Spinach, ricotta and sweet potato lasagne

This is one of those surprise recipe experiments that’s both delicious and also quick. I love quick. Quick and I are the best of friends.

It’s also meat free, probably contains more than your requisite 5 a day, especially if served with yet more veggies, like, perhaps a carrot, apple and beetroot slaw. And it gives you that illusion of having eaten lasagne when really you’ve eaten a low carb version. I tend to start my week quite low carb and then work up to an all out snout in the bread basket moment by Saturday evening. Add more cheese to the top for a more decadent Monday dinner than the version pictured.

Lots of great recipes like this in my book, Recipes from a Normal Mum, out now… on Amazon, The Works, at Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets.

One year ago: Florentine quiche and Flourless chocolate cake and Cadbury Creme Mini Egg chocolate flapjackand School fair rocky road

Two year ago: White chocolate & cranberry hot cross buns and Cadbury creme egg mess and Banoffee pecan mini pavs

Three years ago: Easter Apostles scone loaf and Carrot cake in a cup for Mother’s Day and Cranberry oaty biscuits

Four years ago: Mini chocolate birds nests and Puff pastry and Walnut bread

Spinach, ricotta and sweet potato lasagne

Please note that all quantities are approximate. If your lasagne dish is huge then you will need more potato slices and more lasagne sheets.

Ingredients:

• 200g frozen chopped spinach (or fresh – see note below)
• 30g butter
• 2 garlic cloves
• 250g ricotta cheese
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 260g sweet potato (about 2 average sized potatoes)
• 3 sheets dried spinach lasagne sheets (if you can’t find green lasagne sheets (spinach ones) just use the plain ones)
• 365g Greek yoghurt
• 20g grated parmesan

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Place the spinach in a microwave proof bowl and cover. Defrost in the microwave according to instructions. Carefully squeeze any excess water from the spinach using your hands or by pushing it against a sieve with the back of a spoon. Melt the butter in a frying pan on a low heat. Add the garlic clove and fry for 1 minute. Do not allow it to go brown. Add the spinach and stir. Then add the ricotta cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Turn the heat up and stir well whilst it warms through for 2 minutes. Tip into a lasagne dish/roasting tray.

Slice the sweet potatoes lengthways and lay over the spinach and ricotta mixture in one layer. Then add the lasagne sheets, again in just one layer. Stir together the yoghurt and parmesan and cover the lasagne sheets with it until they are entirely covered. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until a knife passes through the lasagne easily. Top with more cheese if you wish.

NB: You can use fresh spinach instead of frozen. Simply place freshly washed spinach in a frying pan over a low heat with a drizzle of olive oil until it wilts, then set aside to cool. Be sure to squeeze any excess water from it after it cools. You may need to do it in batches as fresh spinach starts off looking like a lot of leaves, but cooks down to almost nothing.

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