Sweet Potato, Kale, and Lentil Lasagna

Alright, alright, I know. Nothing can compare to the real deal. But this meatless lasagna is arguably just as delicious and less guilty. My boyfriend had 3 servings and I didn’t even have to lecture him! It has the same components as its classic counterpart with thinly sliced sweet potato instead of noodles. Originally from Inspiralized’s blog, I have grown to trust Ali’s recipes. I made very small adjustments and next time I want to add some mushrooms, but I plan on keeping this tasty dish in my repertoire. My recipe differs from Ail’s because I didn’t spiralize my sweet potatoes; I just sliced them as thin as possible on the mandolin.

Make meal prep easier by doing these things a day or so prior and store in fridge: thinly slice sweet potatoes w/ mandolin (don’t try by hand - will be too thick/might hurt yourself), cook lentils, wash kale. Or you could even use pre-washed spinach instead of kale and pre-cooked lentils :)

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes (this will make a 9x13” glass dish)

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 large onion, diced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

• ½ tsp ancho chile powder

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 8 cups chopped kale or spinach

• salt and pepper

• 1.25 cup cooked brown lentils (I like the pre-cooked Trader Joe’s packets to make it easier)

• ½ teaspoon oregano

• 1 cups ricotta cheese

• ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 2ish cups marinara sauce (I kind of drizzle it in the pan without measuring)

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• chopped parsley, to garnish

• Optional to add to veggie (kale/lentil) mixture - cooked mushrooms. This would be really good as well substituting crumbled cooked sausage for the lentils.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Take out a casserole dish (I use 4.2 quart.)

2. Peel the potatoes. Spiralize or slice thinly on a mandolin.

3. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Once oil is shimmering, add in onions and let cook until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, chile powder, smoked paprika and kale, season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 3-5 more minutes or until kale mostly wilts. Add in the cooked lentils, season with oregano, and stir to combine. Turn off burner.

4. Add the ricotta, parmesan and egg to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, whisk together and set aside.

5. Gather all of your prepared ingredients.

   Order to add to dish:

   Add ½ cup of the tomato sauce to the bottom.

   Add a layer of sweet potato noodles.

   Add a layer of the ricotta mixture.

   Add a layer of the lentil and kale mix.

   Repeat 2-3 more times depending how much you have.

   For the last layer:

   Add in ½ cup of tomato sauce.

   Add a layer of the sweet potato noodles.

   Finally, top with all of the mozzarella cheese.

6. Cover the casserole dish with tinfoil and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes. Check doneness by sticking knife into it and making sure sweet potatoes are cooked all the way. After 40-50 minutes, the sweet potato should be fork tender. Take the foil off and broil for 1-2 minutes if you’d like the cheese to brown.

7. Carefully cut the lasagna into 8 equal portions. Remove these portions and plate immediately or save in individual containers in the refrigerator (or freezer).