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    Home » Comfort Foods

    Dec 3, 2022 by Melinda O'Malley Keckler · This post may contain affiliate links · this blog generates income via ads.

    The Best Sweet Potato Lasagna

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Thin slices of sweet potatoes bake fork tender in a Sweet Potato Lasagna that's a wonderful cross between savory and slightly sweet. In so many ways it's a regular lasagna, with all those familiar textures that we love between each cheesy layer. But wait until you taste the difference from swapping out lasagna noodles for thinly sliced sweet potatoes.

    A serving of sweet potato lasagna on a plate with a glass of water off to the side.

    Note: Some of the links you find on this page are paid links, Amazon Associates. That means I make a small commission when you click and shop. Your cost is always the same and I only link to products or ingredients that I use and enjoy.

    Ingredients to Have on Hand

    Sweet Potato Lasagna is a great way to cut a few carbs out of our lasagna routine.

    Although the flavor combination is robust and unique, it's really just lasagna without the cooked noodles.

    • Sweet potatoes
    • Elephant garlic
    • Ricotta cheese
    • Parmesan cheese
    • Mozzarella cheese
    • Fresh basil
    • Marinara sauce
    • Red pepper flakes
    • Egg
    • Garlic powder
    A wedge of sweet potato lasagna with a fork.

    It's easy to make Sweet Potato Lasagna, and using a store-bought pasta sauce it an excellent short cut.

    Ingredients arranged on a wooden plank, sweet potatoes, marinara sauce in a jar, fresh basil and a bulb of elephant garlic.
    Roa's marinara is by far worth every penny and helps make this lasagna recipe a cinch to prepare.

    Add elephant garlic, fresh basil and three types of cheese to round out the flavors.

    Mozzarella, Ricotta and parmesan cheese in their packages, on a wooden plank.

    If you're looking for a unique lasagna recipe to share, this is it!

    Elephant Garlic Recipe

    This recipe puts elephant garlic to use in a whole new way. The garlic is grated, then baked in the lasagna layers.

    When we think of elephant garlic we more frequently think of it oven-roasted. The whole bulb is wrapped in foil with a little olive oil then baked until the large cloves are tender.

    There's no question, it's delicious to serve elephant garlic that way, especially on warm bread or crackers.

    But elephant garlic is actually very versatile and less "garlicky" than regular garlic.

    Grated elephant garlic in a bowl with a grater on the side.

    Depending on how large the bulb of elephant garlic is, you'll use almost all of it for this lasagna recipe.

    Store-Bought Marinara Sauce

    There are lots of options for red sauce when we make Sweet Potato Lasagna. Making a sauce from scratch is delicious, Tomato Cream Sauce is so easy and tasty and Sunday Gravy (Spaghetti Sauce) is a great choice too, but I like to take a short cut when I make this recipe.

    Rao's Marinara is my favorite store-bought pasta sauce. (Amazon Affiliate link.) Added bonus, you can pour it straight from the jar as you assemble the lasagna.

    Ingredient list from Rao's.
    Photo of Rao's label from Amazon.

    One look at the ingredient list and you'll see why. There's no water, no fillers, no added sugars - it's just sweet Italian plum tomatoes and other fresh ingredients.

    Pasta-Free Lasagna

    There's no cooking noodles with Sweet Potato Lasagna because there's no pasta in the recipe. But honestly, I don't think you'll miss those noodles and if you are like me, you won't miss boiling them either.

    A wedge of sweet potato lasagna with a fork.

    Sweet potatoes are gluten free which makes this recipe a wonderful meal to serve friends or family who can't eat gluten, but who love great flavors!

    Layer the Lasagna

    Once the sweet potatoes are sliced, sweet potato lasagna is easily assembled. It's layered just like your favorite, traditional lasagna recipe.

    Marinara sauced placed on top of sliced sweet potatoes.
    Add marinara sauce to each layer.
    Ricotta cheese layer spread on top of sliced sweet potatoes in a baking dish.
    Spoon Ricotta cheese on the sliced potatoes.
    Fresh basil on top of sliced sweet potatoes in a baking dish
    Add large, fresh basil leaves.
    Shredded mozzarella cheese on top of marinara sauce.
    Sprinkle the top with shredded Mozzarella cheese.

    Cheesy Filling

    I recommend using whole milk ricotta cheese because it's creamier and mellows the flavor of the garlic, delicious with red paper flakes mixed in.

    Ricotta cheese, egg, parmesan cheese, garlic powder and red pepper flakes in a bowl.

    You won't notice the heat from the red pepper flakes, but they blend great with the parmesan and ricotta cheese.

    A bowl of thinly sliced sweet potatoes with several peeled sweet potatoes on the side.

    Slice the Sweet Potatoes

    I like to use my cabbage slicer with this recipe, it's handy tool, and a lot like a mandolin. It slices the sweet potatoes quickly, and makes each slice just like the other.

    You can use a sharp knife to slice the sweet potatoes, but you'll want to ensure each slice is the same thickness - about as thick as a coin, like a quarter or a nickel.

    A hand holding sliced sweet potatoes, sliced very thin.
    You'll want each slice of sweet potato to be the same thickness, this ensures that the entire pan of sweet potato lasagna will cook evenly.

    The sweet potatoes need to be sliced thin, this will help with the cooking time and ensure the entire dish cooks evenly, so you don't end up with chunky or crunchy sections of the lasagna.

    Top Tips and FAQ

    Can I use regular garlic in place of elephant garlic?

    Elephant garlic is different than regular garlic so it's not interchangeable in recipes. Elephant garlic is big is size, but its flavor is much more mild than regular garlic.

    If you opt to use regular garlic in your sweet potato lasagna, reduce the amount to only a few teaspoons of chopped, fresh garlic. Elephant garlic cloves on a cutting board.

    Should I pre-cook the sweet potatoes?

    There's no need to cook the sweet potatoes ahead of time. Just be sure to slice them really thin (about the same thickness as a quarter) and they'll bake beautifully in the lasagna layers.

    Can I add Italian sausage or meat to this recipe?

    Yes, if your family prefers a more traditional meaty lasagna, sprinkle cooked Italian sausage - or even ground beef - on top of the final sweet potato layer and before you add the cheese.

    Although I designed this recipe to be meatless, as my family can attest to, it is also delicious with meat.

    A slice of sweet potato lasagna on a plate with a glass of ice water on the side.

    More Meatless Recipes

    Whether we are topping pasta with a fresh homemade sauce or tossing salad with a freshly made dressing, here are a few more meatless recipes I think you'll love!

    • Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
    • Cheesy Baked Ziti
    • Fresh Pesto
    • Tomato-Cream Sauce

    Stay in Touch

    Be sure to give a star rating to the recipes you make from the Crinkled Cookbook. I always love hearing from you. Sharing is great too! Use the buttons after the recipe to text it with just one click or send it to family and friends on Pinterest and Facebook. Enjoy.

    A serving of sweet potato lasagna on a plate with a glass of water off to the side.

    The Best Sweet Potato Lasagna

    Sweet Potato Lasagna is a wonderful cross between savory and slightly sweet. In so many ways it's a regular lasagna, with all those familiar textures that we love between each cheesy layer. You'll never miss the noodles!
    4.98 from 99 votes
    Print Rate Pin Recipe
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Resting Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 437kcal
    Author: Melinda O'Malley Keckler

    Equipment

    • 13" by 9" glass baking dish

    Ingredients 

    • 3 pounds sweet potato - about 3 sweet potatoes peeled and sliced very thin
    • 1 bulb elephant garlic use 4-6 cloves, peeled and grated, approximately ½ cup packed into a measuring cup
    • 2 ½ cups Ricotta cheese
    • 2 eggs
    • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded and divided
    • ½ cup fresh basil leaves
    • 2 cups Mozzarella cheese grated and divided
    • 4 cups marinara sauce homemade or your favorite store-bought variety

    Instructions

    Prep Ingredients

    • Preheat oven to 350° F and spray a 13" x 9" glass baking dish with Pam, or grease with a light coating of shortening.
    • Grate the Mozzarella cheese and finely grate the Parmesan cheese, set aside.
    • Peel the sweet potatoes and slice very thin. Use a mandolin or any slicer. You can use a knife, but ensure the slices are very thin.
      Plan on approximately one sweet potato per layer of the lasagna.
    • Peel the skins off the elephant garlic and use a grater to shred 4 - 6 bulbs or about ½ cup of grated elephant garlic.
    • Blend the ricotta cheese with two eggs, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt and ¼ cup parmesan cheese, set aside.

    Assemble Lasagna Layers

    • Place about ½ cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of the dish and spread to create a thin layer across the bottom of the dish.
    • Arrange a thin layer of sliced sweet potatoes on top of the sauce, overlapping as needed so the bottom of the dish doesn't peek through, and top with ⅓ of the grated elephant garlic.
    • Spoon 1 and ½ cups of marinara sauce on top of that layer and spread evenly to cover the sweet potatoes and garlic.
    • Arrange another layer of sliced sweet potatoes on top of the sauce, then add another ⅓ of the grated elephant garlic.
    • Add the ricotta cheese mixture on top of the sweet potatoes and garlic and spread evenly across to fully cover the potatoes and garlic.
    • Top the layer of ricotta cheese with a third layer of sweet potatoes and the remaining elephant garlic, then top this layer with the fresh basil leaves. Place the leaves evenly across the potatoes and garlic.
    • Pour the remaining marinara sauce on top and spread evenly.
    • Sprinkled one cup of mozzarella cheese on top.

    Bake

    • Cover with foil and bake at 350° F for 50 minutes.
      Remove foil, add remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese and return to the oven for an additional 30 minutes.
    • Test to ensure the sweet potatoes are tender by inserting a sharp knife in the center of the lasagna. It should be smooth. If the potatoes are still firm, lightly cover the pan with foil and return it to the oven for another 10 minutes.
    • Let sit for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
    Did you make this recipe? Scroll up and leave a star rating.Tap @crinkledcookbook and follow me today.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 437kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 23gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.004gCholesterol: 106mgSodium: 1322mgPotassium: 1075mgFiber: 7gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 25399IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 453mgIron: 3mg

    Please note, the nutrition details are estimated using a food database and are offered here only as a guideline for informational purposes.

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    1. DJ says

      December 17, 2022 at 9:03 am

      5 stars
      OMG, you had me at sweet potato! This was just about the best lasagna I ever tasted. Who would've thought to use sweet potato? Great idea.

      Reply
    2. Jere Cassidy says

      December 14, 2022 at 12:38 pm

      5 stars
      I love this and another great way to use sweet potatoes. May try a mandoline next time to get thinner slices of the potatoes.

      Reply
      • Melinda O'Malley Keckler says

        December 14, 2022 at 5:42 pm

        Thank you Jere! I agree, it's important to slice the sweet potatoes really thin. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Dee Broughton says

      December 14, 2022 at 11:56 am

      5 stars
      I love this. I'm always looking for a pasta free lasagna and never thought about using sweet potatoes. I'm definitely going to give this a try.

      Reply
      • Melinda O'Malley Keckler says

        December 14, 2022 at 5:43 pm

        Great! Let me know what you think. This is a wonderful recipe that works great when we are serving folks who are either trying to cut carbs, are gluten free or vegetarian.

        Reply
    4. Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says

      December 14, 2022 at 10:15 am

      5 stars
      What a delicious lasagne!! It's so flavorful and rich - you'll never miss the meat!

      Reply
    5. Gloria says

      December 14, 2022 at 7:17 am

      5 stars
      I have not tried a lasagna I did not like. I have never tried one with sweet potatoes. Looks like I have to make this for dinner on the weekend. I am sure it will be a hit with the family.

      Reply

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    Hello friends! Welcome. I'm Melinda. I'm a home cook and I've been creating recipes for more than 30 years. I'm excited to share recipes and techniques to help you enjoy cooking too. I'm a former TV journalist and a two-time breast cancer survivor. Stick around and click around and let's make great meals at home!

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