I think I almost got divorced two weeks ago…
OKAY NOT REALLY BUT…
I served Tom squash pretty much everyday for dinner… whoops. On Tuesday, he was like you know I really don’t like squash right? Then by Friday I think he thought I was playing a mean joke on him. Honestly, I was just testing out a bajillion squash recipes for the blog and I LOVE squash so it was no biggie… for me lol. Poor Tom. We had ZERO squash for dinner last week. I think Tom was very grateful ha!
Good news though! He did really enjoy this acorn squash skillet lasagna! At least that’s what he told me…
So what’s skillet lasagna you ask? Well, it’s lasagna baked in a cast iron skillet rather than a baking dish! More fun if you ask me. Also, looks MUCH cooler. That’s what life is all about right? Looking cool?
OMG TOTALLY.
Kidding.
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So let’s talk about what makes up this acorn squash skillet lasagna:
Acorn squash puree (from roasted acorn squash)
Tomato sauce
BACON
Sage
Cashew ricotta (dairy free omg!!)
Parmesan
Oven-ready (no boil) lasagna noodles
p.s. I know it’s funny that I made this acorn squash skillet lasagna with dairy-free ricotta but then threw a bunch of parmesan on top… BUT it’s because parmesan cheese doesn’t bother me that much (it has a lower percentage of lactose compared to other cheeses)! 🙂
Now, you could totally use normal ricotta if you aren’t dairy free but I think the cashew ricotta adds an nice nutty flavor. You could also try this almond ricotta if cashews aren’t your thing. OH, one thing to note about the cashew ricotta is that when it bakes, it does become a tan color (see pic) but don’t worry, that’s totally normal and it tastes delicious! I just wanted you to be aware since normal ricotta doesn’t look like that when it bakes 🙂
Also, can we discuss oven-ready no boil lasagna noodles?! GENIUS. Whoever came up with these… I love you! They make making lasagna so much easier and quicker! No need to boil your noodles beforehand, hallelujah!
Recipe time… acorn squash skillet lasagna here we come!
acorn squash skillet lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 acorn squash, halved and seeds removed
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- a few dashes of sea salt, black pepper, and ground nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped sage + extra for garish
- 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
- 12 oz bacon, cooked* and crumbled
- 3 cups ricotta (I used my homemade cashew ricotta – ingredients and directions below)
- 1 cup shaved or shredded parmesan
- 10-12 oz oven ready (no boil) lasagna noodles
cashew ricotta
- 2 cups cashew, soaked overnight in room temp water OR 30 minutes in boiling water
- 2 lemons, juiced
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Arrange halved and seeded acorn squash in a large baking dish or baking sheet. Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over top of the squash then sprinkle a few dashes of sea salt, black pepper, and ground nutmeg over top as well. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until flesh is soft and pierce-able with a butter knife. Remove from oven and let cool until you can handle them.
Cook your bacon while the squash is cooking! *See notes section for how I cooked my bacon.
Scoop out roasted acorn squash flesh into large bowl. Mix in chopped sage and tomato sauce until well combined and completely smooth (aka no clumps of acorn squash).
Coat an oven-proof skillet with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Begin layering lasagna, starting with a layer of noodles, followed by a layer of acorn squash tomato sauce puree, then bacon crumbs, then another noodle layer, then a ricotta layer, and continuing until all ingredients are gone (ending on a ricotta layer – I repeated the complete layering cycle twice: noodles, acorn squash, bacon, noodles, ricotta, noodles, acorn squash, bacon {save a few crumbs for the very top of lasagna}, noodles, ricotta). Sprinkle parmesan on top of the last ricotta layer plus any bacon crumbs that are left. Cover skillet with tin foil then bake in the oven (at 400F still) for 45 minutes. Remove foil then cook an additional 5-10 minutes or until lasagna is golden.
- Garnish with extra freshly chopped sage the slice and EAT.
cashew ricotta:
- Blend all ingredients together in a high-speed blender or food processor until completely smooth. Scape down the sides of the blender or food processor as added. If mixture is too thick, add more water, one tablespoon at a time. Taste and season with more salt, pepper, and/or garlic powder if needed.
Recipe Notes
* I cooked by bacon in the oven at 400F for 30-40 minutes. Spray a metal cooling rack with cooking spray, lay bacon slices out on the cooling rack so that none of them overlap, place cooling rack into a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper (for easy clean up) then bake at 400F for 30-40 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your bacon cooked.
If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment or tag a photo #appetitesanonymous on instagram!! I’d love to see your acorn squash skillet lasagna in action. Peace, friends!
– a
p.s. in the mood for more squash recipes? click here to check them out!
Karly
How amazing does this look!? Low carb and 100% delicious.. definitely need to try!
Adrienne
Ahhh thanks!! Yes, it’s totally a must try!! Hope you like 🙂