So here’s the thing. I like lasagne. I like summer squash. But I hate overcooked squash, and I have yet to eat a lasagne with squash that wasn’t a little only slimy side. So I decided to make up my own version, using ribbons of barely cooked squash and it actually turned out pretty well. You will note this is a recipe that is not a dessert and does not feature a pork product of any kind. Or any meat. We have been trying to scale back on the meat a bit. Not that I won’t be back to my bacony ways shortly. Oh I will. And if you are an all scratch all the time person, forgive me. I use a bottled sauce and pre-sliced cheese.

You will need:

4 cups-ish of ribboned squash. I made ribbons with a vegetable peeler, but you could also just slice it really thin.
1 T butter
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
freshly ground pepper
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10 oz part skim ricotta
1/2 C finely chopped basil
2/3 C grated pecorino romano
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper
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1 box no cook lasagne noodles
1 bottle Butternut Squash Tomato Sauce – I find it at Cosco or World Market
1 packages sliced provolone cheese
1 round fresh mozzarella, sliced thinly

Preheat oven to 350

Melt butter in a skillet and sautee garlic until it smells good. Add the squash ribbons and cook briefly. And I mean briefly – just long enough that they start to soften so they are easier to distribute. Do Not Overcook. Unless you like that sort of thing. Season with pepper.

Combine ricotta and next 4 ingredients in a bowl, mixing well. Season to taste.

Start your layers. A thin layer of sauce on the bottom of your lasagna pan, followed by the first layer of noodles. Spread thinly with ricotta mixture, then 1/2 or 1/3 of the squash (depending on how many layers you want), then tomato sauce, and then provolone.  I usually do a second layer exactly like this (minus the first round of sauce), a third layer of noodles, sauce, and finally the fresh mozzarella. The trick is to get the right proportions of cheesiness to sauciness. Bake for 30 minutes covered, and another 15 -20 minutes uncovered or until bubbly. Enjoy!