Italian Sweet Potato Lasagna Recipe 45

SWEET POTATO LASAGNA

Steps:

• For the tomato sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and mash into a chunky puree using a potato masher. Bring to a simmer and partially cover the pan with a lid. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat.
• For the lasagna: While the sauce is cooking, drain the water from the spinach, place in a clean kitchen towel and wring well to remove any excess water. Break up the spinach into a large bowl. Set aside 1 cup of the mozzarella, then add the remaining mozzarella to the bowl with the spinach. Add the ricotta, Parmesan, nutmeg, eggs, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until well combined.
• Peel the sweet potatoes and trim a small bit from one of the longer ends on each so they will sit flat and not roll. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into 1/4-inch planks.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To assemble the lasagna: Add about 3/4 cup of sauce to the bottom of a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place a single layer of sweet potato slices along the bottom. Top with one-quarter of the ricotta and spinach mixture and use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread gently into an even layer. Dollop about 3/4 cup of sauce on top of the ricotta mixture. Top with another layer of sweet potato slices facing the opposite direction from the previous layer. Repeat with ricotta mixture and sauce until you have 4 layers, ending with the remaining sauce.
• Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, top with the reserved mozzarella and bake until the lasagna is bubbling, the mozzarella is starting to brown and the sweet potatoes are tender when a paring knife is inserted into the center, an additional 45 to 60 minutes. Let sit for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

SWEET POTATO AND RICOTTA LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• To make bechamel, melt butter in a pan over low heat.
• Stir in flour and cook for one minute.
• Remove from heat, add bay leaves and nutmeg and gradually stir in milk - I use a whisk from here.
• Return to low heat and keep whisking and stirring for about 5 minutes, should thicken nicely. Put aside, season and remove bay leaves.
• Now heat oil in a large frypan and add onion and garlic.
• Cook over med heat about 2 minutes, then add sweet potato. Cook another 3 minutes.
• Add mushrooms, oregano and zucchini and cook another 5 minutes til veggies are just softening. Remove from heat and add tomatoes and paste.
• To assemble, place half the veggie mix in the bottom of a large shallow oven dish. ( I used a 26cm x 20cm dish, 5cm deep and it was only just big enough! ).
• Top with 1/3 lasagna sheets, cover with all the ricotta and 1/4 the parmesan.
• Top with another 1/3 lasagna sheets, cover with other half veggies and 1/4 parmesan.
• Top with rest of lasagna sheets, cover with the bechamel and rest of parmesan - make sure completely covered.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until nicely golden and tender.
• Serve with a big crunchy salad!