Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese, and Sage, oh my!

So I made this for a Christmas party one year and it was a big hit. My sister Katie loves it! I found it on a great site called Fine Cooking. They have great make ahead recipes for parties and the site in general is just great! I have found many great recipes using it. So I have the link and recipe below for you!

I will say that every time I have made it I can always use more of the bechamel/cheese sauce. So just fyi double that part or just be prepared to make a about a half batch more. Also I used Barilla no boil lasagne and it worked out just great! Another short cut is you can buy the the butternut squash already cut up and just roast it that way.

Sorry I don't have a matching photo! I am without a cellphone, can you imagine? So no instagrams and ect. :(....Plus a lot of people were asking for it, so I wanted to honor the requests!


http://www.finecooking.com/

1 large butternut squash (about 3 lb.), halved lengthwise and seeded 
2 medium cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 sprigs fresh thyme plus 2 tsp. chopped leaves  
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil 
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 Tbs. unsalted butter  
2 sprigs fresh sage plus 1 tsp. chopped leaves 
1-1/8 oz. (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour 
3 cups whole milk 
1-1/4 cups crumbled fresh goat cheese (4 oz.) 
1 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano (2 oz.) 
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg 
1/4 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs or panko 
1 recipe Fresh Pasta for Lasagne

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Roast the squash and garlic Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F.
Put the squash cut side up on a large, heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet. Put 1 garlic clove and 1 sprig of thyme in each cavity. Drizzle each half with 1 tsp. of the oil and then season each with 1/4 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper. Roast until the squash is browned in spots and very tender when pierced with a skewer, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Discard the thyme sprigs. Peel the garlic and put in a large bowl. Scoop the squash flesh from the skins and add it to the garlic. Mash with a fork until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

Make a goat cheese and sage sauce Melt 4 Tbs. of the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the sage sprigs and cook until the butter is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Discard the sage. Add the flour and whisk until smooth and golden, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Stir in the goat cheese, 1/2 cup of the pecorino, the nutmeg, 1 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Season to taste with more salt and pepper. Set aside 1-1/2 cups of the sauce and mix the rest with the mashed squash.

Season the breadcrumbs Melt the remaining 1 Tbs. butter in a small skillet over medium heat. In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, chopped sage, chopped thyme, a pinch of salt, and few grinds of pepper. Add the melted butter and mix well.

Assemble and bake the lasagne Spread 1/2 cup of the reserved cheese sauce over the bottom of a 9x13x3-inch baking dish. Cover the sauce with a slightly overlapping layer of cooked noodles, cutting them as needed to fill any gaps. Spread 1 cup of the squash mixture evenly over the noodles. Add another layer of noodles and repeat the layers as instructed above, to make a total of 4 squash layers and 5 pasta layers. Spread the remaining 1 cup cheese sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup pecorino.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top is browned and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.