These Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Rollups taste too good to be true. They are full of clean ingredients and lots of flavor! You won’t be able to just have one.

One butternut squash and spinach lasagna roll up held up by a spatula

I first made this recipe when wanting to cook a freezer-friendly, nutritious and delicious recipe for my dear friend postpartum. I knew I wanted to make something that had various colorful veggies, protein, fiber, leafy greans, and beans… yet very tasty and cozy! It’s also a PERFECT vegetarian centerpiece dish for a holiday dinner. So I came up with this. Boy oh boy is it great!

I also love to have my Indian-Spiced Lentil Soup and Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies ready in the freezer, too!

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Ingredients
Instructions for Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Rollups
Substitutions and Variations
Storing Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Rollups
Top tip
Other Fall Recipes:
Rate this Recipe
Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Rollups

Ingredients

Butternut squash: Adds a sweet, earthy base to the sauce of this dish.
Red onion: Added to both the filling and the sauce for a mild, sweet flavor. Can be substituted for onion powder in a pinch.
Garlic: Diced and sautéed and added to the filling for a sweet and bold taste and texture. Can be substituted for garlic powder in a pinch.
Olive oil: Used to roast and sauté for added richness.
White beans: Contribute creaminess and protein to the butternut squash sauce over the spinach lasagna rollups.
Kosher salt: Brings out the flavors of all the ingredients.
Stock (or water): Helps blend the squash and beans into a smooth sauce.
Frozen spinach: Adds a hearty, nutritious layer to the roll-ups.
Cottage cheese: Makes the filling creamy and rich in protein.
Egg: Acts as a binder for the filling.
Shredded mozzarella: Mixed into the filling and added on top for a melty gooey topping.
Parmesan cheese: Optional, to add with the mozzarella on top of the butternut squash and spinach lasagna rollups.
Lasagna sheets: The base for rolling up the filling, holding everything together.

A glass bowl with all the spinach and cheese rollup filling.

A blender with the butternut squash sauce ingredients.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions for Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Rollups

This recipe isnt hard, but there are a number of components that go into this recipe making it just a little more time-consuming than my average recipes. The outcome is so worth it!! Perhaps you consider doubling the lasagna rollups part of the recipe to freeze half for later, without doing much extra work! There should be enough sauce already.

A glass baking dish with the cooked butternut squash and spinach lasagna roll ups cooked with melty cheese on tip.

Preheat and Prepare:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and lightly grease a 9×13 glass baking dish. Cook lasagna noodles per package instructions, drain, rinse with cold water, and lay flat on a clean surface. Lightly brush with oil to prevent sticking.
Roast the Veggies:
Cut the top off the garlic, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap in foil. Halve the butternut squash, remove the seeds, pierce the skin, rub with olive oil, and place cut side down on the baking sheet. Roast, then after the first 10 minutes, add chopped red onion to the sheet, drizzle with oil, and roast another 20-30 minutes until you can easily poke a fork into the squash.
Prepare the Filling:
- Sauté diced onion in olive oil over medium heat for 5-8 minutes until translucent. Add diced garlic and cook 5 more minutes.
- Cook spinach as per package instructions, then drain and squeeze out excess liquid.
- Mix sautéed onion, garlic, spinach, cottage cheese, egg, and mozzarella in a bowl until combined.
Make the Butternut Squash Sauce:
Scoop out the roasted squash and blend with roasted garlic, cooked onion, white beans, salt, and 1 cup stock or water until smooth. Adjust consistency with more liquid as needed. Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
Assemble Roll-Ups:
Spread ⅓ cup filling on each noodle, roll up, and place seam-side down in the dish. Top with more sauce and sprinkle with extra mozzarella and parmesan. (You may have leftover sauce.)
Bake and Serve:
Bake for 35 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Serve and enjoy!

Filled and rolled lasagna sheet above the baking dish held in hand.

Substitutions and Variations

There isn’t too much variation here, these butternut squash and spinach lasagna rollups are perfect as is!!

Garlic & Onion – I know there are a lot of steps to this recipe, so if you need to swap out the garlic and onion for garlic powder and onion powder, respectively, I get it!
Protein – This vegetarian recipe is already packed wtih proten from the white beans, cottage cheese, and spinach. I think the recipe could also be yummy with bite-sized chopped up chicken rolled up, or some ground turkey or chicken.
Stuffed shells – I feel like this recipe could be so good as stuffed shells instead of rollups! Use the largest shells you can find and fill each with the spinach filling, with the butternut squash sauce still at the bottom of the pan and on top.

Baking dish full of the lasagna rollups before the butternut squash sauce and cheese poured over.

Storing Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Rollups

You may have leftover rollups, and leftover sauce! You can add more stock to the sauce and create a butternut squash soup! Or use the sauce on regular pasta.

In the fridge:

You can store these butternut squash and spinach lasagna rollups in the fridge for up to 5 days. Same with leftover sauce. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven.

In the freezer:

Store the leftover butternut squash and spinach lasagna rollups in the freezer by wrapping one or two rolls tightly in saran wrap, then foil. Keep the rollups in an airtight container or freezer-friendly ziplock.

To defrost: Move to the fridge the day before you want to reheat to allow to thaw. Bake thawed rollups in a baking dish for about 30 minutes or until warmed through.

Top tip

You can do multiple steps at once. While the pasta is boiling, prep the veggies. While the veggies roast, sautee the garlic and onion, cook the spinach, and prepare the filling.

Other Fall Recipes:

Rate this Recipe

If you make these Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Rollups, be sure to give this recipe a rating and/or leave a comment! It means the world to hear from you. Also, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can see what you’re making! I love to see your creations!

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Rollups

These Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Rollups taste too good to be true. They are full of clean ingredients and lots of flavor! You won't be able to just have one.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 1 10

Active Time 1

Total Time 2 10

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 6 Servings

Equipment

1 large sheet tray
1 blender or food processor
1 9×13 glass baking dish

Ingredients

For the sauce:

1 butternut squash
½ red onion roughly chopped into about 3 inch pieces
1 head garlic optional
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 can white beans drained and rinsed
2 teaspoon kosher salt divided
1 cup stock (can sub for water)

For the Lasagna rollups:

1 teaspoon Olive oil
½ red onion diced
10 cloves garlic diced (not minced)
10 oz Frozen spinach cooked according to package instructions
20 oz Cottage cheese
1 large egg
2 cups shredded mozzarella divided
½ cup grated parmesan optional
12 sheets lasagna

Instructions

Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease a glass 9×13 baking dish.
Cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and lay them flat on a clean surface. Lightly brush with oil to prevent sticking.
Roast the Veggies: Cut the top off the head of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap it in aluminum foil. Place it in the oven and roast for about 40 minutes. Cut the butternut squash lengthwise and then widthwise. Pierce the squash skin with a fork, rub with olive oil, and place cut side down on the baking sheet along with the chopped red onion. Roast for about 30-40 minutes, or until the squash is soft. About 10 minutes in, add the red onion to the pan, drizzle with oil, and continue to roast together.
While the veggies roast, Make the Filling:
a) In a nonstick pan over medium heat, sauté the diced red onion in olive oil for 5-8 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and continue cooking for another 5 minutes until soft and fragrant. Remove from heat.
b)Cook the frozen spinach according to package instructions, then drain and squeeze out excess liquid.
c) In a bowl, combine the cooked onion and garlic with cottage cheese, egg, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, and spinach. Mix until well combined.
Make the Butternut Squash Sauce: Once the roasted squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the insides and add to a blender (or food processor) along with the cooked onion, white beans, and salt. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins into the blender as well. Add 1 cup of water or stock and blend until very smooth in texture. Add additional water or stock as needed to reach your desired consistency. Spread a layer of this sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
Assemble the Lasagna Roll-Ups: Spoon about ⅓ cup of the filling onto each lasagna noodle, spread out evenly, then roll them up snuggly. Place the roll-ups seam side down into the baking dish with the butternut squash sauce. Add more butternut squash sauce on top, then sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese if using. Note: you may have extra sauce.
Bake and Serve: Bake for about 35 minutes until bubbly and golden. Remove from the oven and serve your delicious Butternut Squash Lasagna Roll-Ups.