Butternut Squash and Sausage Lasagne

Lasagne is one of those one dish meals that can be time consuming so I usually save it for a weekend when I can devote the time. This lasagne veers from the traditional in that there is no tomato sauce. The combination of italian sausage and squash with a creamy beschamel is very comforting. I like to serve mine with a green salad.

1 pound sweet italian sausage, casings removed
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 fresh sage leaves, minced
2 10 oz packages of frozen butternut squash, defrosted
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 package of lasagne noodles, par boiled
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups fat free half and half
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups ricotta cheese
3 cups shredded mozarella cheese
salt and pepper

In a sauce pot, brown the sausage with the onions,garlic, fennel seeds and sage over medium/high heat. Add the squash and the chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. In a medium sauce pot, melt the butter or margarine. Add the flour and stir until combined and the butter is absorbed into the flour. Add the milk and half and half. Whisk until the butter and flour are well combined and there are no lumps. Season with salt and nutmeg. Stir over medium heat until the mixture boils and thickens. It should coat the back of a spoon. Add the ricotta and 1 cup of mozarella. Turn off the heat and whisk the sauce until the cheese has melted.
Preheat the oven to 375. Spray an oblong baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of cheese sauce onto the bottom of the baking dish and lay 3 lasagne noodles over the cheese sauce.
Make sure the noodles are touching each other side by side. Spoon on a layer of sausage and squash. Pour a small amount of cheese sauce over that and sprinkle with some of the remaining mozarella. Repeat the process 2 more times. Finish with a layer of noodles. Spoon the remaining cheese sauce over the top and sprinkle with the last of the cheese. Cove with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes to let the top brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Slice and Serve.