and made sure all my past was covered by squash or cheese on the top. Also added lots of red pepper flakes since i like mine spicy. It was delicious and heart warming. Thank you.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
OH! MY! How quick can I make this again???!!! I admit I grated the garlic, didn’t cut the butternut in slices( cause I froze it in chunks& that’s how I thawed it) used extra sharp white cheddar. Plus, where I live pasta styles are limited and I used pappardelle.But my oh my this was divine! I followed everything else to a “T” and I believe it caused my husband to fall in love all over again! Thank you Deb!
I didn’t have butternut squash, spinach or fontina on hand but I did have honey nut squash, chard and Gouda. And wow. The result was fabulous. We especially liked the crispy cheesy pasta bits on top. It will definitely be in heavy rotation at our house this fall.
Absolutely delicious, a real hit. Using Trader Joe’s crinkle cut butternut squash cut down on prep time with no sacrifice in taste or appearance. Thanks for a wonderful fall recipe!
Ooh, great to hear, because I just bought those yesterday to make this recipe!
oh man, this is a genius tip! Thank you!
Thank you so much for this comment. It was literally what I was hoping to find when I searched the comments for “Trader Joe’s”. I will use the crinkle cuts!
I finally got round to making this, and let me just say I’m so glad I did. I used gruyere in place of fontina, and approx 3/4 cup cottage cheese + 1/4 cup fresh goat chees in place of the ricotta. The results were fragrant, crunchy, gooey and divine. Just everything I want to eat on a chilly fall evening — the fam too, apparently, as the three of us (2 adults and one hungry 6 year old) devoured the entire thing in one sitting (8 servings?!!)
I made this recipe (including the nutmeg) and thought it was great! Surprisingly flavorful and very comforting. Even better the next day actually after all of the juices were really fully absorbed. While the baking time is long (and that 30 min wait is painful for a hungry family), I appreciate that the prep is fairly minimal and it doesn’t require a ton of bowls or pans. I baked it in a 9×9 square dish and didn’t bother with the parchment and it was lovely. Thank you!
Thank you for posting this comment! I will be trying this recipe with a 9×9 square dish tonight. Fingers crossed it turns out as good as yours!
Delicious! Next time I would saute sage for subtler flavor. Loved this dish!
This was as good as everyone said! I love working from home now because I could chip away at the prep throughout the day and put it in the oven to allow for the long cook time before dinner. I used both thyme and sage, and pre-soaked the no-boil lasagna noodles for about 10 min before throwing in the mix.
This was so good! Thanks for posting
Brilliant recipe! My first attempt at baking. A very happy Missus :)
As soon as I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it. Just after purchasing the necessary ingredients, we lost power for 4 days following a storm. I had to throw everything out :( Finally, got to make this last night and it was worth the wait. I was blinded with excitement over a one pot dish. It took a little more prep time than I planned, but in the end it was delish! My BF was amazed by it – looks & taste. I followed the recipe exactly, using thyme instead of sage, and found the cook time to be accurate & perfectly seasoned. I will remake it with sage & maybe even try Ottolenghi’s version for a comparison. Thanks for the inspiration, Deb.
Delicious! I made it the first time with a honeynut squash (sweeter and more intensely orange than a butternut squash) and it was amazing. Made a second one to freeze for later.
Omg.. I have made this 3 times. Used mini bow tie and regular bow tie pasta. I also twice used big chunks of butternut squash because it was precut. This was amazing! I normally don’t give feedback but this one deserves it! I could live off this! Excellent recipe. I had figured out the water omission and added a bit over 1 cup. It is a keeper, I’m sharing and making it as long as I can get my hands on the squash! Thankyou!
I made this last night and it turned out well. I used egg noodles and a few of them at the top were over browned and crunchy, but over all, noodles, plenty of cheese (I used Swiss for the Fontina), butternut squash. and spinach made a tasty combo. I used 1 1/2 teaspoons of regular table salt and felt it was not enough, but saltiness is such a subjective thing and I would rather add more at the table anyway if needed. I am mainly writing to say that I used a round, ceramic baking dish (3 qt) with a glass lid. As per instructions, I used the lid for the first hour and then uncovered for the last half hour of baking time. Let it sit out for at least another half hour and all was certainly baked through. I spooned it out so perhaps it was not quite as pretty a presentation, but that way I could avoid the parchment paper, the foil, the possible drips, etc. Plus, such an easy way to store the leftovers. I have a feeling this sort of casserole will be even better tonight once the flavors have melded a bit. Thank you for the recipe!
Thanks for sharing that tip, JP. I had been wondering about doing it that way.
Have now made this twice. It is delicious! If anyone is in the St Louis (MO) area, DiGregorio’s (on The Hill) has the pasta and cheeses for this recipe. Having read other comments, I think that the tinfoil covering is key – it steams (and cooks) the pasta on the top level. Also, the fresh ricotta should have little extra liquid (to avoid some of the soupy results others have mentioned). I have a countertop oven so the broiler function was not needed to brown/crisp the top after removing the tinfoil (adjust accordingly). If you were wondering, it DOES freeze well. I heated up single pieces at 350 for ~45 minutes (in the countertop oven).
I made the Winter Squash and Spinach Pasta Bake for my Bodacious Book Club. I followed the recipe exactly. I couldn’t find a nice ribbony noodle so I broke up lasagna noodles like Deb suggested. It turned out wonderful!!! The house smelled divine, and the dish was beautiful and easy to serve. Also I made Deb’s endives with oranges and almonds, which is a repeat for me and is always flavorful and feels like a party. Both dishes were put together before the Bodacious ones arrived, so I was free to have a drink and visit. Thanks Deb. Love your work. Oh and BTW, my grandson LOVES your everyday Mac and cheese!
Made this for dinner last night – so yummy! I used gluten free dried lasagna sheets and cooked in my cast iron Pan lined with parchment. definitely had to add water and extend the cook time, lots of super dry bits on top. I probably wouldn’t have used my cast iron next time, I think it dried it out too much. Otherwise so yummy!
I made this and it was amazing! It also really held up as leftovers. Loved it!!
First ever comment on a recipe and I cook a lot! Time consuming prep, but gorgeous dish, very unique and delicious! I used buttermilk instead of water, added 1/2 pound of cooked, crumbled, drained, hot pork sausage, 10 oz of drained frozen spinach and a mix of shaved asiago, parmesan, romano cheese since it was in my fridge. Used chip/ribbon blade on spiralizer for whole butternut (then chopped roughly), since I don’t have a mandoline. Weighed my salt (Morton’s coarse kosher). Great recipe that allow all sorts of options with different greens, cheeses, meats, etc! Prep ahead and freezer friendly!
Hi – I’ve made this exactly as written and we LOVE it. I’d like to bake it in the afternoon and then reheat for dinner so it’s both set and piping hot. Any suggestions on the best way to reheat the entire thing?
Thanks!
I’ve made this twice and I LOOOOOOVE it, but I want to try it with farro or rice instead of pasta (I love filling grain dishes). How can I adjust the water/cooking time?
Thank you so much–this recipe is the best!
Update: I precooked the farro and omitted most of the the water and it was perfectly good. But I ruined it by using arugula, which were the greens I had on hand–they made it just disgustingly bitter. Tonight I’m going to try it again with precooked farro, lots and lots of squash, and no greens.
Made this today – kept the feta, and therefore did not add salt, used kale instead of spinach, and used bowties, since that was the pasta on hand. Baked it covered a little longer due to the bowties, it tastes fabulous. Thank you for posting this – it will be on repeat during the cold months!
I’m really glad I made it but am a bit regretful that I snarfed down two big wedges. I agree with another reviewer that it should cook longer. After the first hour, I didn’t see much progress or smell aromas so I covered it back up and let it go another 15 minutes. Next time I’ll try 90 mins for the covered bake. I used the pasta shape I had on hand, curly Cavatappi, which didn’t soften well and the ones at the top were beyond crisp so we just ate around those. Next time, I’ll get one of the flatter ones you note. My prep time, using a whole butternut not prepped cubes, took closer to 45-60 minutes but it was worth it. I’m looking forward to making it again.
I made this last night and will be eating it all week. It might be my new favorite. It smells and tastes delicious. It is really easy to put together.
This was delicious, and I think the idea behind the recipe is brilliant.
Now it has me wondering–can this all-at-once strategy be adapted to a regular, tomato-based lasagna? Although it is nice to have separate cheese and sauce layers, it all mixes and falls apart on the plate anyway… 1 1/2 cups thin tomato sauce instead of water? Maybe mushrooms, accounting for the added water?
Someone please tell me if they’ve tried this!
I’ve done it. For my Perfect Vegetable Lasagna, I actually just soak the noodles a bit. The ingredients are wet enough that it doesn’t need additional water. For more of a standard pasta bake, I use proportions like this, i.e. 2 to 2.5 cups water per pound of dry pasta, if the sauce isn’t particularly wet.
Long time reader, first time commenter. I loved this! I had a bag of funky pumpkin-shaped pasta that I used in this, and it was a cute way to use it in a fall-themed dish. Some changes: I soaked the pasta in hot water for 5 min before mixing it in with the cheese and veggies, used 3/4 cups of water in the cheese mixture, added more red pepper flakes (because we like spice), and didn’t have enough parm so used mozz on top. Baked it in a 13×9 inch pan, kept the foil on 1 hour and 20mins, and broiled for a few minutes at the end to get the cheese crispy :) It was perfect! Was able to participate in game night while it was baking, and minimal prep/cleanup made it feel way less work than a normal lasagne/other kind of baked pasta. Thank you so much for posting this recipe! It seems endlessly riffable with different kinds of pasta/veggies/cheese… can’t wait to play with it!
This recipe is fabulous! I have made it 3 times already! I used Kale instead of spinach b/c have lots in the garden. I did not use a springform pan but just made it as a casserole – did not try to “unmold” it. I used pecco romano instead of parmesan b/c I like it better. Wondered how the pasta would cook and the squash – but it comes out perfectly!!! Squash is not mushy. Pasta is cooked. Just love it!
Fabulous recipe! I have made it 3 times! Wondered how the squash and pasta would cook – all came out perfectly. Squash was no mushy, pasta was cooked. I used Kale instead of spinach b/c had lots in garden. Used pecco romano cheese instead of parmesan b/c I like it. Did not make in springform pan and try to unmold it – just made as a casserole. Got braver after made for the first time and used more greens and squash than called for and still great. Just love it!!
ALERT TO DEB: The comment I’m replying to is advertising vapes and seems like spam. (I didn’t see a way to report other than by just commenting.)
This. was. AMAZING. The only hard part is waiting 2 hours to eat it – 90 minutes cooking then 30 minutes to set. The tantalizing smell…
Thank you for a great recipe!
Love your recipes, but would like a printable format. Can you please let me know how to get that without copying and pasting into my own new document?
Thanks!
Betsy
Betsy,
Just below the recipe, between the photos of other recommended dishes and the “subscribe” text boxes, is a section called “do more.” The last symbol in that line is a printer icon. Click there and a printable copy will pop up. 😉
Thank you! Very helpful!
You’re welcome!
I am the same!! My husband is often asking me when I will just stick to some tried and true recipes instead of always trying new ones. That said… here I am looking for yet another recipe. LOL! Happy to see I’m not alone!
Made this and it was so good — now I’m thinking about whether there’s a way to try a version subbing mushrooms and leeks for the butternut…
For those asking about freezing the dish: I froze it in the prepared pan, uncooked. I thawed it in the fridge for about 24 hours before baking as directed here. The meal turned out fine but wasn’t as good as the version I baked the same day I made. The ricotta, in particular, gets a little grainy in the freezing/thawing process. Next time I’d probably freeze it post-bake (or maybe just not freeze it at all).
This was delectable, Deb. Thank you for all of your beautiful recipes. I halved the salt & had no issues at all! Keep up the delicious cooking.
I have a question I hope someone can answer! I’ve made this twice now, and I love it. I want to make it for Thanksgiving this year, but I’m going to make it the day before. Does anyone know how long I should warm it at 350? And also, it’s obviously hard to cut when warm, so do you think it would be possible to cut it cold and then rewarm it or is that a silly idea? Thanks!
How long it takes to warm will range but it will probably be a little less than 30 minutes. You can let it rest for 5 minutes before cutting it.
I made this in a 9×9 square ceramic dish last night and it was phenomenal. I had to press down all the goodies in the pan…but it fit! Cooking temperature and times were spot on. Prep took me a little longer than anticipated but well worth it. Thank you!
The second time I made this, I used up some dried mushrooms and used the soaking liquid (150ml) and mushroom broth (200ml) in place of the water. First round (no mushrooms) was good, but second round (+mushrooms) was umamily scrumptious. Next time I’d add more of the rehydrated mushrooms or add some sauteed fresh mushrooms to the mix, as others have. I also used a generous hand with the sage, nutmeg, and pul biber/aleppo pepper. Om nom nom.
What is the best way to reheat this to retain the structure and the top crunch without drying it out?
Probably some time with foil on, some with foil off while you reheat. The balance will be about how crunchy it started and how crunchy you want to get.
Yes! I would really like to make this in advance but also not sure what the best way to reheat would be.
Lacking a 9″ springform, I stuffed a big square of parchment into my dutch oven. The lid negates the need for foil, and it baked like a charm. And yes, it works with kale.
This recipe is fantastic. Followed the instructions to the letter, using broken up lasagna sheets, and it came out perfectly. The proportions of the squash, cheeses, spinach, and pasta are absolutely perfect as written. I agree with other posters that this recipe exceeds the sum of its parts.
It is simple to make and requires no special technique as a cook, yet the result is high-impact. It is both homey and elevated. Could be served for brunch or dinner, packed in a lunch box, or served for guests.
Others have mentioned that all the prep can take awhile. When I’m looking ahead to a recipe like this, I like to prep the ingredients throughout the week – sliced up the butternut squash two days in advance, for example – and it was a snap to assemble.
This one is an absolute keeper. The toddler enjoyed it and my spouse asked me to put it in our rotation and requested to serve it during his parents’ visit, which is pretty high praise over here. Thanks, Deb!
I made this two nights ago and followed the recipe exactly, using my scale. I had the other kind of kosher salt so only used 1/2 Tablespoon and though I like a fair amount of salt this was a bit too much for me in combination with all the parmesan. In the end though, it was the garlic that overpowered the dish and if I make it again i’ll just use one clove. I think I would also add something acidic like tomato to cut the richness. Used regular, broken up lasagna noodles and they worked great.
I reheated my leftovers with some marinara and it was DELISH!
Has anyone added beans? I’m thinking of trying it with some black eyed peas added. Would cook from dry maybe just underdone? Any suggestions?
I made this yesterday for a pre Thanksgiving test run and it was super delicious and absolutely fun and easy to make. I needed to add 15 minutes to the bake because I was using a rather ancient oven. Thanks Deb! I am making this again for the holiday!
Hi Deb! This looks fantastic. Any thoughts on what to serve it with?
A big green salad, for sure. If you’d like meat, you could have some grilled sausages on the side.
This is a fantastic recipe on all fronts – taste, texture, aroma, presentation, nutrients, etc! It is a perfect dish for a dinner party.
We absolutely loved this recipe! It was pretty straightforward to make, smelled amazing and was scrumptious!! I used fresh thyme and about twice as much. I think rosemary would be so delicious too! It will serve as a template for different ingredients. I love your recipes and have all of your books! Thank you for sharing your love of cooking!
Ok this was amazing, and was definitely better on days 2 & 3. By the time we reached the last quarter or fifth of the casserole I converted it into a killer frittata: chopped it up roughly, spread it out in a well-oiled/buttered pan, and then poured beaten eggs over it. Then heat over med or med-low until set, and finish it off under the broiler until browning and bubbly, just a minute or two. Highly recommended way to use up the last of this deliciousness!!
Fabulous idea.
I will try that for sure.
Any reason acorn squash wouldn’t work in lieu of butternut?
In brief: delicious and a beauty to bring to the table. I used gluten-free (corn) ditalini, which worked well. As a p.s.: this is the recipe that finally – after 50+ years of cooking and baking – to buy a springform pan. So worth it!
Making now, and wondering if there should be enough liquid that all ingredients are submerged – specifically wondering if the top layers of pasta will cook if not submerged in the liquid. After combining all ingredients, I’m finding that there seems to be not much liquid for the pasta to absorb. Thanks for any insight!
The liquid in mine came up about 1/4 or 1/3 of the height of the casserole and I *was sure* it would never work, but it was perfect. Per some other reviews, I did extend the covered bake a little.
Because it’s covered, and the noodles soften as they cook, it all works out. Hope it’s a hit for you!
This was easy and very tasty! I did it in a dutch oven with no parchment, *convection bake* at 350 for 45 min covered, then another 23 min uncovered, and it turned out great. I balked at the amount of salt – even tho I measured by weight it seemed like so much! So I only did around 6g. But actually I think it does need the full 8g. I did think it could use a lot more spinach, so next time I’ll do that, or maybe kale or chard.
This was absolutely incredible! LOVED it and was skeptical at first because it looked like “mush” but the aroma as it was baking and the first taste reinforced by plan to make this a regular in our house. There are only two of us so it was reheated several times (and was delicious each time). The next time I plan to “halve” the recipe and bake in a smaller container … since it’s just the two of us ;-) Love this one, Deb!
So – has anyone tried to do this in a crockpot? With that length of cooking in the oven, wouldn’t that work in a 4-6 hour crock pot? I’m thinking I get it all prepped in the morning and turn it on… Or would it be too cooked…
I’d say don’t mess with success here! I am even hesitant to go to a 13 x 9 x 2 pan here. (Plus this is the most exercise my springform pan has had in decades)
¡Probé esta receta hace unas semanas y no podía esperar para volver a probarla! (¡Tengo que tener cuidado, porque NO es un artículo de Weight Watchers y tengo que mantener las porciones que como muy pequeñas!) Seguí la receta exactamente a excepción de los artículos que no pude encontrar aquí en la provincia centro-norte de Almería en España: usé requesón, una versión española de ricotta, Emmental rallado en lugar de Fontina, salvia seca en lugar de fresca, y una pasta rotini de verduras secas. También noté la cantidad de quesos y como estoy en una dieta baja en sal, omití la sal por completo. Además, me sobró un poco de caldo de verduras, así que lo usé en lugar del agua. ¡Resultó tan hermoso! Refrigerado bien, recalentado bien (así podría mantenerlo por más tiempo para acomodar menos por porción) y lo recomendaría con una ensalada verde de su elección, pan recién horneado (¡si no está a dieta!) y un vaso o dos de tu vino favorito. Buen provecho!
First-time commenter, here to say that this was as delicious as it looks! I substituted what I had: delicata squash sliced thinly (no peeling!), a 5-oz bag of baby mixed greens (chard, kale & spinach), cottage cheese instead of ricotta, fresh tarragon instead of sage or thyme, minced garlic, and whole-wheat radiatore. Otherwise I followed the recipe. I assembled the dish, stuck it in the fridge over night, baked it the next morning and reheated slices in the microwave for dinner. It fit neatly into a 9″ springform pan, and the cooking times were spot on. Not crazy about crunchy pasta bits, so I tried my best to submerge the little radiators. I may try some of the vegan suggestions next time. Thanks, Deb!
For anyone questioning the amounts/ingredients/timing in this recipe, TRUST Deb! The first time I made this,
I was so scared that the pasta wouldn’t cook through I made the worst mistake possible and added extra (boiling even!) water and my pasta turned to complete mush. Trust the liquid ratios and the time spent in the oven! It will work out! A few takeaways from my second attempt at this recipe that others may find helpful: if preparing your own squash, make sure to cut away any white/green ring just under the skin when peeling (unless you like crunchy squash, as I experienced the first time I made this and only peeled away a thin layer of the skin/flesh). I also used thyme the second time around for the herb – the thyme was a lovely accent whereas I found the sage to be overpowering, but that’s more personal preference. I used a 10” springform pan because that’s all I had and kept everything else the same, it all worked out! The salt level is perfect! Even with a ton of Parmesan, I found it to be seasoned just right and so absolutely delicious on a cold day. Trust the formula – you will be well-rewarded!
That’s interesting, because I did NOT peel my butternut (I never peal it whatever I am making with it — I find the peel completely edible and delicious!). I did slice it very thin, and it came out perfectly tender, including the skin!
Made exactly as written, including the springform pan and pasta shape. Used butternut squash sliced thin and cut into 1/2 inch-ish pieces. Weighed all the ingredients. It needed at least 30 minutes more. A bit of the pasta at the top was hard as a rock – not like pasta that was done and then got crispy, but just raw. I thought I had the foil nice and tight so moisture could not escape, but nonetheless had the undone pasta. Next time I would use a bit more water and poke any pasta near the surface down a bit.
The frittata idea was brilliant! It was Sunday brunch so added finely diced slim ham slice to the rough-chopped casserole and a little bit of pecorino that was already finely shredded when it went under the broiler. I loved using all the odd bits of pasta shapes: elastici, tagliatelle, fettuccine and capellini in various layers. It all cooked fine following directions. My deviation was subbing some sweet potato because my honey butternut squash was small. Next time I’d amp up the herbs and the S&P and add more spinach. Husband enjoyed taking it for lunch.
I mad this yesterday afternoon and put it in the oven around 5pm. It was so great to know dinner was made and in the oven! I used broken up lasagna noodles. That was all I could find close to the samples you linked at my local grocery store. It was delicious! What a great veggie meal. I am already thinking about the leftovers. The only change I made was to use mozzarella instead of fontina as that’s what I had in the fridge. Deb, I appreciate you adding the weight as a measurement option for the ingredients. It made it so easy to throw the bowl on my scale and add without extra dishes to wash!
Oh, and hey, so glad I hung on to my spring form pan I haven’t used in years. My husband had never heard of one and was surprised when I pulled it out of the cupboard,
I really want to make this, but can’t find the pasta locally* and don’t want to break large lasagna noodles. Actually, I can find the pasta locally, but only in gluten-free and whole wheat formats. I am totally biased against gluten-free pasta, so not going there. Would whole wheat work? Would it be a good idea to increase the water by 1-2 tablespoons?
(*except on Amazon for $14-15/pound. Nope; not going there either.)
You can use any kind of pasta you’d like here. I think something flatter might help it all stay locked down, i.e. orecchiette or bowties but it sounds like people are using even ziti and it works.
To more easily break up the lasagna (and prevent little bits from flying all over the kitchen), I put whole noodles into a Ziploc then mashed it up. Then I measured to 8oz on my kitchen scale.
I found this recently and have already made it 2x in 2 wks! I agree w other posters- lightening it with either baby tomatoes /chickpeas would be great.. either finding a way to mix in, or on the side. I had a nice side salad alongside the 1st time I made it- but instead of using spinach (since it’s already in the casserole), I’d make it w kale or romaine or something. Fontina is expensive so maybe next time I’ll sub mozzarella- hope it doesn’t affect the flavor. If you want to avoid crispy pasta bits on top, take a spoon and push any sticking-up pieces down, just before you put it into the oven. I used both fresh sage and fresh thyme and wouldn’t use dried for this. Fabulous!
I’ve made this twice now and it’s delicious. BUT, the pasta that’s at the top invariably ends up undercooked and crunchy raw. Any hints how to make cook it through? Thanks!
This was truly delicious. I used 3 large garlic cloves instead of just 3 regular-sized ones and it was too much. Will make again and use less. I used Farfalle and will go with the thinner ribbon next time. Truly great.
Has anyone made this with vegan cheeses? Results?
I’m lactose intolerant so I substituted seasoned, mashed tofu for the ricotta and a vegan “smoked Gouda” for the fontina. I kept the parmesan. I thought it was good though I suspect the texture was a little different.
This was SO delicious! I made a 1.5 recipe and it fit beautifully in my 13x9x2.5″ lasagna pan (greased, no parchment, served from the pan at the table). I used 2 teaspoons of standard table salt for my 1-and-a-half size batch, and it was seasoned perfectly. I included 2 eggs rather than try to do 1.5 eggs. And I used a 12-oz box of Creamette Mafalda pasta. The baking time was the same as the original recipe. Even my meat-and-potatoes dad, who doesn’t generally like squash or pasta or greens (why did I even try to feed this to him?!?) said it was one of the best homemade meals he’s ever had. The prep took me about 45 minutes before it went into the oven, but it was great to have all the work done well before my family arrived. Served with a spinach salad with craisins, pecans, feta, red onions, and balsamic vinaigrette; plus garlic bread and some italian sausage links cut into rounds and quickly browned in a pan (in case dad hated the main dish :P). I got repeated rave reviews throughout the evening. Yum!
This is the first sk recipe that I wasn’t thrilled with. The flavor was good but I didn’t like the hard pasta on the top. The whole casserole felt too dry. We ate half of it but no one wanted the leftovers so I threw them out. Precooking the pasta might have helped but I won’t be making this one again. Mine looked just like the photo, so I am pretty certain I didn’t make any mistakes.
This recipe is heaven. Seriously. Look at it! Breakfast, lunch, AND dinner. My family agreed, describing it as “phenomenal!” Bravo, Deb.
I made this last night and it was fantastic. Not too liquid-y at all. Used a bigger springform bc that’s what I had (10.5″ i think). Used frozen spinach (thawed with excess liquid squeezed out). Used called for amount of salt (diamond kosher) and it was just right. Will add this to my winter rotation. This is one of those meals that don’t rely on anything very perishable (provided you use frozen spinach); bonus points for that!
This is delicious ! I used whole what fusilli and therefore added an extra 1/4 cup water.
I prepared it in the morning and let it sit for about 5 hours and when i took it out of the oven it needed only 15 minutes to firm up beautifully.
Salt just right.
This is delicious creation! I love every aspect of it and make almost no changes. The only thing I do is that the pure-chopped packages of butternut squash come in 13oz sizes, so I have to add a small sweet potato to the mix. (I do slice the pre-chunks into thinner slices). This is a terrific meal for lunch or dinner on its own, but it would also be a perfect side if you choose to serve it with a protein. Serious comfort food!
I made this last night and it was excellent. However, I’m wondering if anyone has any savory suggestions to use in place of the butternut squash. Would an acorn squash work? I’ve never had acorn squash so I don’t know if it’s slightly sweet as well. Thanks!
I am not Deb, but I feel like ANY winter squash would work here. Other commenters have used Delicata squash and sweet potato, and I have used Butternut once and Honeynut once (didn’t peel either time btw).
To my taste, Delicata and Honeynut are sweeter than Butternut, and Acorn is less sweet but more nutty. Even so, every winter squash that I have ever tried has had some level of sweetness. Are you trying to reduce carbs or reduce the sweet taste, or something else?
If carbs are your concern, you can see a list of different squashes and their carb numbers here (scroll down a bit): https://keenforketo.com/keto-squash-recipes-2/
If you want the overall dish to taste less sweet, you could do that by upping the salt a bit, upping the red pepper flakes and black pepper, or using a stronger flavored green like mustard greens or broccoli rabe instead of spinach.
I hope this helps!
Stephanie, thank you so so much for your reply. Not concerned about carbs, just wanting to make the dish less sweet. I will definitely try acorn squash next time, and will try different greens as well. Thanks again!
Deb,
I never comment on anything, ever, but I made an account especially to thank you for this utter deliciousness! My not-a-squash-fan boyfriend loves it. My vegan coworker commented on how good it looked when I was eating it one day and is going to try out a vegan version with crumbled tofu, Just Egg, and non-dairy cheese. I’m thinking of trying a variation with eggplant next. And I’m going to keep making a pest of myself emailing this to everyone I know because it’s just that good!
Thanks again!
Renée
Any advice peeling and chopping butternut squash? I almost never cook with it as I find it such a PITA to prepare. Once I even broke my knife…
Nicole, I actually NEVER peel butternut squash, for this recipe or any other, because I find that once it is cooked, the peel is lovely to eat. As for cutting butternut in general, I find a large sharp knife essential.
I peel it twice (i.e. two layers off) with a y-shaped peeler. I made a video of the process here.
I have made this a few times since I first saw it in October to rave reviews, thanks so much for sharing it. We are considering having it as part of our Christmas Eve celebration. I want to bake them ahead and then reheat. I saw you mentioned a 350 oven. Any idea how long? Covered? I have had so me trouble getting casseroles reheated as a whole unit and want to be sure I have it down right. Individual slices have reheated wonderfully, even in the microwave, thanks again!
Loved this! Used some egg noodles and broken lasagna noodles as that’s what I had. I used a covered ale Crueset round baking dish and it came out perfectly. So easy!
Thanks for another great one Deb!!
This is delicious! Planning to make again on Christmas Eve. Do you have a sense of what to cook this in if you doubled? I was thinking 9 x 13 since I did the first regular size batch in a springform but see that you mentioned doing a single batch in the 9 x 13. Anyone double this already?
Baked this for dinner – the result : a very happy Missus
I made a small addition, that of adding sliced brinjal on top – they came out brilliantly crispy
I made this and froze without baking. Should i throw and then follow baking instructions or bake frozen?
I followed the instructions and this was delicious. Will definitely make his again.
Delicious and it held together well (even using tofu instead of ricotta, and no egg) so I’ve just made it a second time! I found it helped to wilt the spinach slightly before adding it so that it wasn’t quite as unwieldy to mix in.
I know you’re supposed to let these types of dishes rest but then don’t they get cold?
I covered mine back up with foil for the 30-minute resting period. It stayed warm (although not piping hot) and the crispy bits stayed crispy.
I made this last night almost exactly as written. I was using Pecorino Romano rather than Parmesan so I knew it would be slightly saltier. I weighed my salt as I added it because I know that Deb uses Diamond Crystal while I use Morton. 8 gm is a bit more than a teaspoon. I nuked a spoonful of my mixture before it went into the springform to make sure of my salt level and that was a good way to find out that I had hit the mark. The end result was delightful and I am sure I will use it again and again. It’s basically “toss it together and chuck it in a springform” so that is lovely! One thing I would change is the garlic – I wish I had cooked it in the oil before adding it to the dish. I found the garlic kind of raw in there.
I have precooked cubes of butternut squash (i know, I know, what did I do that for?). How would you adjust? Thank you!
Everything cooks at once here so they’ll just be… softer when it’s all done.
Lori, I used the cubes as well. I just sliced them smaller. It was tedious, but probably not as tedious as cutting up a hard butternut squash is. ;) It turned out lovely and I’m excited to make it again.
I just decided to go for it anyway, and it came out AMAZING. I didn’t cook it as long and I added more water to make up for what i figured would be released when the raw squash cooked. Definitely a keeper, thank you for responding!
Loved this! Everyone should try it, keeping in mind your personal level of sensitivity to salt. I have only Morton’s Fine Kosher Salt, so salted very conservatively. Followed the rest of the recipe to a T, sliced squash quite thin (could only find precut squash so it was a bit of a chore), made sure there were not many exposed pasta bits on top. The colors are beautiful and the cheese adds just enough richness that you forget there’s no meat, but you’re not so full that you can’t imagine perhaps a larger slice for your next serving.
I made this 1/6/22 afternoon, used part skim ricotta, it worked just as described and was fantastic.
I made this yesterday using whole wheat reginetti from Sfoglini and it was delicious. I added an extra 1/2 cup of water to accommodate for the whole wheat pasta but that might have been too much. It set okay but was a little watery when I removed it from the pan. I’ll try 1/4 cup next time. I also used havarti cheese instead of fontina since that’s what I had on hand. Adding the salt by weight was key; I only needed 1.5 tsp of gray sea salt to get to 8.4 grams. Measuring the Parmesan by weight also ended up being important; thanks to my microplane I had to use twice as much Parm by volume. I rarely comment but am a huge Smitten Kitchen fan. Thanks for another winning recipe!
I used frozen spinach and dialed back the water to 3/4 C (based on Deb’s rec for if you used cooked noodles because I was nervous the spinach would sweat). It worked like a charm! I also used Comte cheese instead of Fontina because I had it leftover from the last time I made the Caramelized Onion Babka and the flavors worked well. Another beautiful recipe that seems very adaptable. Thanks!
This was so amazing, and the hardest thing was slicing up the butternut squash. I ended up using farmer’s cheese instead of ricotta as I had leftover from pierogi making. My local market didn’t have fontina so substituted gruyere. Pasta shape was campanelle, and I made it in my dutch oven, still lined with parchment with added foil under the lid for the first hour. Would make again in a heartbeat!
This was SO good. My husband said it gave my lasagna (which he loves) a run for it’s money. Pretty much followed the recipe as written with just a few changes based on what I had on hand. First of all, the salt controversy, I used Morton kosher salt and cut the amount in half after reading your post about different salts. It seemed to be the perfect amount. I used a Hubbard squash from my garden. It was surprisingly easy to peel, and worked well in this dish. I had a big block of Jarlsberg cheese, so used that instead of Fontina. And the only flattish noodles I had were some Tagliatelle nests, so I just broke those up, and they worked just fine. Nice and crispy on top. I cannot say enough good things about this dish. So easy and so tasty.
I have attempted this recipe 5 times, and not once have I managed to follow the recipe, yet it has always been delicious. I’ve used mozzarella instead of fontina, mascarpone instead of ricotta (wrote the wrong thing on the grocery list), and Kale instead of spinach. I’ve forgotten completely the spinach and the oil and the salt. I added breadcrumbs once and that was awesome. Also, up until just now realized I was putting 100 grams more squash in there than the recipe calls for, because I always stopped reading at the 560 grams squash. Someday I will manage to buy all the correct ingredients AND get them in the pan together, but until then I will happily eat my ‘failures’.
I am planning on making this. If I use mafaldine noodles and break them up, as instructed, how long should the broken pieces be? I noticed that Amazon sells this: Garofalo Mafalda Corta Pasta. Would that be a good way to go, as the pasta is already short?
Never had a reply to my 1/11 question (still would appreciate receiving one), so went ahead and made this with Fusilli, which is readily available in our markets. Worked perfectly. Great recipe. Made in a 9″ springform pan, pressed down the noodles, as instructed, and had no problem with noodles being undercooked. Will make again, & perhaps add some ham, bacon, or pancetta for additional flavor.
I did 2 to 3″ pieces but it will work at any length that can nestle in the pan. Glad it was a hit.
Thank you. May try the Mafalda the next time.
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I did not have enough fresh baby spinach, so I added chopped kale to get to 5 ounces of greens. Thanks for another great recipe!
I forgot to add the pasta!!! LOL
I didn’t have time to make pasta when it was time to serve, so we ate it with a roll. I’ll serve the leftovers with pasta.
Even without the pasta, this was great. :)
Delicious. Easy. Perfect for January. Thank you!
I love this recipe and have made it many times. The prep time for me is more like 45 minutes. I made the ricotta, grated the cheese, cut the vegetables with my husband assisting. I guess 15 minutes prep time is if you buy all prepared ingredients. Also substituted fontina with aged cheddar.
Loved this. Used ~10 lasagna noodles broken into bite-ish sized pieces and 1 T Diamond; baked in an 11” springform. Was worried that I should have been more obsessive about how thin I was cutting the squash, but was glad I didn’t fuss with a mandolins. Will either grate or omit the garlic next time … a bit too pungent for me but my Main Squeeze loved it!
Every time I make this, my partner immediately eats half of it, no matter what else they’ve eaten that day, and we fight over the last bits.
Changes: I substitute the egg with 50 g of aquafaba, the ricotta with cottage cheese, and the parmesan/fontina with whatever cheese we happen to have on hand. Once I accidentally left out the egg/aquafaba, but it didn’t seem to suffer from the omission. And I make it in a shallow 9×13 without modifying the cook times.
Two not-really-complaints: First, with how delicious this is, it’s more like 2-3 servings, not even close to 8, ha! Second, the name is much too long for how often we make it, so we call it squaspinasta!
So I haven’t read through all the comments. But I made this according to the recipe EXCEPT I baked it in a 9×13 casserole dish b/c I don’t have a springform pan. The top half of the noodles were EXTREMELY crunchy. Did anyone run into this? Suggestions for doing it differently next time? I’d love to try it again and hoping for better results b/c they flavors are delicious.
yes they were extremely crunchy for me as well. Sometimes I don’t mind; other times, I studiously poke the pasta below the surface (easier to do with macaroni than with penne, for instance). Another possibility is adding more water (I did this by accident once, and found it surprisingly successful). Yet another might be leaving the foil on for longer? I haven’t tried this last tactic.
I have made this multiple times because it is so delicious and it is great to have the leftovers the next day. I follow the recipe as written with some small modifications – sometimes the squash I have is bigger than what is called for so I just use the whole thing. I use regular fresh spinach (not baby) and chop it roughly. I bake it in a 9×13 glass pan with one piece of parchment and have had no issues with it sticking. I’m a pretty experienced home cook and the prep takes me a solid hour.
I have frozen this and it reheats beautifully. I have made this no fewer than 15 times since discovering the recipe this fall. Thanks for introducing me to a new family favorite!
I made this and loved it! Would highly recommend — I think this will go straight into my regular meal rotation. I made a few changes:
-skipped the one cup of fontina, mixed the entire cup of Parmesan in with the ricotta
-cooked for an hour, skipped the last half hour
-scooped it out right away after baking (didn’t keep it’s shape, we just put it in bowls and devoured it)
These changes made it a little healthier and a little faster. Couldn’t recommend this more — tasted like a healthy mac and cheese.
Made this last night, and prep time wasn’t bad at all- about 30 minutes but I used precut squash chunks. Next time I might get preshredded cheese too to save even more time. I baked it in a 9×13 and baked it on convection. When I uncovered it after an hour, the pasta pieces on top were definitely too undercooked, so I stirred everything up and kept the foil on for another 20minutes and then did 10 minutes uncovered. It was delicious but I too had pasta pieces that were in appealingly crunchy, so I think next time I would keep the foil on for the whole time and not uncover at all. And maybe would bake it in a deeper Dutch oven like others did. The flavors were great and I would absolutely make it again!
I loved the flavors and textures of this, but some of the squash and pasta were still hard after 90 minutes even though I followed the recipe exactly. The moisture didn’t seem to distribute very well- it was near the edges that they were still hard, while the center was quite wet. I really, really like the concept behind this dish though, so next time, I’ll probably microwave or roast the squash for a bit first and either parboil the pasta, use no-cook lasagna noodles, or use a much smaller noodle. I think with a few tweaks to the method, it’ll be fantastic.
This recipe is fantastic exactly as is and it’s gorgeous to look at. The seasoning is perfect and the ratio of cheese, to pasta to veggies is spot on. I cut individual pieces, wrapped them in Saran and then tinfoil and then put into freezer bag and froze. When I was ready to eat I popped into the toaster oven right from the freezer on 300 and it was fantastic!
I had left-over no-bake lasagna noodles (both GF and reg) and cottage cheese and went looking for a recipe. And I lucky me, I found this one!
After reading the salt controversy, I weighed my Morton’s Kosher Salt and it came in at a whopping 16g so that was okay for doubling the recipe.
I did have a little crunchy pasta on top. Next time I make it – and there for sure will be a next time – I will combine eggs, water, cottage cheese in bottom of bowl and then add pasta to allow it to accept moisture while I slice the squash.
It did need an extra 15 or so mins. I imagine it would be because I made two simultaneously.
I made this last night. I meant to make it months ago but I finally got a springform pan and reginetti. I’m so glad I did! It worked perfect. We loved it. Five stars 🥰
SO GOOD.
Made with cottage cheese instead of ricotta (personal preference). Only used 65 grams fontina. Also found that mild gouda works well. Used 1.5 teaspoons of kosher salt (not Diamond brand). Baked in a lidded cast-iron pot. Devoured the resulting deliciousness.
Thank you for this recipe!
For others who don’t usually add the salt in recipes, I did not add any salt here and it came out perfectly. I was generous with the other spices (garlic, nutmeg, black pepper and sage, and used 1/2 tsp. red pepper), and the ricotta, fontina, and parmesan did the rest.
Based on the comments I started to doubt myself, so putting it out there for other low-salt minded folk. Other changes were to use acorn squash, farfalle pasta, and to eat without letting sit 30 min (we just did not have time). So very, very good!
Made this for a second time, so so good. I tend to prep squash on the weekends, so I added them precooked and left casserole in the oven for a shorter time. Thank you!
I’ve wanted to make this for a while but couldn’t find the appropriate pasta shape. I didn’t realize Fresh Direct carried it until today! Anyway, this recipe definitely a keeper! So good! I substituted Gruyère for the fontina but otherwise followed the recipe to the T, but baked in a 9×13 pan. I also messed up and baked at 375 instead of 350. I was concerned I over baked due to the error, but it came out great. I think commenters who think the top noodles are under baked just don’t like the crispy top. The noodles are not under baked IMO. My bf and I quickly ate half of the dish, it is just too good.
What is up with all the hateful and mean comments? I’m a longtime SK reader and I always read the comments for helpful tips, and I don’t recall people leaving such nasty comments in the past. I know it is easy to hide behind a computer screen but if you don’t like a recipe, or don’t even want to make it, why not just keep scrolling.
Chris, if we could answer your last question, we’d probably have a crucial key to a much better society. <3 (I also adore this dish!)
Holy cow this is amazing! Made it last night and didn’t change a thing. What I love about it most is that while it is very similar to a vegetable lasagna (the noodles, the ricotta, the other multiple cheeses) it is so much lighter and fresh tasting. The ricotta, fontina and parmesan provide just the right amount of creaminess without going overboard into that normal lasagna territory of CHEESE (which – don’t get me wrong – can also be quite delightful, but it’s not something you want every night). I could easily eat this every week. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
I made this, here are some thoughts:
I used the top part of the squash (the most cylindrical part), cut it in half lengthways to make the thin slices (easier with a flat surface against the chopping board), then cut the slices in half to make quarter-circle shapes.
I didn’t have enough ricotta so I made up the amount with cream and creme fraiche.
I used gruyere instead of fontina.
The top layer of pasta didn’t end up hard and crunchy like some other people report – it was perfectly cooked. Maybe it is because I folded the parchment paper over the top as much as possible and covered very tightly with foil. Or maybe just the type of pasta I used.
I used half a tablespoon of salt – for the Europeans, it was normal table salt (I’ve never seen these different named salts/kosher salt/Diamond crystal salt or whatever here, we just have normal salt and flaky salt). It was fine, not voer or under salted.
I love the method – so simple for a pasta bake! I like how it tasted, but I did feel it was lacking… something. I feel like you could get more umami out of it. I think next time I will try adding more cheese (can’t go wrong there).
Like all SK recipes I’ve tried, this is fantastic! I (very sadly) have to limit my tomato intake and this hits the I’m-craving-cheesy-pasta-a-la-lasagna spot. I made exactly as written and it turned out great, but may increase the vegetable to pasta ratio next time. The dry pasta cooked well except the “exposed” pasta on top, so I will try making sure all the pasta gets wet in the prep to see if it helps.
This is a favorite in our house. We’ve made it with a variety of cheeses and it’s always great. Since I always keep frozen spinach, I’ve experimented using that. It works fine if you use frozen, thawed but not drained. Just reduce the water by 1/4 cup. Next I’ll try milk instead of water for even richer texture.
I’ve made this twice, and that says a lot because I don’t repeat dishes often. I want to find a way to make this more spring-like. Am I crazy to think fat asparagus could work in place of the squash? Maybe mushrooms or peas for the spinach.
I love this dish! So much so that I’m making it in late May because it’s so comforting and I want a little comfort! However, I do think it shines as a dish to make for a group in the fall or winter. It’s so easy to pull together and, due to the long cook time, once it’s in the oven you can enjoy a relaxing cocktail hour with your friends and still be the hero of dinner. Four stars!
I’ve made this three times not varying from the recipe except to use gluten free lasagna noodles as was making for a gf friend. It’s so good. I can confirm it freezes beautifully and I love how easy it is to throw together!
I made this as written last week, using farfalle and acorn squash. I wanted to love it and it probably would have been better with butternut. Same as many others have mentioned, the pasta on top was crunchy, like half cooked and then toasted.
Tonight I’m making a pasta-less version. The changes I’ve made are reduce water to 1/4 cup, omit pasta (of course), use kale instead of spinach, and keep the cheese levels the same (Deb suggested otherwise in response to a question about making it pasta free). Will update with cooking time and how it turns out once it’s out of the oven.
I’ll be awaiting.
I need a version without Pasta and didn’t have a clue how to go about it.
Turned out great. Baked it covered in foil for 20 minutes, uncovered for another 15. Definitely more of a side dish, but I ate it as dinner anyway. Love the addition of kale for more texture.
I made this today following the recipe exactly (yes, I weighed the salt!) except for subbing collard greens for the spinach since that’s what I had. It was DELICIOUS and I have 3 more butternut squashes that need to be used up that I can’t wait to use for this again. Next time I’ll try spinach.
I did end up cooking it with the cover on for 15 minutes longer than recommended since the top noodles still seemed crunchy and by the time the 90 minutes were up, everything was just perfect.
Would this work with fresh pasta? I found mafaldine from a local farm but it’s fresh frozen so the cooking time is obviously less than dried pasta.
Oh I love the spund of this recipe. Cannot wait to try it.
This looks amazing but my family don’t like ricotta. Could you recommend a substitute?
This looks wonderful. Do you know if it would work with GF pasta?
Thank you.
This looks/sounds scrumptious! I’m diabetic but can splurge a bit and share some. Question – in place of water, I assume broth (chicken or veggie) could be used? I just tend to use broth in place of plain water. I know I’ll need adjust salt, if I do.
You can use broth if you’d like.
If I were making this using a spiralizer and thin spagetti, would you suggest any changes to either the recipe or cooking time?
Thinking of substituting white bean for the pasta. Has anyone tried this? Any suggestions?
If you do it, you’ll want to skip most of the liquid as it’s there to cook the pasta.
I made this AMAZING dish for dinner tonight. My husband is working on his third helping. I’m making it as a side dish for dinner guests Saturday. What do you think about using gluten free pasta (one of my guests is GF)? It’s so delicious, I don’t want to “ruin” it by using an unusual ingredient.
I think it would be fine with GF noodles. Not sure if they need less water or cooking time, however.
Another winner! This is one of those “ur” recipes that can fiddled with. I had only half the grated cheese and used gluten free noodles- no problem. Looking forward to using different fall squashes. I must admit, there was a moment, as I madly chopped lots of spinach, combined everything in a bowl and poured it into the springform, yes a moment where the family was like “what is that?” and I gulped, “haven’t you ever seen a harvest bake before?” Now it’s cooling on the counter with somehow a large piece cut out of it! So yummy.
This looks amazing! If I were to make this a day in advance, refrigerate, and reheat in the oven the next day (at 350 as you recommended), about how long do you think it would take to fully reheat? 30 minutes? 45?
I’d give it 30 to 40 to be safe.
This is delicious! Definitely listen and double parchment the pan to prevent leaks. I was making this on a schedule and at the last minute realized the ricotta didn’t make it off the grocery list and into the house. I dolloped about a half a cup of sour cream instead and it worked out fine. I waited for an hour after taking it out of the oven and it came out beautifully and sat proudly. Very tasty, the red pepper flake and fresh sage play together well.
For chickpea pasta, comments are saying less water….. how much less?
We just finished this for dinner tonight, absolutely delicious. My husband said “This is a dish to make when you have guests over!” Measured the ingredients and made it to a T. Looking forward to making it again, soon…. I have some Fontina left over, wouldn’t want it to go to waste. ;)
Following other comments, I skipped some dairy aspects. I subbed tofu for ricotta, Mikonos brand vegan feta for the fontina, and kept parmesan. My very cheese-loving fiance agreed, this was delicious! I can’t wait for lunch leftovers today.
I made this with items I had on hand- kale instead of spinach, broken up lasagna noodles, ricotta, parm, and some cheddar blend. Also sprinkled some poultry seasoning since I didn’t have sage or thyme. It was phenomenal, but a tad dry and I wonder if it had something to do with using kale instead of spinach?
Looking forward to eating this all week for lunch— thanks for another great recipe!
If you baked it ahead of time and put it in the fridge, how long does it take to reward it at 350?
Do you cover in foil again?
Thank you!
I’m making this for a dinner party and am making ahead and keeping refrigerated until read to use. Do you have any suggestions for keeping this moist if making ahead/reheating? Would you serve with a butternut squash sauce or light tomato sauce on side?
Great idea with the butternut squash sauce! I made this last night and it was dry straight out of the oven (and even more dry reheated today for lunch!). I have some leftover butternut squash and puree it with some herbs and chicken stock to serve with the remaining leftovers.
To keep it softer on top, reheat it covered with foil. I do not think it needs sauce.
Made this for Sunday brunch this week and it was a huge hit! Loved being able to throw it in the oven and get on with other prep – made my morning much easier. My alterations: fontina is hard to find in my little town in Portugal (although we have an excellent cheesemonger) so I used an herbed Gouda that added some nice depth. I’m open to other cheeses…. I couldn’t find the red pepper flakes (turns out I was looking in the wrong spice cabinet), so I used pimenton d’espelette, which was delicious. I used 5 cloves of garlic, and husband said it could have used more, so next time, more. I have a parrot green cake stand, and the lovely fall colors of the bake against the green made for a perfect picture. This is a keeper – can’t wait to make it again.
I just made a double batch of this for a family get together this weekend, serving with green salad, good bread and sausages on the side.
My question is about reheating: covered with foil, or not? And temp for reheating?
It smells great, although a little too garlicky for my taste. Other people love garlic though so I’m hoping it will all be wonderful.
I’d reheat it at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes.
Thank you! It reheated perfectly and was really really good. Highly recommend this recipe, as written, for any large gathering or potluck or dish to share with a neighbor or friend.
I used the full amount of salt, Diamond Crystal, and it was just right.
Made it as written (including the 1 T of Diamond salt) and it was loved by all! Thanks once again for a family hit.
Made this today. Delicious. My hubby and I don’t really love the grittiness of ricotta, and I love a goat cheese + butternut squash pizza so decided to sub goat cheese for ricotta. We love the tang but I’m sure it changed the dish. I used a mandoline to cut the squash thinly and evenly which made it cook very nicely. We used a fun spiral type pasta from TJ’s (fusilli corti bucati) and it worked great.
I made this and it was very good, but also very rich. I’m wondering if the olive oil could be omitted. While I’m certainly not afraid of fat in cooking, this dish already has a substantial amount of fat from the cheese, so does it really need more? Has anyone tried it?
This makes 8 servings, so that’s 1 1/8 TEASPOONS of olive oil per serving. If I were making pasta with cheese and a sauce, I would probably actually use more than this.
Thanks but I was asking if anyone had tried it. As I said, not afraid of the fat, but I thought it was too rich for my taste. Also it definitely didn’t stretch to 8 servings in my house.
Just made this for dinner—I subbed some gluten-free lasagna sheets (no ruffled edges, so less glamorous) and tofu ricotta because our grocery store was out. It just came out of the oven and I can’t keep my hands off the crispy bits on top! This is delightful.
This was delicious! I made exactly as written, although here in the UK Fontina cheese isn’t readily available so I used Gruyère which worked brilliantly. Perfect for a cosy autumn dinner.
This was delicious. Would love to have nutritional information.
I saw Ottolenghi’s more complicated recipe in NYT and one of the comments directed me here. This is delicious. Subbed feta for fontina, used Lakota squash and both thyme and sage from my garden, spinach and kale, 5 medium garlic cloves, a couple teaspoons of chipotles in adobo sauce. Poured over a bit of whipping cream before baking. I think this would be great with sliced
potatoes subbed for pasta.
So good. Next time I will thinly slice the squash like you did in the pictures. I cubed it and it was kind of a mouthful. But the flavors – yum!
I made this is a 9×13 and cooked it for 40 minutes covered and 20 minutes uncovered, and it turned out really well. I used broken up lasagna noodles.
I made a double batch and gave one to my neighbor (which I regretted after we hoovered ours and didn’t have left overs). Not only was it soooo delicious, but soooo easy to make! From my 17-yr old: “this weird lasagna is AMAZING” – so “weird lasagna” has been added to my favorites notebook (along with your baked farro & summer vegetables, pumpkin bread, everyday meatballs, baked ziti, miso sweet potato bowl) and will make regular appearances this winter!
I don’t have a scale to weigh my spinach or squash. I hope to have one soon- but I have squash and spinach now and I want to make this recipe asap! I know it is not ideal, but can you suggest rough ‘cup’ equivalents?
I made this and loved it. But has anyone made this without cheese OR vegan cheese? I have a kiddo who doesn’t like either. Does anyone have suggestions for things that would help to hold it all together without using cheese, or does it hold together fine even without it?
I made this for dinner guests last night & it was heavenly! Took awhile to grate the cheeses & cut the squash, but definitely worth it.
Delicious. Subtle but flavorful, not too heavy, and oh so autumnal. Made per the recipe, but with half chard for spinach. I had a honeynut butternut squash, which is slightly darker orange and firmer, and perfect size. Full tablespoon of kosher salt, only 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes and yes the pasta cooks. Had debated halving the recipe since there are only two of us, but glad I didn’t because – well it is soooo good and there will still be leftovers. A 9×11 pan gave room for lots of crunchy pasta bits perfect for snitching.
What do you suggest convection or regular oven for this recipe?
What type of oven do you use for cooking, I have a bertazzoni master series range? Should I be altering temperature and/or time?
PS…your recipes are simply amaaaazzzzzing
Thanks for all the inspiration
I use a non-convection oven. In a convection oven, it can sometimes bake faster but not always, so just keep an eye on it. The pasta bake will be forgiving even if it goes a little long. I’m so glad that you’re enjoying the recipes.
I went the skillet route, which has to have been easier than lining a springform. I used a 10″ skillet and it was packed. I don’t know how a 9″ (as the recipe calls for) would have worked. I followed the recipe exactly (using delicata squash and less salt) but baked it for 75 minutes covered, 30 minutes uncovered, and then shut the oven off and left it in there for another 15 or so minutes while I finished making the rest of dinner. Obviously, servings were “piles” rather than wedges but that’s ok. I think I will incorporate a sharper cheese next time, but that’s the only change I would make.
This is literally the best thing I’ve ever made consistently. It’s easy, ALWAYS comes out perfectly, and it’s something people have never seen before at a dinner party. I would eat the whole thing myself if em given a chance. MAKE THIS IMMEDIATELY
I made this dish with swiss and mozzarella cheese (no fontina where I live) and gluten-free lasagna noodles and used an unglamorous 9 x 13 pan. The dish was great except that any noodles sticking out above the mixture were hard as a rock. Assuming the gluten-free noodles require a different technique, I made it again (lots of butternut squash in the garden this year), but this time I didn’t add the pasta to the mixture. I broke up the lasagna noodles in the bottom of the pan and poured everything over them to make sure the noodles were submerged, gave everything a couple of stirs to mix the pasta in well, and cooked. Perfection. BTW it’s even better the next day.
Any suggestions for converting to insta-pot?
How would whole grain pasta work here? Has anyone tried it?
I have made this twice in my (parchment paper lined) cast iron skillet and it is fabulous. It reheats beautifully so it’s a great time saver to make in advance. It’s a beautiful vegetarian main for the holiday table and the carnivores loved it too. Dear Deb, if you ever release a vegetarian cookbook please let me be first in line to purchase.
Don’t see water the water is added.
I made this for my Thanksgiving main dish this year while the rest of the family eats turkey. Everyone who had a bite raved about it. I followed the recipe exactly – but since there’s been so many comments about salt, I used 1 tsp table salt and found that to be perfect. I made it on Wednesday and then just reheated it Thursday afternoon. Thanks Deb!
I made this as a half recipe, as we are only 2 people. It came out great, although I used 3 oz, rather than 4 oz of pasta. The only suggestion I would make is to use broth rather than water and perhaps add mushrooms.
I was thinking of making this in muffin cups, for a small lunch buffet. I understand I will need to bake for less time and keep an eye on it. Anyone else try this?
Re baking them in a muffin cup, that’s a great idea.
I’d love to try it also in a jumbo muffin cup.
I’ll be following for tips and hints.
This recipe is AWESOME
Anyone ever try a version without the pasta? Would I need to reduce liquid somehow?
Warning! Do not attempt to crisp this under the broiler unless the parchment paper has been removed or is far away from the flames. I caught mine on fire briefly! Lesson learned.
Made this tonight with farro. Sauteed shallot and garlic in olive oil, added thyme and 1 cup farro (meant to add a bit of wine here but forgot) and about 2 cups broth plus a splash of water. Topped with sliced squash (didn’t peel). Simmered covered for about 20 minutes. Added cheeses, spinach, crushed red pepper. Covered and baked 15-20 min at 375 degrees. Removed lid and baked about 10 min. Excellent!!
I made this with Ottolenghi’s add-ins (feta, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, thyme, basil, nutmeg, chili, toasted pine nuts, grated tomato, spinach, butter nut squash. His listed 1 1/4tsp table salt was perfect) but SK directions for dry noodles-water and cooking. Broke up a box of Papardelli which worked well.
For speed to get on table- Use a mandoline, plop straight in a big Pyrex, and serve from Pyrex straight from oven. It was really good!
I would just like to say that this is one of my favorite things to eat or cook! My only feedback is that it is FANTASTIC with feta instead of fontina…. I love that combo! Otherwise I make it as Deb says. Thank you for this recipe!!!
A few notes:
-I am GF so I use Brown Rice Lasagna broken up and reduce water by 2 TLBSPs
-Use 2 tsp. non-Diamond Kosher Salt
-It took me 1 hour to assemble, cut thyme, etc, today, not including cutting the squash which I did yesterday. I think test cooks like Deb are just much faster than mere mortals- I always take longer than recipe prep times.
PS whoever wanted to microwave this was missing beautiful crunchable-ness which is, for me, the whole point!
I saw this recipe a year ago, thought it looked good and then never made it until this year for a simple Christmas dinner. Superb. I gave it the nickname “veggie bake” as its given name is too long to trip off the tongue in conversation. I did have trouble getting the parchment paper out from under. I use an unbleached, compostable parchment and no way will it just slide out. The edges tear off and leave the rest underneath. I finally used the bottom of my 10 inch spring form pan to flip it over so I could peel the parchment off the bottom and flip it back. I will be making this again. A perfect vegetarian (watch your cheese brands) potluck dish.
Wow this recipe was great! As I made it spur of the moment to use up ingredients, I used goat milk yogurt instead of ricotta and reduced the water amount some, and replaced the fontina with what was in the fridge. Also used frozen spinach. Turned out fantastic, will definitely make again!!
It took me nearly a year to get around to making this. It was so, so SO good. After one bite, my husband asked hopefully, “Did this make a lot?”
I made just one change because I am so lazy and have destroyed more than one knife and peeler wrestling with butternut squash — I bought fresh butternut squash “noodles” from the produce section at my grocery store and chopped them into smaller pieces. Worked like a charm.
I just put this in the oven. Have made it a couple of times & love it. Add just a little more liquid the noodles were not quite done enough for me. The only comment I have is to question the 15 minute prep time. I am 74 & have cooked most of my life – there is no way I can prep squash,shred & grate cheese,peel & slice garlic,sort & chop spinach – – – in 15 minutes! However,you are not alone in this. Many recipes underestimate prep time. 🥰
I had to laugh at this because as I made it for the third time last night I was thinking how ridiculous that 15 minute prep time is. I agree that a low prep time estimate is common. My belief is that it is accurate if the kitchen fairies peeled and chopped and measured everything and laid it out in bowls for you. Then you come in and yes, 15 minutes to get ready for the oven! Too bad our kitchens are not so staffed. Might be nice. Clean up elves would be welcome as well.
I can’t remember the last time I was so blown over after following a new recipe for the first time as much as I was when I realized this would be a perfect way to use up the rest of last week’s ricotta.
Yes, it took a long time to prep the ingredients, but I enjoyed cutting up those little squash tiles. It was so satisfying to unfasten the ring on my springform pan and transfer such a thing of beauty to a cake stand without incident. Mostly, however, it was a relief to find the pasta perfectly cooked and everything well seasoned. And that first bite through layers of squash, noodles, cheese, garlic and sage was bliss. I love winter squash with greens and sage, yet this was new.
Thank you so much for the wise modifications of Ottolenghi’s original dish, Deb!!!
Only recommendations to those contemplating the recipe: it might need another ten minutes in the oven to caramelize the top. Don’t skip the fresh sage, though the Parm can be reduced by ~ 65% if you use a microplane. Should you elect to transfer your bake from the pan to a cake stand, simply tear off parchment paper from one side, then gently pull on the opposite side of the parchment sheet to slide out most of the rest. Once you cut your first wedge, you can slip out whatever was left before taking yet another photo.
I’ve made this 2 years in a row and we loved it. The first time I made it as written. Last night I made it with what I had which meant using 1oz of kale bits languishing in vege drawer + spinach, scamorza cheese rather than fontina, and a bonus handful of fresh & soft mexican cheese. I had Sfoglini whole grain reginetti pasta. (I also have turmeric reginetti & I’m very curious how that would be. Next time!) I cleaned the kitchen & made phone calls while it baked. Yummy!
This was so delicious and easy! I only had half a cup of the Parmesan but still incredible. I used whole wheat fusilli. I will be making this again and again!
Easy and delicious!! Definitely going into the winter dinner rotation!
This was delicious and everything I hoped it would be. Boyfriend loved it, as well. Made a few ingredient subs (kabocha, herbs de provence) due to availability where I live but followed the recipe otherwise (including her salt recommendation) and it came out perfectly.
I followed the advice of other dutch ovens users and cooked it covered (no foil) for 1.5 hrs and uncovered for 30 min. Thank you for another wonderful recipe, Deb!
Loved this SO much and sharing my mods:
I didn’t have the right cheeses, so I blended one fresh mozzarella ball with a quarter cup of its water, plus the remaining cup of water, and about half a cup of parm and a tiny bit of a random hard cheese. I also added the seasoning and blitzed the egg in the blender too, since I was using it already. It was DELICIOUS, even with less cheese. The other good news is that it was not too wet at all and was able to be eaten immediately.
I also used mostly thawed and drained frozen spinach, which cooked really nicely.
I accidentally cooked it covered almost the whole time and didn’t do the olive oil on top (poured it over the vegetables before tossing).
Unglamorous casserole pan, too. The nutmeg is special – don’t skip!
I share all of this to say I think this recipe is bulletproof. Delicious and impossible to mess up.
This is heavenly. It’s a bit time consuming but totally worth every minute. I love leftovers because then I don’t have to cook every night and this is a superb leftover dinner. In fact for me, it’s an excellent breakfast, or lunch. My husband loves it also. The next pot luck dinner I attend I will be bringing this, it will be so easy to transport anywhere and just warm up.
This was excellent. I did make it in a 12×9 ceramic pan. Next time I will try it in a springform.
I and my partner really enjoyed this. I did change up some things but I think it would be great as written. What I did- i used 2% cottage cheese instead of roccotta, – loved that and I used a bit more almost a full container that it normally comes it. Next time I will just use the entire thing. I used 6 oz of spinach. I bough 1lb pre chopped butternut squash and did NOT chop it any more but did have to cook it longer. I had to add some more liquid and would add more next time to cook all the pasta on top. I added some broken up broccoli[ would add more next time]. I also I used 2 eggs instead on one. I did not use nutmeg but rather added onion powder. I was going to add mushrooms but they went bad but I think they would be good. I added some panko crumbs on top after it was pretty much done. I cooked mine in an enamled Dutch oven with the lid ON til the panko.
This recipe is delicious. I cooked it in my Dutch oven (coated bottom and sides with EVOO) and it came out easily without the muss and fuss of parchment paper and foil. If I were to make this for a dinner party or potluck, I would go to the trouble of the springform pan for presentation purposes. Definitely will make this again.
This is literally the best thing in the entire world. My husband and I make as often as possible without being weird. My goodness. It’s amazing. Do you have any recs for different veggie combos? We’d love to add another version to our recipe box! :)
What about putting arugula in this. Would it work?
Sure! The recipe is flexible.
I made this with gluten free pasta (brown rice tube shapes) and it worked great. I didn’t bother with the spring form pan and parchment paper. Just did it in a deep glass baking pan like I would with lasagna and it worked well.I will definitely make this again
This was fantastic! I always love your recipes but this one was outstanding.
This was pretty good. I was a little disappointed, to be honest, after many weeks of planning to make it and getting excited about it. First off, I subbed Greek yogurt for the ricotta because I wasn’t about to drive back to the store and I forgot it and I used a 12” cast iron as Deb says is possible to do. It was tasty and I liked the flavors and the overall experience… However… All of the pasta bits that weren’t tucked were raw / burnt so this is my advice to anyone who needs it: Tuck your Pasta!
I won a squash cook off party with this dish in the main course category! It did have some water leftover but I think it was because I didn’t let it rest long enough. It was very tasty and I will make it again. Thanks, Deb!
Hi – I made this exactly as written tonight and turned out beautifully. I will make it again with pasta but wanted to ask if you think it could also be made with rice. Maybe 1/2 – 3/4 cups of raw basmati rice instead of the 8 oz of pasta? Thanks.
That’s a great question Laurie,
I love rice and orzo far better than pasta.
I think this requires some experimentation
I too loved this recipe.
Hi – For those who want to use something other than pasta —
Made this tonight with farro. Sauteed shallot and garlic in olive oil, added thyme and 1 cup farro (meant to add a bit of wine here but forgot) and about 2 cups broth plus a splash of water. Topped with sliced squash (didn’t peel). Simmered covered for about 20 minutes. Added cheeses, spinach, crushed red pepper. Covered and baked 15-20 min at 375 degrees. Removed lid and baked about 10 min. Excellent!!
Orzo *is* pasta, and I’m confident it would work in this. I am less sure on rice, but if it is white rice, I think it’s pretty likely it would work. If you try it, please do report back!
Can it be made with less cheese? That’s a lot of dairy.
The recipe is for 8 servings, so that’s 2 Tablespoons each of ricotta, parmesan, and fontina. Does that still seem like a lot of cheese? It doesn’t seem like a lot to me. That being said, I think the ricotta is the most essential to the dish coming out correctly, and you could reduce the other two. If so you’d probably want to add more salt.
hi! I”m making this tomorrow and the pasta I have around is small – fun shaped ‘macaroni’ mix of pinwheels/shells/twists from trader joes – any reason this would not work?
I used farfalle (bow ties) and it worked fine, came out al dente. I think the important part is to make sure that you do not use more than 8 oz of dried pasta as the pasta to liquid ration will be too high.
I can’t eat spinach. What do giunthunk about substituting arugula? Not fond of kale.
I suggest Swiss chard as a substitute,
Can you substitute zucchini?
Based on a fairly superficial read of Naomi Duiguid’s latest on salt, I think that weight is the best common measure of salt. So 6 g of kosher salt = 6 g of table salt or any other salt. This cuts through the fluff, so to speak. Jewelers’ scales are very cheap on Amazon.
I have this in the oven now. I’m a little worried because I’m one of those home cooks who does not have a kitchen scale, and so I guesstimated some of the measurements. I also made some tweaks to us what I had (kale chopped quite thin instead of spinach, honeynut instead of butternut squash, Kaizen high protein ziti smashed a bit, no fontina) so any problems are fully my own. But the idea of a vegetarian squash/pasta/greens mix could not be passed up on this cold Seattle night when the world is too much with us. Thanks, Deb.
This looks great! I want to try this with fresh pasta. Any suggestions on adjusting the water?
Not Deb but she links the original recipe in the first paragraph. It’s made with NO water, but has tomatoes. Spinach releases a lot of moisture as it cooks, so with fresh pasta, I don’t think you need any water. At most, maybe a splash to replace the water from the tomatoes.
Do I think I could swap tomato sauce for ricotta-I know different consistencies.
This sounds SO good! Could add some sausage crumbles or cooked pancetta/bacon. Yum.
Ok! I just made this and it’s out of the oven. Looks and smells gorgeous. I may have poked around a bit and while it seems like the pasta pieces inside are cooked, the ones on the top are just like eating dry pasta – hard and not fun-crunchy. I used small macaroni =esque shapes, maybe I should have gone with exactly what you used? I dont know. not sure how this can be avoided. It looks so good!
I also used kosher salt that wasn’t diamond so I did half a tbsp per your warning; seems ok so far.
Hmmm, I was expecting to be wowed by this and was hoping to make for thanksgiving but it only turned out just OK.
I used whipped full fat cottage cheese in place of ricotta – I use this sub regularly because ricotta is so expensive and usually it works just fine.
I subbed sharp cheddar for the fontina because that’s what I had.
Oddly enough I easily found the ribbon pasta in gluten free by jovial and it wasn’t great- on top it was too crispy to chew ( like tooth-breakingly crispy) and inside it was too soft.
I baked in 9×13 dish.
Maybe I’ll try again with regular pasta and try and find my spring form pan!
I kind of think I might reduce the pasta and use more spinach next time.
Made this tonight. Delicious! Will definitely make it again. Can’t wait until next family get together, this is what I will be bringing.. Thanks for the recipe.
I’ve posted my opinion on this recipe. And I have read other opinions. If you use different ingredients, you will get different results period, so please use the ingredients that are listed. Make the recipe then you can tweak it and have an opinion. This recipe as it was listed is absolutely delicious. If you take it out of the oven and you let it set for thirty minutes and then cut and serve it’s perfect.
Could I cut the recipe in half and bake in an 8×8 pan (there’s just two of us)? I’m pretty sure I know the answer to this but just wondering if anyone has done this
Reporting back: I halved the recipe and baked in a 8×8 pan. Kept the whole egg. Worked great! Was a little watery but I was compensating for using whole wheat penne. Anyone else have problems with the cheese “breaking “ (turning a little grainy)? I’ll definitely be trying this again!
This sounds wonderful! Will make it this week for sure!
Has anyone added tomatoes or pine nuts? If so how much?
Thanks…
Just made this and would make it again! I used a greased 9×13 pan, broken lasagna noodles and baked for 75 minutes covered and 15 uncovered. I used 15 oz of ricotta with 2 eggs and would do the same again. I also added 4 sliced scallions. What I wouldn’t do again is increase the garlic. I know! It was over powering – maybe because I chopped them in the food processor instead of slicing? I did weigh the salt and then took away a teaspoon. Seriously delicious and perfect for veg main dish.
I made this with kale, acorn squash, broken lasagna noodles, and garlic-infused olive oil instead of garlic cloves. (My family has GERD, and this trick really helps.) Dinner was OK, but the noodles on top were hard. As leftovers, though? Holy moly! The flavors melded, the noodles softened, and everyone was happy. I’ll be making this again.
I found that to be true also! next day: perfection.
(It was a big hit on the night even with the crunchies)
Made this for the first time tonight and was blown away! Even my husband who usually grumbles a bit about vegetarian dinners couldn’t stop complimenting the meal. Only sub I made was delicata squash in place of butternut. Definitely a make again recipe!
I made this exactly as written and it was fantastic! I used lasagna sheets which I broke up. The taste was so good! I highly recommend this dish!
Made exactly as written. Perfection. Delicious make-ahead dish.
I made this last night and it was excellent. Very easy to put together and everyone polished it off!
This was sooo unbelievably delicious! I didn’t have Fontina so I used Gruyère cheese. It came out perfectly and the leftovers are to die for. I highly recommend making this recipe!
This is really good. I halved it for the two of us. We live at 5 thousand feet so it took 2 hours to be completely done. The only changes I made were to use the whole egg, instead of halving it, and chickpea rotini pasta, because it’s what we usually eat. Looking forward to the leftovers and to making it again.
I started making this last night and found out my butternut squash had gone bad! I ended up substituting a can of pumpkin puree (it’s the only thing I could think of) and it worked beautifully! I was so happy with the results – wanted to share because it also made it quite a bit quicker to pull together :-)
Made this today with minor tweaks; I added spring onions to the mix, used cottage cheese rather than ricotta, and seasoned with an herbes de provence mixture. It was incredible. Will be riffing on this all winter with the stuff from our farm share. Thank you!
I’d just been burned by the NYT’s Butternut Pasta Bake which was a flavorless fail, so I was super dubious about this. HA – just exquisite, even with all the swaps I made.
I used delicata squash b/c all of our butternut was used in the aforementioned recipe fail; I used frozen spinach; we used Trader Joe’s Cascatelli pasta b/c it felt like the closest to a lasagna noodle in my pantry; and we also used TJ’s Fontinella cheese rather than fontina (maybe they’re the same?).
Anyway, this dish was smashing and just divine. I forgot the red pepper flakes and regretted it as the heat would have been nice; we just used a ton of fresh black pepper instead. Making it again this week for sure and I’m excited to add onions (onions and cheese, yum) as well as experimenting with other winter veg.
AMAZING!! Followed the directions exactly and it was delicious! Thanks Deb!
Wow, Deb, you killed it with this one. bravo!
This has been on my Thanksgiving table for a few years and it is DELICIOUS. Question about freezing — should I pre-bake, or freeze uncooked?
This recipe is a winner! I admit to having taken some liberties, I added two sliced, caramelized onions and I substituted 3 oz of broccoli rabe for the 5 oz of spinach. (And I may have doubled the garlic.) But I think this casserole can stand up to a few riffs and variations, it was delicious.
This was amazing! My daughter and I ate more than 1/2 just the 2 of us for dinner! We did not get to uncover it, still turned out great!
This was such a wonderful recipe and definitely a “trust the process” one. I wouldn’t change a thing – it came out wonderful and was the perfect vegetarian main for our friendsgiving.
This was fantastic. Happened to have some stray leftover prosciutto in the fridge so I threw a layer of that on top but under the remaining parmesan. Don’t know if it made it better, but it worked great.
This recipe is amazing. I made it exactly as directed, and it’s delicious. I actually find it fun to make. I confess I usually make it in my lasagna pan, foregoing the springform glamour, but it’s still beautiful and a crowd-pleaser. The leftovers are excellent. Thank you, Deb!
I have now made this twice and want to share the text I just got from my husband after he ate the leftovers for lunch: “That pasta dish was so good I am sad that it’s all gone. Oh my god it was so f**king good.” First time made the recipe as it is, the second time I had tons of broccoli to use up so used in place of the squash. 10/10 each time. My family loved it!
Delicious. However, next time I’ll omit the red pepper flakes, and use real sage (I used dried). Also, I think roasted garlic in place of the sliced raw garlic might give better flavor for my taste buds….or powdered garlic.
To everyone who gets hard unbaked noodles on top, you gotta REALLY press down the mixture into the tin. And press it again if you remove the foil and have hard bit sticking out! (I used a wooden spoon to just poke down the pasta under the liquid).
If you are refrigerating it for the next day, do you take it out of the pan?
I do, yeah, because the parchment paper is greasy. I just let it cool in the fridge for a bit and then transfer to a plate. Note – the chili is always stronger the next day. Which is pleasant to me with a medium spice tolerance but for my family – who have NO spice tolerance – they would have found it unpleasantly spicy. Just something to beware of.
followed the recipe to a tee. broke up lasagna noodles and cooked in a 10.5-inch dutch oven using the lid instead of foil. it turned out perfectly! friends and my toddler all loved it.
This was fantastic. Freezes well a great take to office lunch. I used a gram scale to be exact. Cut garlic really thin still had a kick after baking 90 mins.
I wanted to love this dish, but it was so bland 😢 It also needed another 30-45 minutes of covered cook time (the squash was soft, but undercooked) and another 30 minutes uncovered (was very wet). Maybe with some tweaks it would be better.
This recipe is a keeper. I wasn’t sure what to expect looking at the list of ingredients, even though the reviews here were glowing. Flavor wise, it reminds me of a very tasty and healthy vegetable pizza or lasagna.
I used a dutch oven with lid and parchment paper as recommended by some here. I also added in two chopped plum tomatoes like the Ottolenghi version to cut the richness of the cheese (fontina and parmesan). I left out the nutmeg, because I didn’t have any. I used both fresh sage and thyme, leftover from Thanksgiving. I didn’t use them together, but I made half with sage and the other half with thyme and then cooked them in the same container. Honestly, I like both versions. The thyme is more neutral whereas the sage you can taste. The sage isn’t overpowering which I feared would be the case. In all, I look forward to making this again. Thanks, Deb, for another great recipe.
i just finished making it for the SIXTH time
Truly amazing! This is such a tasty and comforting dish. I wouldn’t change a thing, prepared exactly as written. This would be a great vegetarian meal served casually or as a holiday dinner.
Made this for Christmas Eve dinner -so delicious. Added pine nuts on the top when I uncovered it for the final 30 minutes – gave it a nice little crunch. Impressive with so little effort!
I just made this for the second time. Both times, I baked in a parchment-lined dutch oven, and I can’t see an advantage to using a springform pan when it lifts out so easily and there’s no danger of leaking. This time I followed the suggestion to use the full container of ricotta to avoid waste. The only difference seemed to be that it didn’t brown as well and needed about 5 minutes under the broiler. It set up perfectly both times (rested 30 minutes). I used 7 grams of Diamond kosher salt, and my taster who is very sensitive to salt didn’t complain. To speed prep time, I used precut squash, bagged spinach and a food processor to slice squash and grate cheese. Winter comfort food at its best. Thanks for a great recipe!
Would it work to sub the squash for mushrooms? And if so, can they also go in the oven uncooked?
Delicious! Made it the first time for Book Club tonight. Everyone raved. Thanks for these recipes consistently being so good and dependable, Deb. Xx
WOW! I used a combination of raw spaghetti squash, sweet potato, butternut squash and the spinach. Next time adding carmelized onions!! Used 1/2 T salt, GF rotini pasta, added garlic powder and onion powder, would cut the sage, parm and mozzarella. LOVED it and going back for seconds now!
Deb, this recipe is amazing, especially with my home-grown butternut squash! Made exactly as written. I used Sfoglini Reginette as you suggest but mine was whole grain not white flour. Both times the pasta on the top was uncooked and very crispy. I made it in a deep 9×12 baking dish and followed your cover/uncover directions exactly. I really want to make it for my vegetarian Thanksgiving this year but I’d love some input on the crispy noodles on the top. Maybe use white flour pasta? Thanks! And love the new podcast!
I’m not Deb, but I think your baking dish may be too wide and flat and so too much surface area. I’ve made this several times with the Sfogolini whole grain reginette as well as the rye trumpets, but always in the springform pan. I think the thicker depth with smaller surface works great. I also make sure the top noodles are pushed down a bit in the sauce and the parchment edges are folded over onto the noodle surface (under the aluminum foil). I don’t add any additional liquid for the whole grain noodles. If you’re going to make it in a flatter wider baking dish, then maybe a bit extra liquid or extra ricotta may help.
Hi Andrea, thanks so much for your suggestions, and they all make perfect sense. Less surface area is good. And I didn’t use parchment because I baked in a casserole but I can see that the parchment overlapping the top of the springform pan will help a lot. And pushing down the top noodles makes sense! Thanks so much!
I had to make this in two small casseroles because my oven is broken and I am using a toaster oven. After assembling I did not think it was going to work! I added some more water to each one, but it still looked like a jumbled mess sticking half out of the liquid. After an hour in the toaster oven it was soft, creamy and delicious! I absolutely loved it and it was so easy. I did not have fontina so I used a melty cheddar and I used blanched kale instead of spinach, used mozzerella on top in stead of more parmesan. Still turned out wonderfully.
I was feeling lazy and not super worried about it looking pretty so I skipped the bowl and springform and threw everything in my 5.5 qt dutch oven together, and it came out delicious! I’ll definitely have to try it soon with a different blend of cheeses or different greens for the sake of experiment (definitely not because I just want to make it again immediately because it’s so good).
I’d seen the comments about uncooked pasta at the top layer, so I made sure to press any noodles that were sticking out down into the mix a little more and only had one or two little bites that were a wee bit crunchier than I like, which is better success than I’ve had with some pre-cooked pasta bakes, frankly.