Do you ever get an idea in your head, and you just can’t let it go until you do something with it? For me, it happens all the time, and almost always has something to do with food. I’ll think about flavor combinations and twists on old favorites and practically obsess about an idea until I just have to get what I need from the store and make it happen. Does it always come out just as I had imagined? Um, no. Does it always come out edible? Sadly,the answer is still no. But I keep trying, and this one here, this one was a success!
I started thinking about butternut squash, asparagus, and pancetta a while ago. I knew I wanted to put them together, and finally, I decided to go with a lasagna roll. I’ve always loved putting different flavors and textures together in a lasagna, and rolling the individual pasta sheets always makes for such a nice presentation.
I was stuck on the sauce. Alfredo? Brown butter sage? Both good options, but instead I chose to give a new one a try. These days you can’t spend any time on Pinterest without seeing ten different versions of a cauliflower sauce, so why not jump on the bandwagon? I looked at several recipes and came up with my method below, but by no means should I take credit for inventing cauliflower sauce. Thanks to everyone who came before me!
I will say, oh my goodness that sauce is good! I wanted to just eat it right out of the blender. It’s very similar to an alfredo sauce. Even the Hubby liked it! Of course, after I told him what it was, he renamed it “al-fraud-o sauce”. He’s so clever.
All kidding aside, this is one yummy dish. The sweet butternut squash, the salty pancetta, and bright asparagus all wrapped in al dente pasta and topped with a light, creamy sauce. Fantastic.
Butternut Squash and Asparagus Lasagna Rolls with Cauliflower Sauce
Cauliflower Sauce
- 1 head Cauliflower, cut into florets
- 3 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
- 2 cloves Garlic, halved
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/8 teaspoon Pepper
- 1/4 cup Butter, melted
Lasagna Rolls
- 3 cups Roasted Butternut Squash (about half a butternut squash)
- ½ pound Asparagus, diced
- 4 ounces diced Pancetta
- 12 Lasagna Noodles
For the cauliflower sauce – Bring chicken broth to a boil in a medium sized pot. Reduce to simmer, add cauliflower and garlic and cook, covered for 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked cauliflower and garlic to a blender. Reserve ¼ cup cooking liquid. Blend slightly, then add salt, pepper, reserved liquid, and melted butter and blend until pureed. Set aside.
For the lasagna rolls – Mash or puree roasted butternut squash to desired consistency. Add a bit of liquid if needed. I like mine thick, so I just mash it. Set aside.
Cook pancetta over medium high heat for 5 minutes, then add diced asparagus and cook another 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside.
While cooking pancetta and asparagus, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and lay out on a greased baking pan so they don’t stick.
Spread each noodle with the butternut squash, leaving a ½ inch border at one end. Top with pancetta and asparagus, dividing evenly among the noodles. Roll each noodle starting with the end opposite the ½ inch border.
Coat an 8×10 pan with non-stick spray. Spread ½ cup of cauliflower sauce in bottom of pan. Place each lasagna roll, seam side down, in the prepared pan. Top evenly with remaining cauliflower sauce.
Bake uncovered at 350⁰ for 20-25 minutes.