Fall squash is wonderful to use in recipes. From soups to cookies to tarts, butternut squash is a great vegetable to dress up any meal. And it can be so sweet when you roast it.

My family loves this creamy lasagna. I make thin homemade pasta (you can also use store-bought) and bake the squash ahead of time for a richer flavor.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Brown Butter Bechamel Sauce for lasagna:

3½ cups of whole milk (I support a local dairy.)

4 tablespoons of unsalted butter

¼ cup of all-purpose flour (not packed)

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta (if you wish to try):

2 cups of “OO” flour

2 large eggs

3 egg yolks

pinch of salt

1-2 tablespoons of warm water

Lasagna:

12-14 lasagna sheets (If not homemade, I like Barilla pasta.)

1 medium butternut squash (cut in half lengthwise)

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 cup kale (chopped, steamed, dry)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon of brown sugar

8 ounces of shredded mozzarella (I shred it myself.)

¼ to ½ cup Parmesan cheese (grate yourself)

8 ounces BelGioioso ricotta

1 large egg

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter (to drizzle over top before serving)

Wash, cut and then clean out the inside and cut the stem from your butternut squash. Do not remove skin. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, place the halves of squash on the pan. Drizzle with olive oil, brown sugar, salt and pepper to taste.

Roast, cut side down at 375 F for 35-45 minutes. You can pierce the squash with a knife to see if it is done. Let cool slightly to handle. Scoop out flesh of the squash and place it in a food processor or bowl. Pulse until the mixture is a coarse puree. Transfer to a bowl and put aside until ready to use.

To make the pasta, add all ingredients into a food processor, except for the water. Pulse until the dough starts to come together. If the dough seems dry, add a tablespoon of water. The dough is ready when you pick up some of the dough in your hand, and it holds together like clay.

On a clean work surface, pour all the dough onto the table. Using your hands, bring the dough together with your hands, and kneed it for about 5 minutes into a smooth ball of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for approximately 1 hour. (You could do this the day before, placing it in the refrigerator and letting the dough come back to room temperature.) After 1 hour, portion the dough out into 4 pieces. Flatten each piece of dough out with your hands. Follow the pasta maker directions to make your thin, even lasagna noodles. Allow to dry about 10 minutes.

Blanch the pasta sheets in salted, boiling water for 30 seconds. Place the sheets on a clean tea towel, to absorb any excess moisture. This takes the rawness out of the pasta noodles.

Next, make the brown butter sauce. In a heavy bottom saucepan, add butter and cook at medium-high heat until the butter melts. Turn the stove temperature to low. You want the butter to get a bit brown, not burn. It should smell nutty and brown bits should be in the pan. Add flour and whisk.

Cook a few minutes, to cook out the raw flour taste. Slowly add milk while whisking to resolve any lumps. Once all the milk is added, keep whisking and turn up heat to medium. Cook until the sauce is thickened. Cover and set aside.

Preheat oven 375 F. Now, it is time to assemble the lasagna in your baking dish. Layer by starting with a small layer of sauce in your 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish. Next, place a layer of lasagna noodles in the dish. A thin layer, about 1/3 of the ricotta, is layered next. 1/3 of the kale will now be sprinkled over the lasagna.

Ladle some more sauce over all. Sprinkle some mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Repeat these steps 2 more times, leaving a little béchamel and cheese for the top. The top will be a thin layer.

When you are done layering all, cover with buttered parchment paper and foil. Bake for 45 minutes, covered. Uncover and broil for about 3-5 minutes until light golden brown on top. Let cool, while making brown butter.

In a small saucepan, melt and brown 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, not burning. Drizzle the butter over the top of the lasagna. Sprinkle, lightly, with salt and pepper.