I was eating the leftovers of this at work and a girl walked in saying "That smells good." Always eager to share my creations, I offered her a bite from the side I had not reached yet. She seemed surprised to be able to say "That's actually good." Thank you very much. I almost think it's my favorite of my own recipes thus far.

This is such a great recipe because it takes something that should taste a bit sweet and makes it more salty with the pesto and creamy white sauce. The entire lasagna lasted Paul and me four meals. So, the price seems quite right and all the time invested seems quite efficient.

Recipe for Butternut Squash Pesto Lasagna

• Cook half a package of lasagna noodles according to directions. Let cool so they are easier to handle.
• Cook squash in microwave. Cut squash in half, seed, seal with a half cup water in a tart dish and covered tightly with saran wrap. Cook 6-8 minutes depending on size. Dice the squash into medium pieces. (My squash was so big, I only used half of it for the lasagna.)
• Make a white sauce or purchase one. I melted 5 tablespoons butter over medium heat and then browned 4 cloves garlic. Quickly add 1 cup flour to thicken. (Sometimes, to limit the butter/cholesterol, I will use/add olive oil to make sure the flour gets wet enough.) Stir to cook. When thickened, add 4 cups milk, more if the sauce sits longer and thickens more. I added a tablespoon of Italian Seasoning for the sage flavor and another two tablespoons onion and garlic powders. Salt is 1/2 tablespoon or to taste.
• Make a cup of pesto with two cups spinach and a cup of fresh basil. Add a half cup walnuts. My Cuisinart Mini Food Processor makes this so easy.
• Slice 1 lb. Mozzarella cheese thinly. Measure out 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, too, if desired.
• Ladle one spoonful of sauce on the bottom of a Corningware casserole dish put three lasagna noodles down side by side. Lay squash generously over noodles, spread pesto sauce around with a small spoon. Pour another ladle of sauce over squash and pesto. Lay cheese slices over sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan. Repeat until the last layer is topped with noodles, sauce, and cheese only.
• Bake according to package directions. It also reheats well on plates or in individual containers at work.

Cost to make Butternut Squash Pesto Lasagna

• $0.50 Lasagna (Great Deal. Buy one, get one free at Publix. But it takes only half a box to make a whole lasagna!)
• $0.40 Spinach (Walmart)
• $1.00 Walnuts (Costco)
• Free Basil (Our herb garden)
• $1.19 Butternut Squash (Publix)
• $2.70 Mozzarella (Costco)
• $2.00 Seasonings (Estimated amount used. Garlic powder from Sam's Club. Onion powder from Costco. Italian Seasonings from Publix.)
• $3.00 Parmesan Cheese
• $0.77 Milk (Costco)
• $0.27 Butter (Costco, bought as four packages)
• $0.14 Flour (Walmart)
• $0.20 Garlic (Costco)
• $12.17 Total

But remember, this really pays off if it feeds us four times during the week. That's like feeding each of us four times at $1.52 each. And that was three other lunches I didn't have to make!