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Creamy Butternut & Kale Lasagna

Creamy Butternut & Kale Lasagna

One thing about me is that the older I get, the more I love adding vegetables to something that is mostly cheese and pasta. They, of course, add nutritional value, but more importantly to me, add lots of bright flavor and body to balance out almost any volume of cheese. In this case, I find that freshly steamed butternut squash adds incredible, silky texture and sweet, earthy flavor to the usual bechamel sauce, and a skillet full of garlicky, spicy sautéed kale breaks through the richness of the cheese and the sauce. Of course, this IS lasagna, so there’s still a solid four-plus cups of salty, melty mozzarella cheese and sharp, tangy pecorino. I love using the oven-ready lasagna noodles here; they bake up perfectly in the oven, and save lots of time since lasagna already naturally has so many other elements before you can even begin assembly. Like most baked pastas, this one somehow tastes even better on day two or three, so it’s perfect for entertaining since it can be made the day before! And if you’d rather have it fresh and bubbling out of the oven, it can be assembled the day before and baked the day of. Serve it with a simple salad or green veggie, and your guests will never know how easy it was!