Cauliflower Enchiladas
Pumpkin is a prime candidate for cool-weather enchiladas—another crowd-pleasing main dish that turns one of winter’s most popular veggies into dinner. Canned pumpkin purée saves time and gives this sa...
This savory and sweet lasagna is as decadent, delicious and wintery as it sounds. It’s an excellent use of butternut squash (or any favorite winter squash) and it makes an elegant, memorable meal for any dinner party or holiday celebration.
Feel free to add more Swiss chard to the sautéed filling for “greener” layers and add a bulb of fennel, thinly sliced, to elevate further with added sweetness and subtle anise flavor (highly recommended!). The fenugreek is optional, but it’s the secret ingredient that adds complexity and balances the sweetness of the squash with just a touch of bitterness. Try a simple salad of arugula, radicchio and chickpeas with balsamic vinaigrette to serve on the side.
Ingredients
For the butternut squash filling
- 1 large (3½- to 4-pound) butternut squash
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground fenugreek (optional, but recommended)
- Scant ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2½ teaspoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
For the chard filling
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small to medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced (optional)
- 2 bunches (1 to 1¼ pounds) Swiss chard, stems cut into ¼-inch dice, leaves cut into ¼-inch ribbons (see Butcher Tip)
- 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
For the cream sauce
- 1 container (15 ounces) low-fat cottage cheese
- 1½ cups shaken heavy cream
- 1½ cups finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- A small pinch of ground nutmeg
For the lasagna
- 16 no-boil lasagna noodles (or freshly boiled noodles)
- Heaping 2½ cups coarsely shredded Italian fontina cheese (6½ ounces)
- Heaping ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Make the butternut squash filling
Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle position and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Trim the ends of the butternut squash. Cut the squash in half crosswise through the middle to separate the bulbous bottom of the squash from the slender and solid neck. Next, cut the bulbous bottom in half lengthwise. Stand the neck of the squash upright on its widest cut surface and cut it in half lengthwise. Brush the squash lightly with the oil and roast flesh side down for 50 to 60 minutes, until the squash flesh is completely tender. Once cool enough to handle, scoop out the seeds and discard them. Now, use a spoon to separate the flesh from the skin. Place 3½ to 3¾ cups of the flesh in a food processor. Add the fenugreek (if using), nutmeg, salt, vinegar and maple syrup and blend on high until completely smooth. Set aside. (Note: At this point the squash purée will have a sharp vinegar-forward flavor that will mellow and add welcome acidity to the lasagna.)
Make the chard filling
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel (if using), and chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is beginning to turn translucent and soften, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic, ¼ teaspoon of salt and the pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browning in places, about 3 minutes. Add the chard leaves, cooking down a little at a time to fit the skillet, along with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and a few twists of pepper. Once all of the chard is in the pan, cook, stirring frequently, until wilted and all of the liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
Make the cream sauce
In a medium bowl, whisk together the cottage cheese, cream, Parmesan, rosemary, salt, pepper, and nutmeg
Make the lasagna
Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle position. In the bottom of a lasagna pan or 9 × 13-inch baking dish, evenly spread out ¾ cup of the cream sauce with an off set spatula or the back of a spoon. Spread out 4 lasagna noodles on top, covering the sauce and overlapping each of the noodles slightly. Spoon about 9 heaping tablespoons of the squash puree over the noodles, then spread the mixture evenly over the noodles and out to the sides of the baking dish. Sprinkle a heaping 1 cup of the chard mixture evenly over the top, followed by ½ cup of fontina. Spoon ¾ cup of the cream sauce over the top, making sure to pull in bits that have settled at the bottom of the bowl, and spread it out to evenly distribute it.
Repeat the layering process 2 more times. Place the remaining 4 noodles on top, then evenly spread out the remaining squash purée (using a spatula to collect the last of the purée from the sides of the blender or storage container), then white sauce over the top. Spread out the sauce, evenly covering the noodles and gently mixing the sauces together. Top evenly with the remaining fontina and the Parmesan, and give it a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Lightly oil a piece of foil to cover the baking dish and place the oiled side down to seal it (this will help prevent it from sticking).
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes longer, until the edges are bubbling and the cheese is melted and browning in places. Let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes or so before cutting and serving. You can freeze leftovers, cooled completely, for up to 3 months.
Excerpted from The Vegetable Eater: The New Playbook for Cooking Vegetarian by Cara Mangini. Copyright © 2024. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Cara Mangini believes eating vegetables is one of life’s greatest pleasures and has made it her mission to put vegetables at the center of the American plate. As an award-winning author, chef, restaurateur, teacher, and speaker she shares her passion for produce by welcoming everyone to the table around flavor-first, vegetable-forward food. Find her at caramangini.com. Her cookbooks are available everywhere books are sold.
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