Butternut Squash & Spinach Pin Wheel Lasagna
These lasagna pin-wheels are filled with not one but two delicious fillings. A butternut squash and spinach and cheese filling get wrapped up with the silkiest pasta sheets & smothered in a creamy cheesy sauce. Talk about heaven in a bite.
Butternut Squash & Spinach Pinwheel Lasagna
These Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups are heavenly and one of my favorite things I have ever made. The pinwheels are packed with veggies and autumn flavors, and smothered with a dreamy cheese sauce. These are decadent and cozy. Perfect for Sunday dinner or even to serve on a holiday.
You could make everything from scratch and I have included the steps to do so. However, if you want to make these pinwheels without all of the fuss of making pasta and a butternut squash puree I have options to cut the prep time down!
If you do want to make your own pasta, the fillings and sauce homemade, I recommend breaking the steps up a little bit and making the pasta the night before as well as one or both fillings. The next day all you have to do is roll out the pasta, layer your fillings roll up and cut.
To Make the Fillings & Sauce - You'll Need
Mornay Sauce: A mornay sauce is similar to a béchamel except it has cheese in it. This version includes shallots and garlic adding extra flavor.
- Butter
- Shallot: 1 large shallot, chopped.
- Garlic: 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- Flour: 1/4 cup of AP flour to make a roux to thicken the sauce.
- Milk: Whole milk is recommended to make it thick and creamy.
- Nutmeg: Because cream sauces need nutmeg.
- Parmigiano Reggiano: Parmesan works here too.
Spinach & Cheese Filling
- Spinach: 11 oz of fresh spinach or 7 oz frozen spinach. You will need about a cup of spinach when squeezed of excess water.
- Mozzarella Cheese: I always recommend buying the block and grating it yourself because it melts better compared to the pre grated kind.
- Ricotta Cheese: Whole or Part Skim works.
- Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese: We use it in the spinach and cheese mixture and mornay sauce. Parmesan works here too.
- Nutmeg: It adds that little back note that is just so good and comforting. Fresh grated is best but dried is fine.
Butternut Squash Filling:
- Butternut Squash Puree: Peel, cube and roast the squash until fork tender. Then puree in a food processor or blender.
- Mornay Sauce: We are going to use some of the creamy sauce that we made to mix into the butternut squash.
Make the Mornay Sauce
- Sweat the Shallots & Garlic: In a medium pot over medium heat, melt the butter and sweat the shallots for about 5 min. Add the garlic for 1 more minute.
- Warm the milk until it is steaming. You can either do this in the microwave in intervals, stirring between or in a pot on low heat.
- Flour: Sprinkle the flour over the butter and shallots and stir together. Cook for a few minutes.
- Milk & Nutmeg: Gradually add the milk a little at a time while continuing to whisk. Bring to a simmer over medium-low – medium heat and cook until it thickens. Add about 1/4 tsp of nutmeg as it is simmering.
- Cheese: Turn off the heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheese. As the sauce cools it will thicken a little bit more.
Make the Butternut Squash Filling
- Roast the Butternut Squash. Peel, remove seeds and cube the butternut squash. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes.
- Puree: Blend the roasted squash in a food processor or blender until smooth.
- Combine 1 cup of the Mornay and 1 cup of the butternut squash puree. Whisk to combine.
Make the Spinach and Cheese Mixture
- Blanch the spinach. In a pot of boiling water submerge the spinach for 1-2 minutes until it wilts and turns bright great.
- Ice Bath: Immediately put the blanched spinach into an ice bath to stop the cooking.
- Squeeze: Using a clean kitchen towel (that does not shed) squeeze as much of the excess liquid from the spinach.
- Blend: In a food processor combine the spinach, mozzarella, ricotta, parmigiano reggiano and nutmeg. Blend until smooth.
If you want to make homemade pasta and are looking for a recipe click the link above!
Assemble the Lasagna Roll Ups
- Preheat the oven to 400°
- Cook dried lasagna noodles: Boil the dried fresh lasagna noodles for 2 minutes. Remove using soft grip tongs to prevent them from ripping and lay them out flat. If using store bought, follow the directions on the box to cook to al dente.
- If using fresh soft pasta sheets there is no need to boil first. They will absorb liquid from the sauce.
- Layer:
- Spread one of the prepared fillings over a cooked lasagna noodle.
- Layer another cooked sheet of pasta on top.
- Spread the other prepared filling over top.
- Roll & Cut: Starting at a short end, roll it up into a log. Cut into 3-4 even pieces.
- Baking Dish: Arrange the spirals in a baking sheet cut side up.
- Cheese Sauce: Pour the cheese sauce evenly over the pin wheels.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. Optional to sprinkle more mozzarella and parmesean cheese on top halfway through baking.
Short Cuts
By using store bought, already prepared ingredients, we can turn this into an easy weeknight meal. The store-bought items you can substitute are:
- Lasagna Noodles: Save time making and rolling out pasta sheets and by store bought. Cook them as directed by the manufacturer until al dente.
- If using fresh soft pasta sheets there is no need to boil first. They will absorb liquid from the sauce.
- NOTES: You may only be able to cut them in 2 pieces once rolled into a log. I’m not sure the total amount you’ll need. Once I try that route I’ll update this section.
- If using fresh soft pasta sheets there is no need to boil first. They will absorb liquid from the sauce.
- Frozen Spinach: Save time blanching the spinach and buy frozen. You will have to unthaw it and still squeeze out all of the excess liquid. You’ll want about 1 cup of spinach once wrung out.
- Frozen Butternut Squash Puree: Save time prepping the butternut squash and roasting it and buy it completely done for you. Just unthaw and use 1 cup of the puree for the butternut squash filling.
- Alfredo Sauce: Save time making the cheese sauce and buy a pre-made bottle to use instead!
Servings: 4
Equipment
- 1 Pasta Maker Counter Top or Attachment with Stand Mixer
- 1 Food Processor Blender
- 1 Medium Pot
- 1 Sieve
- 2 Medium Bowls
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Liquid Measuring Cup
- 1 Kitchen Scale for measuring out flour & eggs to make pasta
Ingredients
FILLINGS & SAUCE
- 1 cup Frozen Spinach unthawed and squeezed of excess liquid (about 7 oz frozen spinach)
- 3/4 Cup Ricotta
- 3/4 Cup Mozzarella grated
- 1/3 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- 1/8-1/4 tsp Nutmeg
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 Cup Butternut Squash Puree
- 1 Large Shallot chopped
- 3 Cloves Garlic chopped
- 6 Tbsp Butter
- 1/4 Cup AP Flour
- 4 Cups Whole Milk warm
- 1 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese grated
- Lasagna Noodles 6 fresh pasta sheets, cut in half for 12 or 12-18 store bought
Instructions
MAKE THE CHEESE SAUCE
- SWEAT THE SHALLOTS & GARLIC: In a medium pot over medium heat, melt the butter and sweat the shallots for about 5 min. Add the garlic for 1 more minute.
- FLOUR: Sprinkle the flour over the butter and shallots and stir together. Cook for a few minutes.
- MILK & NUTMEG: Gradually add the milk a little at a time while continuing to whisk. Bring to a simmer and cook until it thickens. Add about 1/4 tsp of nutmeg as it's simmering.
- CHEESE: Turn off the heat and stir in 1 cup of parmigiano reggiano cheese. As the sauce cools it will thicken a little bit more.
MAKE THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH FILLING
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine 1 cup of the cheese sauce with 1 cup of the butternut squash puree.
MAKE THE SPINACH & CHEESE FILLING
- SQUEEZE OUT EXCESS LIQUID: Using a clean kitchen towel (that doesn't shed) squeeze as much of the excess liquid from the thawed spinach.
- BLEND: In a food processor combine the spinach, mozzarella, ricotta, parmigiano reggiano and nutmeg. Blend until smooth.
ASSEMBLE THE PIN WHEELS & BAKE
- PREHEAT the Oven to 400°
- COOK NOODLES: Boil dried lasagna noodles for 2 minutes if using fresh pasta. If using store bought follow the instructions from the manufactured for al dente. NO COOK OPTION: If the noodles are fresh and soft lasagna sheets, skip the step of boiling. They will absorb moisture from the sauce when cooked.
- LAYER: Lay out a cooked lasagna noodle and spread a layer of the butternut squash filling overtop. Lay another cooked lasagna noodle overtop and then spread the spinach filling overtop that one. Starting at a short end, roll up it up and cut it into 3-4 pieces.
- BAKE: Place in a baking dish spiral side up and pour the rest of the cheese sauce over the pin wheels. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until bubbling and just starting to brown. (Optional) Sprinkle more mozzarella cheese and parmigiano reggiano to bake. NO COOK NOODLE OPTION: Cover with foil for the first 25–30 minutes of baking. This will trap the moisture and allow the noodles to cook in the sauce.Uncover the foil for the last 10-15 minutes to allow the top to brown and the sauce to thicken slightly.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!