Lazy Butternut Squash and Escarole Lasagna

The kids and I went on a picnic at lunch time today to get out of Kyle's hair. He had a contract project to finish up, and a podcast to edit, so I thought he'd work better without us around. We went to my favourite spot in Zwicks park. It's sort of out of the way, and is not travelled by too many people - even on the busiest summer days. Mostly just some people who go out there to catch a fish or two for dinner. We set a blanket down and feasted on sandwiches, juice, grapes, nuts and Crispy Minis in the sunshine. The waves were lapping against the rocks behind us, and it was so peaceful. I can't wait to take a dinner out there when the sun is low in the sky. I love that last light of the day. It puts a beautiful glow on everything.

We went over to the playground after lunch, but it was so hot out that the kids didn't have much energy. They spent most of the time sitting on a bench under a tree in the shade. Instead of hanging around any longer we headed out to the air conditioned mall to buy a gift for a friend of Rhianna's who had her birthday party this evening.

I just love this picture because it's completely candid. The smile on Rhianna's face warms my heart. It's also hilarious because in the next picture I took, Tiernan was kissing Avery on the cheek - and Avery was trying to get away! ;)

Avery turned the camera around on me for a change. He took about a dozen photos one right after the other. I think he enjoyed getting me back - especially after I started sticking my tongue out at the camera. Haha.

The kids were delighted when we got home because Kyle had turned the sprinkler on to try to help our browning grass. It's been so hot and dry, and our grass is really feeling it! Even with the incredible thunderstorm that we had last night (Kyle and I stood outside at 1:30am while the sky lit up with lightening.. it was awesome!), it's wilting. Tiernan and Rhianna ran in to grab their bathing suits and headed out for some fun. It really helped cool them off, too. Excellent!



Dinner tonight was a huge hit. I'm not sure if Rhianna would have loved it since she was at her friend's birthday party, but she's the pickiest of the bunch anyway. I'll make it again sometime (as per request by my family), so we'll see. At any rate, 4 out of 5 family members loved it! It was a lazy butternut squash and escarole lasagna that I got from watching Rachael Ray (love her!). There are not many of her recipes that I've tried and not enjoyed. This one is one of my favourites. I served it with some garlicky cheese biscuits.

Lazy Butternut Squash and Escarole Lasagna

1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles, broken into random pieces

2 cups butternut squash cut into bite sized pieces

olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 medium head escarole, chopped

1 cup vegetable stock

300g ricotta cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

a handful of sage leaves, torn

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

2 cups whole milk

freshly ground nutmeg, to taste

2 cups mozzarella cheese (or more, depending on the size of your casserole dish) (RR used fontina cheese, but mozza worked!)

First, place your chopped butternut squash on a baking tray and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes until it's tender and has golden edges.

Cook the pasta according to package directions until almost al dente. Once it's cooked to almost al dente, drain and place it in the pot again.

While the pasta is cooking, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan. Cook the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the chopped escarole, and cook until wilted. Once it's wilted add the vegetable stock and simmer until it's needed.

Mix together the ricotta, parmesan and sage in a small bowl. Stir well.

Once the pasta is cooked and drained, mix the noodles, cheese mixture, escarole and butternut squash together. Place in a lightly oiled casserole dish.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the 2 cups of whole milk. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir frequently until the sauce is thickened. Pour the white sauce over the lasagna mixture in the casserole dish. Mix lightly.

Top the casserole dish with the mozzarella cheese.

Place in a 350 oven and cook for 10 minutes. Then turn it to broil and cook for about 4 minutes until the cheese is starting to brown.