I first had the idea for this recipe when I saw butternut squash ravioli on a restaurant menu. I was determined to make some variation of the meal at home, and further determined to include goat cheese somewhere in the meal. To be clear, the pairing of roasted butternut squash and goat cheese is nothing short of a masterpiece.

After several attempts to make a butternut squash & goat cheese pasta (all of which were positively delicious), I ended up with this recipe for butternut squash and goat cheese lasagna roll-ups. Let me tell you, the filling is simply delectable.

Even Wade loved this meal, ostensibly claiming that he “could eat it every day.”

Not only is this meal delicious, it is also sure to impress! If you’re looking for a great variation to the classic lasagna, your family and / or guests will be WOW-ed by the elegance and flavors of this meal.

There’s plenty of fun variations to this recipe (depending on your personal preferences), all of which are included below in the section titled “Serving Ideas.” Be sure to check it out if you’re wanting something more cheesy, or something more meaty, etc.

WHAT YOU’LL LOVE ABOUT THIS RECIPE

♡ GOAT CHEESE + BUTTERNUT SQUASH ♡ That’s my favorite part of this meal :)

♡ Fun, fresh, new, exciting!

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND GOAT CHEESE LASAGNA ROLL-UPS

1) Add PLENTY of fresh basil!

2) Find a ripe & flavorful butternut squash… I honestly don’t know how to accomplish this one, but know that it’s important. Sometimes I’ll get an unripe butternut squash from the store on accident (I seriously can’t tell them apart from the ripe ones) and the result is just not as good as it could be. The riper the squash, the more flavorful it will be. Check out this website to read more about how to tell when a butternut squash is ripe!

3) Choose a GOOD TOMATO SAUCE! You’re always welcome to go with the cheapest option when you get to the store… but… it doesn’t hurt to try something a bit fancier once in a while! Either way it’ll turn out yummy, though :)

SERVING IDEAS

There’s a LOT of awesome variations to this delicious meal. Here’s just a few:

- Top with plenty of cheese! If you know me, you know that I don’t enjoy most cheese… hence the fact that most of my recipes don’t include cheese. I am starting to add to my small list of “Types of Cheese that Megan Likes…” (with goat cheese on that list, of course). However, mozzarella still remains on the naughty list. I think it’s mainly the texture that gets me. That being said, if you are a cheese person, mozzarella and / or parmesean will likely pair deliciously with this recipe!

- Ground Beef! :) Add cooked, ground beef to the tomato sauce before putting it in the pan. This adds some additional protein to the meal, as well as delicious flavors.

- Sausage! You can either add sausage to the tomato sauce, OR you can serve this meal with some spicy sausage on the side. Both are yummy!

- Cashews! I’ve tried blending cashews in with the tomato sauce (10/10 recommend).

- Adding sauteed onion to the sauce! Sometimes store-bought tomato sauce just feels so bland. If you’re not working under a time crunch, and would like to add additional flavor, try adding some sauteed onions to the tomato sauce! It adds some delicious onion-y flavor and makes the finished product just that much yummier!

Options are endless!! Feel free to comment if you try a variation that you love… I’d love to hear what you think!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND GOAT CHEESE LASAGNA ROLL-UP INGREDIENTS

- Butternut Squash: My favorite type of squash… also one of my favorite foods. The flavor is incredible… sweet, nutty, creamy.

- Olive Oil: Toss the cubed squash in olive oil before adding the seasonings. This will help the squash cook better, while also adding amazing flavor.

- Salt, Pepper, & Garlic Powder: Seasoning the squash! The recipe calls for enough salt sprinkled on the squash, that you really shouldn’t need to add additional salt to the filling.

- Goat Cheese: I’ve found that the cheapest place to buy goat cheese is Costco! Warning: it does (of course) come in bulk. A package of Costco goat cheese usually lasts 5-6 meals, depending on what we’re using it for! If you’re looking for more meal ideas that involve goat cheese, be sure to check out my Air Fryer Chicken Taquitos. The recipe itself doesn’t call for goat cheese, but I do include a suggestion in the “Serving Ideas” section that includes information about how to substitute goat cheese for the cream cheese. It’s sooo yummy!

- Basil: If you don’t already have a basil plant at your house, it might be time to buy one! Fresh basil is SO delicious.

- Optional Additional Cheese: As mentioned, I don’t enjoy most types of cheese… so I don’t sprinkle additional cheese on top of the lasagna rolls. If you do want cheese, try either mozzarella or parmesan. Sprinkle it on before returning the lasagna rolls to the oven.

HOW TO…

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Begin by peeling and cubing the butternut squash. You’ll also want to use a spoon to scoop out all the seeds in the middle (much like cleaning out a pumpkin if you’ve ever carved a jack-o-lantern).

Add the cubed butternut squash to a cookie sheet (I like to use a silicone baking mat on top of the cookie sheet). Add one tablespoon of olive oil to the squash and mix the squash around until the olive oil evenly coats the squash.

Sprinkle one teaspoon of salt, ⅛ teaspoon of pepper, and ½ teaspoon of garlic powder over the squash. Once the squash is oiled and seasoned, place the cookie sheet of squash into the oven, baking for 35-45 minutes at 425 degrees F. You may remove earlier if the squash is slightly browned, and feels soft when stabbed with a fork.

While the squash is cooking, add water to a large pot and bring to a boil on the stove top. When the water begins boiling, add in 8-10 lasagna noodles to the water. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the directions on the package. Remove the noodles from the water when the noodles are finished cooking.

Once the squash has finished roasting, remove from the oven. Add the squash to a bowl and beat until the squash begins forming a mashed-potato-like consistency. It’s fine if it’s still chunky. Add in 3-4 ounces of goat cheese, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, fresh basil, and additional salt IF needed. There’s no right or wrong amount of basil to add in - just add it in until you’ve got the flavor you’re looking for.

Add ½ cup of tomato sauce to the bottom of the pie pan and spread out to make a thin layer. You can definitely add more tomato sauce if you’d like to!

Spread the filling out across each cooked lasagna noodle, and then roll up each lasagna noodle and place in a 9-inch pie pan.

Once the pan is filled, pour your favorite tomato or pasta sauce over the top. Sprinkle with additional cheese of your choice (if desired).

Bake at 425, until the sauce is bubbly (an additional 10-15 minutes). Top with additional fresh basil and ENJOY!

Ingredients:

Directions: