Sausage and Sweet Potato Zucchini Lasagna

By ShoDav

Ingredients

• 3 large zucchini (or can use whole wheat lasagna noodles)
• 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

Details

Servings 9
Adapted from pinchofyum.com

Preparation

Step 1

Cut the zucchini into thin strips lengthwise. I did this without any special peeler - just a knife. 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 ½ 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 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Layer the zucchini noodles, sauce, sausage, chopped herbs, 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. For a cleaner cut slice, see notes about using regular lasagna noodles.