Description
This Sausage and Sweet Potato Zucchini Lasagna features ancho chili spiced sausage and a sweet potato sauce that is uniquely sweet and savory.
Ingredients
- 3 large zucchini
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 2 large sweet potatoes (4–5 cups when cooked and cut)
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder (in the spice aisle)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella or Provolone cheese
Instructions
- Cut the zucchini into thin strips lengthwise. I did this without any special peeler – just a knife (see picture in post). Lay them on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Let rest while you prep the other ingredients – the excess moisture will seep out of them and you can press them with paper towels when they’re ready. While the zucchini is resting, in a large skillet, brown the ground pork with 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, wash the sweet potatoes, poke with a fork several times, wrap once in a paper towel, and microwave for 5-7 minutes or until soft. You can also bake them in the oven if you prefer. Cut into chunks, transfer to a blender, and puree with the milk, chicken broth, olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt until smooth and creamy.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer the zucchini noodles, sauce, sausage, chopped cilantro and green onions, and cheese; repeat layers three times. End with a final layer of zucchini noodles covered with a little sauce and cheese. Cover with greased foil so the cheese won’t stick and bake for 30-45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for at least 15-20 minutes. This does not cut into perfectly clean squares, especially if you cut into it before it has time to cool and set a little bit (which I did – SO HUNGRY). For a cleaner cut slice, see notes about using regular lasagna noodles.
Notes
To customize this, you can use any kind of ground meat (pork, turkey, beef, etc) and any kind of cheese. I like Mozzarella and Provolone because they melt nicely.
For a more traditional lasagna (and one that holds together a little easier) you can also use cooked whole wheat lasagna noodles in place of or in addition to the zucchini. If you do this, you’ll need to add a little more chicken broth to the sweet potato sauce to help the lasagna stay moist. The noodles soak up excess liquid whereas the zucchini noodles *add* liquid. I’ve made it both ways with delicious results – just a different texture and slice-ability.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: sweet potato zucchini lasagna, zucchini lasagna, squash lasagna