A cosy, comforting butternut squash lasagna layered with fresh pasta, creamy béchamel, Italian sausage and melting Taleggio. This dish combines autumnal flavours—sweet squash, sage and rosemary—with a rich, cheesy bechamel for a perfect chilly-evening meal.
Lasagna is one of the ultimate comfort foods. This variation skips a long ragu but still delivers deep, satisfying flavour. If you want to save time, use store-bought fresh lasagna sheets from the refrigerator section rather than dried pasta.
The combination of sweet squash, aromatic herbs and melting Taleggio balances sweet and savoury beautifully.
Table of Contents
- Ingredient notes
- Visual walk-through of the recipe
- Recipe tips and FAQs
- More lasagna recipes
- Full recipe
Ingredient notes
- Taleggio: a soft, flavourful Italian cheese that melts well. Fontina is a good substitute if you can’t find Taleggio.
- Italian sausages: use mild sausages unless you want heat. Remove skins and break up the meat while browning.
- Fresh herbs: fresh garlic, sage and rosemary lift the flavours—use them where possible.
- Pasta: homemade fresh pasta gives the best texture and flavour, but high-quality fresh sheets from the fridge are a convenient alternative.
Visual walk-through of the recipe
If making pasta from scratch, prepare the dough first and let it rest. A typical ratio here is 300g Italian 00 flour to 3 eggs plus 1 yolk.
Step 1 — Prep the squash: Trim, peel and seed the squash, then cut into small cubes.
Step 2 — Cook the squash: Sauté garlic in olive oil, add squash and herbs, sauté briefly, add 80ml water, cover and simmer on low for about 20 minutes until fork-tender.
Step 3 — Brown the sausage: Remove skins and brown the meat in a hot pan, breaking it into medium crumbs, then set aside.
Step 4 — Make the béchamel: Melt butter, stir in flour to form a roux, gradually whisk in milk until thick, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then stir in grated Parmigiano.
Step 5 — Puree the squash: Blitz the cooked squash and garlic in a food processor until smooth, adding a few spoons of béchamel to achieve a very creamy texture.
Step 6 — Combine: Fold the squash puree into the béchamel until fully combined and set aside.
Step 7 — Blanch the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and blanch fresh lasagna sheets for about 30 seconds, then drain on a clean towel to stop sticking.
Step 8 — Assemble: Spread a little squash béchamel on the bottom of your baking dish, then layer pasta, squash béchamel, browned sausage, chunks of Taleggio and a sprinkling of Parmigiano. Repeat for about five layers, finishing with sauce, sausage and cheese on top.
Step 9 — Bake: You can refrigerate the assembled lasagna up to 24 hours before baking. Bake uncovered at 200°C / 400°F for 30–45 minutes until golden and piping hot. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe tips and FAQs
- Blanch pasta: Briefly blanching fresh sheets in boiling salted water gives them structure and prevents tearing during assembly.
- Work in batches: Roll and blanch a quarter of your pasta at a time and assemble layer by layer to save space and avoid drying out sheets.
- Cheese options: This recipe uses Taleggio and Parmigiano. If you like, add mozzarella for extra stretch, but keep at least one strong-flavoured cheese to balance the squash sweetness.
Yes. Assemble the lasagna the day before and refrigerate. Allow it to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking so the oven doesn’t need to bring a cold dish up to temperature.
Yes. Freeze in a suitable container for up to 3 months. Thaw completely before reheating and baking.
More lasagna recipes to try
Pasta
Lasagne al Forno (Italian Beef Lasagna)
Pasta
Authentic Lasagna Bolognese
Fresh Pasta
Lasagna di Carnevale (Neapolitan)
Pasta
Italian Lamb Lasagna with Pecorino Bechamel
If you try this Butternut squash lasagna, please leave a rating and a comment to share how it turned out—I love hearing your feedback!
Step By Step Photos Above
Most recipes include step-by-step photos and helpful tips to get perfect results.
Butternut Squash Lasagna with Sausage and Taleggio
By Emily
Equipment
- 9×13 inch baking dish
- Hand whisk
- Food processor
- Pasta machine (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash (about 1kg untrimmed, 700g trimmed)
- 2 garlic cloves, whole and peeled
- 4 sage leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 700g (1.5 lbs) Italian sausages, skins removed
- 200g (7 oz) Taleggio, rind removed
- 80ml (⅓ cup) water
For the béchamel
- 80g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 80g flour (about 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp)
- 1 litre (4 cups) whole milk
- Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 70g (1 cup) finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus extra for grating
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
For the pasta
- 300g Italian 00 flour (2 cups + 2 tbsp) or 450g fresh lasagna sheets
- 3 eggs + 1 egg yolk (about 175g eggs total)
Instructions
If making homemade pasta
- Make a well of the flour on a clean surface, add eggs and whisk, gradually incorporating flour until a dough forms. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth, then cover and rest.
- For full guidance on homemade pasta, follow a dedicated pasta dough recipe.
Cook the squash
- Trim and cube the squash. Finely chop rosemary and sage and peel the garlic.
- Heat 1–2 tbsp olive oil, add whole garlic cloves and sauté briefly until fragrant. Add squash, herbs and salt; sauté 5 minutes, add 80ml water, cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes until tender. Set aside.
- In another pan, brown the sausage meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Set aside.
Make the béchamel
- Melt butter in a saucepan, add flour and whisk for 1–2 minutes. Gradually add milk, whisking to avoid lumps, and cook until thickened.
- Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then stir in the Parmigiano. Remove from heat.
- Place cooked squash and garlic in a food processor and blitz to a smooth puree, adding a few spoons of béchamel to help achieve a silky texture.
- Fold the squash puree into the béchamel until combined.
Blanch the pasta
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to the boil. Cut sheets to fit your dish and blanch each for 20–30 seconds, then drain on a clean towel.
Assemble and bake
- Spread a little squash béchamel on the bottom of the baking dish, then layer pasta, squash béchamel, sausage, pieces of Taleggio and a grating of Parmigiano. Repeat to make about five layers, finishing with sauce and cheese on top.
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F. Bake uncovered for 40–45 minutes until golden and bubbling. Rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Making pasta: Use a kitchen scale for flour for the most reliable results. Cup measures can vary—spoon and level flour into cups if using volumetric measures.
- Storage: Leftovers keep in the fridge up to 3 days and reheat in the oven until piping hot. You can freeze the assembled lasagna for up to 3 months; thaw fully before reheating.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- Extra virgin olive oil is used unless stated otherwise.
- All vegetables are medium-sized unless noted.
- Recipes are tested with a fan (convection) oven unless stated otherwise.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an approximation.
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