The thing I love about lasagna is how easy it makes it to clear out your refrigerator - just add in anything you’ve got! It’s also great comfort food for any time of the year. I had some yellow squash left over from the farmer’s market, so I used it in place of noodles, but I imagine you could use zucchini strips instead. The roasted squash gives a nice nutty flavor in the background. And with the hefty amount of fiber, iron, calcium, Vitamin C, and other vitamins and minerals from the squash and the spinach, this lasagna’s actually surprisingly good for you, so you can indulge without guilt!

For one lasagna, you will need a deep casserole dish. Mine is 9X6X5 and worked perfectly. You’ll also need:

6 small yellow squash
1-2 tsp. olive oil
salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 1/2-2 cups low-sugar pasta sauce

3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
salt and pepper

1 10 oz. box frozen spinach, thawed and drained
18 slices sandwich pepperoni
1 16 oz. bag shredded Italian cheese blend
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Step 1: Roast the squash
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice squash lengthwise into 1/4″-thick slices.

Arrange on baking sheet; brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.

Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Step 2: Prepare fillings

Brown ground beef in large skillet with onions and garlic, until browned through. Stir in pasta sauce and Italian seasoning. You may want to add salt and pepper at this step too - it’s up to your tastebuds.

In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, parmesan, egg, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3: Assemble

Spoon a small amount of sauce onto the bottom of casserole. Layer squash slices over the top.

Layer 6 slices of pepperoni over squash.

Spoon sauce over that, covering evenly.

Add about half of the ricotta cheese mixture and distribute evenly.

Sprinkle spinach evenly across this.

Sprinkle about 1/2 cup shredded cheese over the top.

Repeat the layering process, topping with a final layer of pepperoni and shredded cheese. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top.

Bake, covered, at 375 degrees for 1 hour, then increase heat to 500 and bake uncovered for 10 minutes, until cheese is golden brown.

Steve’s verdict: Eeeeexcellent. This one’s destined to be a new favorite!