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Squash & chicken lasagne in October’s kitchen!

I do love a squash! Have you tried the bowl shaped ones? They’re perfect for stuffing, roasting then eating straight from the oven. For a real treat I fry up a mix of leeks and chunky pieces of ham then pour in some cream and fill up your de-seeded squash. Use the top as a lid then roast slowly till everything is beautifully tender and eat straight from the squash – delicious!

This lasagne recipe makes the most of a butternut squash and is great for making ahead and freezing – it’s something a bit different to try

Squash and chicken lasagne

feeds 4-6

1 large butternut squash

Pinch of nutmeg

God glug of olive oil

2 onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

4 skinless chicken breasts or a mix of breast and thigh fillets, cut into large chunks

1 rounded tbsp plain flour

500ml chicken stock

500g tub mascapone

190g jar pesto

12 lasagne sheets

85g parmesan cheese, grated

Dash of milk

50g pine nuts

  • Cut the squash in half then cut into easy to peel sized large chunks. Peel and scrape out the seeds then cut into small chunks.
  • Put into a large bowl with a couple of tablespoons of water and cover. Microwave on full power for about 10-12 minutes until soft. Season with the nutmeg and some salt and pepper then mash lightly. Put to one side.
  • Heat the oil in a large casserole dish then add the onions and garlic and cook gently till softened.
  • Add the chicken to brown the outside for a minute or two and remove. Add the flour and mix into the onions, and cook for a minute.
  • Slowly pour in the stock and stir to mix well. Return the chicken to the pan, bring to a gentle simmer then cover and cook for about 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
  • Use 2 forks to shred the chicken into bite sized pieces then stir in half the mascarpone and the pesto. Simmer gently for a few minutes to thicken a little. If you like your sauce a little thicker then add in a couple of teaspoons of cornflour mixed in a little water and stir in
  • Spoon half this mixture into the bottom of your dish then cover with lasagne sheets. Spoon over the squash then sprinkle over half the parmesan
  • Layer with more lasagne, the rest of the chicken then a last layer of lasagne
  • Pop the remaining mascapone into a bowl and add enough milk to make a creamy sauce. Season with S&P and some nutmeg. Pour over the top layer of lasagne then finally scatter over the parmesan and the pine nuts
  • Pop in your oven 180C/fan 160 for about 50 minutes until crispy and golden on top and cooked through in the middle.
  • If you’re freezing ahead then cool, cover and freeze before cooking. Allow to thaw completely before cooking from room temperature.