Try this Sweet Potato, Kale, and Lentil Lasagna recipe.
- salt and pepper
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 medium red onion diced
- chopped parsley to garnish
- 3 large sweet potatoes
- 6 cups chopped kale
- 1.25 cup cooked brown lentils
- 1.5 cups ricotta cheese
- 1/3 upgrated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups marinara sauce (i use victoria fine foods’ avocado
- Carbohydrate 12.6389946013168 g
- Cholesterol 49.589583352905 mg
- Fat 7.30958876411625 g
- Fiber 1.45654039304202 g
- Protein 10.1939275191843 g
- Saturated Fat 3.98686870067601 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (115g)
- Sodium 187.545773229305 mg
- Sugar 11.1824542082748 g
- Trans Fat 0.438504161967492 g
- Calories 157 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Take out a casserole dish (I use 4.2 quart.)
- Prepare the sweet potatoes. Peel the potatoes. Spiralize with Blade A.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Once oil is shimmering, add in onions and let cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, and kale, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 3 more minutes or until kale mostly wilts. Add in the cooked lentils, season with oregano, and stir to combine.
- Add the ricotta, parmesan and egg to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, whisk together and set aside.
- Gather all of your prepared ingredients. Add ½ cup of the tomato sauce to the bottom. Then, add a layer of sweet potato noodles. Then, add a layer of the ricotta mixture. Then, add a layer of the lentil and kale mix. Then, add in ½ cup of tomato sauce. Then, add a layer of the sweet potato noodles. Then, add in a layer of the ricotta mixture. Then, add a layer of the lentil and kale mix. Then, add ½ cup of tomato sauce. Then, add a layer of the sweet potato noodles. Then, add in a layer of the ricotta mixture. Then, add a layer of the lentil and kale mix. Then, add in ½ cup of tomato sauce. Then, add a layer of the sweet potato noodles. Then, top with all of the mozzarella cheese.
- Cover the casserole dish with tinfoil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, the sweet potato should be fork tender. If it’s ready, take the dish out of the oven, remove the tinfoil top, and garnish with parsley.
- Carefully cut the lasagna into 8 equal portions. Remove these portions and plate immediately or save in individual containers in the refrigerator (or freezer).
Timing the initial wilt on the greens determines whether the dish retains excess moisture during baking. Cooking the kale for three minutes reduces its water volume without stripping the cellular structure completely. Swapping traditional wheat pasta sheets for spiralized sweet potatoes shifts the mechanical behavior of the dish entirely. Fresh root vegetables release moisture as they cook, unlike dried pasta which absorbs liquid. Balancing this water release requires precise oven management and deliberate layering.
- Spiralize the sweet potatoes using Blade A to achieve uniform thickness, ensuring the strands soften uniformly during the 40-minute covered bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cover the casserole dish tightly with tinfoil during the first baking phase to trap steam, which cooks the dense sweet potato noodles before the top cheese layer browns.
- Remove the foil once the sweet potatoes test fork-tender, allowing excess ambient moisture to evaporate so the ricotta and marinara do not become watery.
Combining earthy lentils with sweet root vegetables creates a natural interplay between earthy iron compounds and concentrated natural sugars. Dairy fats from the ricotta and mozzarella coat the palate, mutunting the bitterness found in raw dark greens.
