Creamy Autumn Lasagna Recipe

INGREDIENTS

For The Sauce (can be made ahead and refrigerated until needed) 
3 heads of garlic, tops cut off Extra virgin olive oil 3 tsp. of kosher salt (divided) 
3 lbs. cubed butternut squash 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 1/2 tsp. dried basil 1 tsp. dried rubbed sage 1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper 1 cup chicken (or veggie) broth (warmed) 2 cups half and half (warmed) 4 oz. cream cheese (or mascarpone - I just happened to have cream cheese on hand) 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 

Ingredients For The Lasagna 
Extra virgin olive oil 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey 1/2 tsp. dried oregano 1/2 tsp. dried basil Salt & Pepper to taste 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 2 tsp. fresh sage leaved (chopped) 12 cooked lasagna noodles 2 heaping cups of raw baby spinach leaves 3 cups shredded mozzarella 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs 

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the sauce: Preheat oven to 400 degrees, drizzle olive oil over the heads of garlic, sprinkle with salt, then wrap each head tightly in foil, placing them directly on the oven rack. Once they've been roasting for about 10 minutes, toss the squash together with olive oil, salt & pepper and spread into an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast alongside the garlic for 35-40 minutes until tender. Remove the garlic and squash from the oven, allowing them to cool slightly. Squeeze the cloves of garlic out into a small bowl and mash with a fork, set aside. Add the squash to a large dutch-oven style pot and use an immersion blender to puree until smooth (you could also use a food processor if you don't have an immersion blender). Add the roasted garlic to the squash and continue to puree until completely blended. Put the pot over low heat and add in the broth and half and half, whisk to incorporate, then add in the cream cheese, parmesan, basil, sage, oregano, pepper and salt to taste. Continue to heat slowly and whisk until all the ingredients are incorporated and the sauce is smooth. Either set aside to use the sauce immediately or refrigerate until ready to use. 
2. Make the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly mist a 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Brown the ground turkey in a large skillet with 1 tbsp. olive oil, seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano, basil and garlic powder. Once the turkey is no longer pink, remove from heat and set aside. Add about 1 cup of the sauce to the bottom of the baking dish, then layer lasagna noodles on top, add another cup or so of the sauce then add the ground turkey. Top the turkey with 1 cup of the baby spinach leaves and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Add about 3/4 cup of the mozzarella and repeat the layering process until you are done with ingredients, finishing with a final layer of noodles and sauce on top. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top, then sprinkle on the panko breadcrumbs and mist lightly with nonstick spray. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until all the cheese has melted and the top is lightly golden. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving. 

Source : A Tasty Mess