If you’re having a small Thanksgiving celebration and don’t want to cook a whole turkey, this recipe has all of those Thanksgiving flavors rolled up into lasagna noodles! Layers of creamy butternut squash and goat cheese puree, sweet and salty turkey cooked with cranberries and thyme, and an orange rosemary pesto gets rolled up into lasagna noodles, smothered in that butternut squash sauce, and baked until bubbly and warm. It’s mind blowingly delicious!
P.S. Make that pesto ahead! Check my prep ahead tips for a much faster, less chaotic assembly on the day of.
Ingredient Highlight
Turkey! Is a great source of iron, B vitamins, zinc, selenium, and potassium. It also contains tryptophan, which helps with serotonin production (our happy neurotransmitter). Always opt for turkey with higher % fat – turkey thighs contain higher amounts of minerals than the breast (and has more fat and flavor).
Servings 6 People
Prep Time 30 minutes 
Cook Time 25 minutes Ingredients
For the lasagna:
- 9 lasagna noodles
- 2 (16 oz) packs frozen cubed butternut squash or 6 cups cubed fresh butternut squash
- 1 (4 oz) log goat cheese
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt divided
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup grated parmesan and/or crumbled goat cheese
For the pesto:
- 4 cups loosely packed spinach
- ½ cup toasted pecans
- 4 oz hunk parmesan cheese, cut into pieces about 1 ½ cups grated
- 4 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed about 2 packed tbsp
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp orange juice
To make the pesto (make it ahead!):
- In a high-speed blender, add the pecans, parmesan, rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper and blend to finely chop. Drain out any excess liquid from the cooked spinach and add to the blender along with the olive oil, lemon juice, and orange juice and blend until combined. Transfer to a jar or bowl.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook for just a few seconds. Use a fine mesh sieve to transfer the spinach into a bowl to cool (we’re using this to make the pesto. Ignore if you’ve already prepped it ahead!).
- Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook to al dente. Use tongs to carefully transfer the noodles to a baking sheet to cool off (keep the water boiling). You can spray or brush the noodles with oil to prevent sticking, or just lay them so they aren’t all on top of each other.
- Add the butternut squash to the boiling water and boil for 5 minutes, or until totally cooked through. Drain and set aside.
For the squash puree:
- In a high-speed blender, add the cooked butternut squash, goat cheese, water, 1 teaspoon salt, and nutmeg and blend until totally smooth, using a tamper tool to help.
For the turkey:
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, turkey, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, breaking up into small pieces, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the thyme and cranberries.
- Time to assemble! Add about ¾ cup of the squash puree into a 9×13-inch baking dish and spread it around the center of the baking dish.
- Lay your lasagna noodles flat on the baking sheet and scoop a spoonful (about 1 heaping tablespoon) of the squash mixture on top and spread it down center (leave about 1-inch naked on each end). Scatter about a heaping ¼ cup of turkey mixture evenly over top. Add small globs of pesto down the center. Now carefully roll the lasagna up and transfer to the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and fillings. Pour the remaining squash sauce over top, spread it around to cover the top, and sprinkle cheese on top and finish with some black pepper.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until everything is heated through.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook 9 lasagna noodles
- Make the pesto
- Cook 2 (16 oz) packs frozen cubed butternut squash
- Make squash puree
- Cook the turkey mixture
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, substitute the turkey with 2 (15 oz) cans of drained and rinsed white beans (mash them up a little so they hold together better). Cook them in the oil and follow the recipe adding cranberries and thyme and salt.
- To make vegan, see above + skip the goat cheese and add 2 tbsp lemon juice to the squash puree. Skip the cheese on top or use a vegan cheese alternative. Top with my Pumpkin Seed Parmesan.
- To make the pesto vegan, skip the parmesan, add 2-3 tbsp of mellow white miso paste, and increase the nuts to 1 cup.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover roll-up in the microwave until warmed through or bake covered in foil in a 300F oven for 20-30 minutes.
- Leftovers pair great with this week’s salad!
