Cooking On The Couch: Gluten Free Lasagna & Autumn Mimosas

NEW YORK (WLNY) -- Chef Dean Sheremet has worked in the kitchens of hot spots like Nobu 57 and Jean-Georges.

He joined us on The Couch to show us some healthy and delicious autumn recipes, like gluten-free lasagna with butternut squash "noodles" and oven-roasted pear with whipped vanilla ginger yogurt.

More: NYC's 5 Best Restaurants With Gluten Free Menu Options

Gluten Free Lasagna with Butternut squash "Noodles"

Ingredients:
2 Butternut squash peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick (tops only, reserve the bottoms for another use)
olive oil
2 ounces of parmesan cheese (for topping)

1. Set oven to 400 degrees
2. Toss the squash strips in just enough olive oil to coat and arrange in a single layer on sheet trays lined with parchment paper.
3. Roast 15 minutes or just until tender. Remove from the oven and allow to cool

Balsamic caramelized onions:

3 Tablespoons of Olive oil
3 yellow onions, thinly sliced
Pinch of salt
2 sprigs of thyme leaves
1 Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

1. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large pan, add the onions gently toss to coat them in the oil
2. Add the thyme and reduce the flame to a low and cook covered for about 30-40 minutes
3. Once completely tender add the balsamic and cook covered for another 10 minutes, they onions should be caramelized and syrupy
4. Transfer them to a bowl and set aside

Garlic spinach/Ricotta filling

1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 clove of garlic, sliced thinly
1 pinch of chili flake
15 ounces of baby spinach leaves
20 ounces of part skim ricotta
1 Teaspoon kosher salt

1. Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large pan, add the garlic and chili flake and sauté until golden, remove and discard the garlic but not the oil
2. Add the spinach and cook just until wilted, remove from the heat and squeeze out the excess moisture
3. In a large bowl, fold together with the ricotta and set aside

Turkey sausage ragu

1 pound of Italian turkey sausage
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
8 ounces of cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
36 ounces of your favorite store bought tomato sauce

1. Remove sausage from the casing.
2. Brown sausage in medium saucepan grently breaking in apart.
3. Remove the meat from pan and drain onto a plate lined with paper towel,
4. Add mushrooms and cook until nicely browned, 7-8 minutes. Return the turkey sausage to the pan and pour the sauce over, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes or nice and thick

Assembly:

1. Using a 13x9 pan, spoon a thin layer of sauce, then the butternut squash slightly overlapping, add half of the caramelized onions, followed by a thin layer of the spinach ricotta mixture, repeat until the pan is full. Finish with a layer of sauce.
2. Lower oven to 350 degrees and bake covered with foil or 30 minutes
3. Remove from the oven and grate the parmesan on top
4. Allow to stand at room temp 5 minutes before cutting

Oven Roasted Pear with Whipped Vanilla Ginger Yogurt

1 ½ cup Greek yogurt 0%
1 vanilla bean split and scraped
2 Tablespoons honey or agave, more for drizzling
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
1 Teaspoon ginger
4 ripe pears

1. Set oven to broil, adjust rack to 4-6 inches below broiler
2. Combine all ingredients except for the pears in a medium bowl, let stand at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to combine
3. Halve and core pears and brush a thin layer of the agave or honey over the cut side of the pears
4. Set cut side up on baking sheet or inside pyrex container and broil 6-8 minutes (until tender but not mushy)
5. Top with a healthy dollop of the whipped yogurt and I small drizzle of honey