Thaz right. The layers in this lasagne aren’t lookin’ like a sedimentary rock, nuh uh. They are more like a snail shell. Yah feel me?!

This is a lasagne revolution – the pasta sheet laid out, smothered with the toppings and then rolled up into a cute little present that takes a bath in squash. I mean sauce. I mean squash sauce. And, although I love the standard tomato sauce with all of my heart, squash sauce is my side piece and needs attention, too.

Okay, for reals – this lasagne dish is everything. It starts with the creamy sauce. Roasted butternut squash, pureed and then hit with some garlic, coconut milk and flavourful pasta water – an important ingredient for any great sauce. Nutritious kale and fluffy, whipped ricotta cheese on top of a perfectly cooked lasagne noodle, rolled up and finished off together in the oven with some extra parm on top for that nuttiness. DROOL.

This should be your next pasta night recipe.

Butternut Squash and Kale Lasagne Roll-Ups

Servings: Makes 10 rolls (feeds about 3 people)

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 large butternut squash, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• 5 large kale leaves, thick stem removed (I prefer Tuscan Kale)
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice + more for serving (optional)
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1/4 tsp fresh (or packaged) nutmeg
• 10 lasagne sheets
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup canned coconut milk
• 1 cup fresh parmesan or mozzarella cheese, shredded
• fresh basil for topping (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the squash onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1-2 tbsp olive oil and add a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Toss with your hands until coated and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, flipping once throughout the cooking time. Squash should be tender throughout.
3. Lower the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. While the squash is cooking, prepare your other ingredients. Chop the kale into small, bite-size pieces and massage with a little bit of olive oil. This helps to tenderize the kale.
5. Use an electric mixer to beat the ricotta with 1 tbsp of lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whip until smooth.
6. Add the cooked squash to a food processor with the vegetable stock, nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Blend until smooth.
7. In the meantime, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and add the lasagne sheets. Cook according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water before draining.
8. Set a large, oven-safe saucepan over medium-low heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Immediately add the squash puree from your food processor as well as the reserved pasta water and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour in the coconut milk and stir until smooth.
9. Make the rolls by taking a sheet of the cooked lasagne, spreading the ricotta mixture on it, topping with a few pieces of kale and then rolling it up, starting at one end and working your way to the other. Tuck the roll into the squash sauce, placing the side with the seam down. Do this for all of the rolls.
10. Evenly distribute the cheese overtop of the rolls and sauce. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted. Remove and let cool a few minutes before serving. Top with fresh basil and a squeeze of lemon!

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So, here’s a true story -once upon a time, I was looking through my fridge and there was some left over pumpkin, a pear that was nearing the end of it’s life and a perfect little squash. Therefore, I naturally decided to make soup. The end.

I know, I know – sounds weird, but trust me, they willingly found each other and are now happily married and ready to spend their lives together as one happy triad. Some things are just meant to be.

WHAT IS DAIRY-FREE BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND PEAR SOUP?

This soup is ALL the creamy and NONE of the dairy. It has everything that a great soup has – aromatics, body and flavour…it is the real deal.

The reason why I love this recipe so much is because everything is roasted beforehand and roasting means caramelization and caramelization means flavour! So cube up that squash, toss it in some EVOO and some spices, pop that bad boy in the oven and let it do it’s magic.

INGREDIENTS FOR DAIRY-FREE BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND PEAR SOUP

I love using simple and healthy ingredients for the majority of my recipes and this soup is no exception. Moreover, ingredients can easily be swapped or subbed for those of your choice, or what is in your fridge. For example, you might choose to use sweet potatoes instead of squash, cream instead of coconut milk or different herbs you have to use up – cooking is flexible!

ROASTING THE INGREDIENTS

Firstly, we are going to cook the vegetables. Since the squash takes longer to cook through, give it about 20-25 minutes to roast up, pull it out and add the rest of the ingredients to the sheet pan, toss with a bit more oil and roast for another 20 until everything is fork-tender. Browned edges are accepted and encouraged.

MAKING THE SOUP

Now it’s time to soupify! Remove the thyme sprigs and dump everything else into a blender with the pumpkin and broth. Add more broth if you prefer a thinner soup.

Blend ‘er until smooth.

While the soup is blending, place a large pot over medium-high heat with some olive oil. When the oil is hot, add a bunch of sage leaves and a sprinkle of sea salt and let crisp up for 1-2 minutes. Remove from pot and place on a paper towel to absorb some of the oil.

Turn the heat to medium-low, transfer the soup to the pot and add the coconut milk. Let simmer until the milk is fully incorporated and warmed through.

GARNISHING DAIRY-FREE BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND PEAR SOUP

Transfer to your favourite bowl and garnish with the crispy sage, flaky sea salt and a few grinds of pepper. I mean…Come on!

OTHER DAIRY-FREE SOUP RECIPES

Easy Creamy Cauliflower Soup (quick and easy)

Roasted Carrot Soup with Ginger (my absolute favourite)

Crockpot Ginger and Turmeric Immune Boosting Soup (come home to a comforting meal)

TOOLS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

Click below to check out what I use to make this Dairy-Free Butternut Squash and Pear Soup!

This post contains affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when purchases are made after clicking the links, at no cost to you. Thank you!

Dairy-Free Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

Servings: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized butternut squash, cut into one-inch cubes
• Olive oil
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• salt
• pepper
• 1 pear (I used Bartlett), sliced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 3-4 sprigs thyme
• 20 fresh sage leaves, separated
• 1/2 cup pure pumpkin (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup canned coconut milk
• 1/4 cup roasted hazelnuts (optional)*
• A dollop of dairy-free coconut yogurt (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Place squash on a sheet pan and drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle over the cinnamon, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, a few grinds of fresh black pepper and toss together with your hands until evenly coated and then roast in oven for 25 minutes.
3. Remove the sheet pan from the oven and add pear, onion, garlic, thyme sprigs and ten sage leaves. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, salt and pepper and toss again. Create a “bed” for the garlic cloves by placing them on top of some of the other vegetables, so they do not burn from the direct heat of the pan. Roast for another 20 minutes, or until everything is fork-tender.
4. Remove from oven and discard thyme sprigs. Add everything to a blender with the pumpkin and broth and blend until smooth. Add in a bit more broth if you like a thinner soup.
5. While the soup is blending, place a large pot over medium-high heat and add one tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the remaining ten sage leaves and a pinch of sea salt. They should begin sizzling immediately. Let them fry for about a minute or so, until nice and crispy. Remove and place on a paper towel to absorb some of the excess oil.
6. Lower the burner to medium-low heat and add the blended soup into the same pot that was used to crisp the sage. Add the coconut milk and simmer for about 5 minutes.
7. Ladle into bowls and garnish with roasted hazelnuts, yogurt and crispy sage!

NOTES

*To roast hazelnuts, place them on a sheet pan and into a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Once browned lightly, remove and let cool. Rub them between your fingers to remove the skins.

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