High-Protein Butternut Squash Lasagna Rollups
Your next favorite high-protein comfort meal is here: Butternut Squash Lasagna Rollups. With 46 grams of protein per serving there's no compromise on taste or nutrition. The butternut squash and a cottage cheese-based sauce are used in place of your traditional red sauce. The sweetness from the pureed squash balances with the tanginess of the cottage cheese, making for a delicious meal. Ground sausage lends savory flavors and helps boost that protein count.
Ingredients
- 9 ouncesgluten-free lasagna noodles (12 sheets needed)
- 1 teaspoonolive oil, additional for greasing
- 1 poundground italian chicken sausage (spicy or sweet, or pork sausage)
- 16 ouncescottage cheese (4% milkfat recommended)
- 1 teaspoondried basil
- 1 teaspoongarlic powder
- 1 teaspoondried oregano
- 1 teaspoonkosher salt
- ½ teaspoonground black pepper
- ½ teaspoonground sage
- ¼ teaspoonground nutmeg
- 1 cupfinely chopped baby spinach
- ⅓ cupgrated parmesan cheese
- 2 cupsmashed or puréed butternut squash, divided (instructions included in notes) (about 1 large squash)
- ⅝ cupshredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
- 1
Prepare the lasagna noodles according to package instructions to cook al dente (be careful when handling since they can break easily). Drain and add back to the pot. Drizzle with olive oil while hot to prevent sticking.
- 2
While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground chicken sausage and cook until browned all over, breaking up into small crumbles as it cooks, 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside.
- 3
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and grease a 9x13 baking dish with olive oil. Add the cottage cheese, basil, garlic powder, oregano, salt, black pepper, sage, and nutmeg to a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth, about 60 seconds. Divide evenly between two bowls, about 1 cup each.
- 4
Add the cooked and cooled chicken sausage, one cup of the cottage cheese mixture, the spinach, parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of the butternut squash to a large bowl. Mix to combine.
- 5
One or two at a time, place a lasagna sheet on the baking dish and add 3 to 4 tablespoons of the sausage mixture to one end. Carefully roll tightly from the filled end (see video for example) and push to one end of the baking dish. Continue this process until you have 12 roll ups arranged in two rows of 6.
- 6
Top the lasagna rolls with the remaining cottage cheese mixture spread evenly across the tops. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining butternut squash on top (see photo for reference). Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over top. Bake until the cheese is melted, about 7 minutes, then increase the oven to high broil and broil until bubbling and brown on top, 3 to 4 minutes.
- 7
Cool for about 5 minutes before serving.