Summer Squash Lasagna
Highs of last week - sneaking in a little weekend trip in to Santa Rosa that included lots of date-nights and sweet moments with Jordan, running a speedy half marathon, & being home in time to enjoy Labor Day weekend at our own house. Currently sneaking in an end of the day glass of rosé with Walter on the lounge chair next to me, and here at home with our dogs is exactly where I want to end the Summer.
We did get our final little Summer trip in for the half marathon we had plotted out. Our “active vacation” in Santa Rosa + excuse to sneak in a quick trip to wine country. But very typical us - no good wine was had and wineries were visited, and I feel like that’s something I need to hide to myself. But my recap of Santa Rosa is simple - a great place to go for a short amount of time. Like I told Jordan - we saw the downtown like 6 times in the matter of 2 days, I didn’t really feel the need to see it again. Very cute and perfect for a short trip. Just not a ton to do, a little sleepy, but great spots to grab a beer and enjoy a yummy dinner. And honestly when we leave town, exploring a new restaurant scene is the ultimate high for us. This little trip included a pizza date-night at a very on theme Italian restaurant + our first time eating at a Michelin star restaurant (at least I think it was our first). And our vacation favorite - post dinner ice cream cones. It was sweet + kind of romantic + got us out of our element enough to have good date-nights and quite a bit of fun.
The reason for the trip was running the Santa Rosa half, & honestly, I fucking love traveling somewhere cute for a half marathon. Our most quoted saying between the two of - “halves are fun.” And they are super fun! They are pretty short and sweet, aren’t as overwhelming as a full, and, my personal favorite part, you don’t need to stress so much about dinner + “eating safe” the night before. It’s relaxed, and I can’t say I have the same level of chill when we’ve traveled for some of these fulls. This time around, we went out for pizza and n/a beers the night before. Something we’d do half marathon of not. That wouldn’t have been the experience if this was a full. A far different, more anxiety coated experience would have been had. We had fun, we were relaxed, and it was an ideal weekend away.
But in true Summer fashion, I was eager to get home and SPRINT to my garden to check on my squash. And what do you know? More squash! Obsessed! And in the spirit of treating my garden squash with the utmost respect, it was time to dive into Summer Squash Lasagna. I have been waiting for the right time to incorporate my squash into a true project meal, and this was it. I swapped out regular lasagna noodles for thinly sliced squash (got a new mandolin + all), and layered in a nice ricotta mix, cauliflower rice, and caramelzed onions. It was loaded with so many veggies + garden herbs, and had a true lasagna feel. To be clear, by true lasagna feel I mean it actually held up and could be sliced + served in individualized pieces that legit looked like lasagna. The miracle I was hoping for achieved!
Such a good dinner that on this particular Friday night kept us full + fueled during Summer pickling, and was the perfect “squash showcase” meal for our pickles. A delight!
For the red sauce (make a day ahead of time)
3 tbsp EVOO
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1-28 oz. can diced tomatoes
salt + pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
For the squash lasagna
1 1/2 c. ricotta
1 c. + 1/4 c. shredded mozzarella
1 egg
3 Summer squash, thinly sliced with a mandolin
2 tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp EVOO
1-12 oz package of riced cauliflower
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
2 heaping tbsp fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
salt + pepper
prepared pesto + red pepper flakes for garnish
ciabatta or a crusty baguette for serving
Start by making the sauce. Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add in the EVOO + garlic, cooking for just a minute. Add in the tomatoes + seasoning, stir, bring to a simmer, and let the tomatoes simmer for 4-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover, & cook on low for 60-70 minutes. Stir the tomatoes every 20 minutes or so. When done cooking, let the sauce cool in the pan uncovered, and then transfer to a sealed container and place in the fridge overnight.
Now time to make the lasagna. Place the sliced squash on a paper towel lined baking tray, and let it sit to absorb some of that moisture.
Move to making the ricotta mixture. Whisk together the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozz, and egg. Season with a pinch of black pepper. Cover + set aside in the fridge.
Place one saute pan over medium heat + add the butter. Once melted, add in the onion and saute over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, stirring regularly (making sure nothing burns or becomes charred). Reduce to the heat to low and continue to cook for another 30 minutes, stirring every 8-10 minutes.
Simultaneously place a Dutch oven over medium heat with the EVOO. Once warm, add in the cauliflower and stir. Cook for 7-8 minutes. Add in all of the herbs and a pinch of salt + pepper, and on continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Add in the prepared sauce + a pinch of red pepper flakes, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low + continue to cook for 15-20 minutes. The cauliflower should be tender & fully cooked. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cook slightly.
When the onions + cauliflower have fully cooked, it’s time to assemble the lasagna. Preheat the oven to 400. In a large ceramic baking dish, drizzle in a small amount of EVOO and lay a single layer of squash over the bottom. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the squash, than add half of the carmelized onions + half of the cooked cauliflower on top. Create another single layer of squash over the top of the cauliflower, and repeat by layering with the remainder of the ricotta, onion, and cooked cauliflower. Finish by sprinkling the left over mozzarella over the top. Cover the top with foil + bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes - cheese should be metled + lightly browned.
When the lasagna is done cooking, garnish it with some lovely pesto + some red pepper flakes (we love it a little spiced up), and serve alongside some crusty bread. Ideal veggie lasagna + so so tasty.
Tip: This is a total make ahead meal. I assembled ours a day ahead since I knew Friday would be jam-packed and no cooking in the kitchen would be ideal, so I did it all except for the final bake the afternoon prior. I event made the sauce 2 days prior while we watchedIt help up great in the fridge + was so so yummy all said + done.
