Kim Rose

Kim Rose

Meet Kim Rose, owner of Kimberly’s Kitchen and Catering. Read her story and enjoy this yummy butternut squash and spinach-based lasagna recipe. The crispy prosciutto and herbs do not disappoint. It is simply decadent.

Last year, Nomadés celebrated our 10th Anniversary with a few loyal customers, some of our charming consultants and our close family and friends. It was a night to remember and part of the reason is because we are all about the food and we hired Woodbridge, VA based company, Kimberly’s Kitchen and Catering for the evening.

We wanted to share one of Kim’s delicious pasta dishes with you. But, first a little about her.

Kim was married to her first husband, a Navy pilot for only 6 months, when he was killed in an aircraft accident. We salute and honor the sacrifice he gave to this country and are always honored when Gold Star Spouses share their stories with us.

Kim married again and spent 27 years as a military spouse. She has 3 kids, one son-in-law and one huge Great Dane named Blue.

We asked Kim how she got her start in catering. “While I was getting my 2nd degree, I worked for a resort in the catering department and fell in love with creativity and high paced aspect of catering.”

Kim creativity does not disappoint. When we told her what we were planning for our Nomadés 10th Anniversary, we thought for sure she would balk. Because our charms celebrate all the different places around the US and the World, we wanted our food to compliment the vast areas where our military is stationed. We had a Mediterranean Platter, Memphis BBQ pulled pork sliders, mini Maryland crab cakes, Nevada Deviled Eggs with hot pepper jam, grilled corn salsa, and New York Buffalo Wings…along with German and Italian desserts that hit the sweet spot.

Kim’s kids are older now, but we asked her if she has any tips for raising a family and running a small business. She said her best tool was a calendar, she color coded each kid and made sure their activities were up to date, so she could accept jobs with confidence. She is also a big proponent of prepping meals ahead of time; planning ahead is key for her.

Kim’s has lost of favorites. Her favorite food to cook for others is anything pasta. Her favorite food to eat is beef stew. Her most used kitchen tool and must have is an immersion blender.

We are so thrilled to be sharing this recipe below with you.

She brought us a sample this week and we can attest to the fact that it is absolutely 100% good ol’ Italian comfort food.

 

Roasted Butternut Squash & Spinach Lasagna

 

Layers of creamy béchamel sauce, roasted butternut squash and garlic, spinach, cheeses, and lasagna noodles all come together to create this meatless lasagna.

 

Prep Time – 30 minutes

Cook Time – 1 hour, 30 minutes

Total Time – 2 hours

Servings – 8

Ingredients

 

  • 6 cups cubed butternut squash (about 1 medium)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 whole head of garlic, topped removed
  • 6 tablespoons of salted butter
  • 12 fresh sage leaves
  • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
  • 1 cup shredded Gouda or Fontina cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups whole milk ricotta
  • 2 cups shredded Provolone
  • 1 cup shredded fresh mozzarella
  • 4 cups fresh baby spinach or 2 packages (10 oz each) frozen, thawed, drained spinach
  • 1 box no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 3 oz thinly sliced prosciutto, torn
  • ½ cup of panko bread crumbs

 

Instructions

 

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter lasagna pan (or 9x13 baking dish).

 

2.On a baking sheet, place garlic head in a corner and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add the butternut squash, remaining olive oil, and a heavy pinch of salt and pepper. Toss squash to mix. Place sheet pan in oven and roast for approximately 25-30 minutes or until the squash is tender and starting to caramelize.

 

3.Meanwhile, make the béchamel sauce. In a large pot, heat the butter, sage, and rosemary over medium heat and cook until the butter begins to brown (about 3-4 minutes). Remove herbs and reserve for later use. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add the milk and broth, whisking until combined. Stir in the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and stir for 3-4 minutes until starting to thicken slightly. Stir in the Gouda or fontina cheese and spinach. Stir until the cheese is melted. Remove from heat.

 

4.Remove squash and garlic from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Once cooled, squeeze garlic into a small bowl and mash with the back of a spoon. Stir half of the garlic into the béchamel sauce. Reserve the other half for the ricotta mixture.

 

5.In a medium bowl, mash the roasted butternut squash until mostly smooth. Add remaining smashed garlic, egg, ricotta, ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese, and season with salt and pepper as needed.

 

6.Spread ¼ of the béchamel sauce in the bottom of prepared baking dish. Top with 3-4 lasagna sheets (do not overlap-sheets will expand as they cook). Spread ½ of the butternut squash mixture, and then ¼ of béchamel sauce, 1/3 of each the provolone and mozzarella. Repeat this layering pattern again, and then top with 3-4 lasagna sheets, remaining béchamel sauce, provolone and mozzarella cheeses. Sprinkle with panko and remaining Parmesan. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Add torn prosciutto.

 

7.Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until the top has bubbled up and browned a bit. Let stand 10 minutes before serving for the lasagna to set. Top with the reserved fried sage and rosemary.

 

8.Enjoy!

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