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    Home » Recipes » Comfort Foods

    Modified: May 16, 2023 · Published: Dec 3, 2022 by Melinda O'Malley Keckler · This post may contain affiliate links · this blog generates income from 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. Like Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce it's classic comfort food with a new spin. 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.
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients to Have on Hand
    • Elephant Garlic Recipe
    • Store-Bought Marinara Sauce
    • Pasta-Free Lasagna
    • Layer the Lasagna
    • Cheesy Filling
    • Slice the Sweet Potatoes
    • FAQs
    • More Meatless Recipes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Ingredients to Have on Hand

    If you enjoy comfort food main dishes like No Ketchup Meatloaf, Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese or Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel and Velveeta, then you'll love Sweet Potato Lasagna.

    Here's the added bonus with this recipe: 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 is an excellent shortcut.

    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 and 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 shortcut 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 a 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.

    FAQs

    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 in size, but its flavor is much milder 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, 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 the salad with a freshly made dressing, here are a few more meatless recipes I think you'll love!

    • Blue cheese crumbles on top of blended ingredients.
      Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
    • A large baking dish full of baked ziti pasta with small mounds of ricotta cheese on top.
      Cheesy Baked Ziti Casserole
    • Pesto sauce in spoon over a bowl of pesto
      Fresh Pesto
    • cropped-IMG_0766-scaled-1.jpg
      Tomato-Cream Sauce

    If you tried this Sweet Potato Lasagna or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below.

    Recipe

    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. Serve with slices of crusty bread and a bowl of freshly made Dipping Oil for Bread for a restaurant-style meal!
    4.99 from 174 votes
    Print Rate Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
    Resting Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 2 hours hours 5 minutes 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.

    Notes

    A reminder, there's no need to cook the sweet potatoes ahead of time. Just be sure to slice them thin (about the same thickness as a quarter) and they'll bake beautifully in the lasagna layers. Serve with Classic Potato Rolls for a little added carb and an incredible meal.
    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, so they’re just a rough estimate not an exact science.

    Did you try this recipe? Leave a comment below or @crinkledcookbook on Instagram, snap a photo and tag it #crinkledcookbook

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    Comments

      4.99 from 174 votes (163 ratings without comment)

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    1. Jacqueline says

      July 27, 2024 at 11:31 am

      5 stars
      This is such a tasty meatless and pastaless lasagna. I loved the use of sweet potatoes instead of pasta. Elephant garlic isn't available all year round here in Italy, but when I find it I love to use it, such a delicate flavour!

      Reply
    2. Sonja says

      July 27, 2024 at 7:49 am

      5 stars
      I adore this lasagne! It has everything I want: Vegetables, cheese, tomato sauce and a delicious ricotta white sauce instead of the usual cooked white sauce. So much fresher and healthier than the classic!

      Reply
      • Melinda O'Malley Keckler says

        July 27, 2024 at 9:35 am

        Thank you for the enthusiastic review Sonja. I'm glad you enjoyed Sweet Potato Lasagna!

        Reply
    3. Nicole says

      July 26, 2024 at 9:32 am

      5 stars
      I love that this recipe doesn’t include lasagna noodles! This was a fun dish to make with the kids, which always helps them like the food better! We loved it

      Reply
      • Melinda O'Malley Keckler says

        July 26, 2024 at 1:07 pm

        Wonderful! Thanks for the five star rating. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Claudia says

      July 26, 2024 at 8:54 am

      5 stars
      Just made this sweet potato lasagna and it’s incredible! The layers are delicious, and it’s a great twist on the classic.

      Reply
      • Melinda O'Malley Keckler says

        July 26, 2024 at 1:06 pm

        Thank you Claudia, it's a nice change of pace from traditional lasagna isn't it.

        Reply
    5. Liz says

      July 26, 2024 at 8:00 am

      5 stars
      Such a yummy twist on lasagna! My family loved it---and I'll be making it again in the fall!!

      Reply
    6. Patti says

      January 21, 2024 at 10:18 am

      5 stars
      Delicious! It worked out great, my family loved it!

      Reply
      • Melinda O'Malley Keckler says

        January 22, 2024 at 7:06 pm

        So happy to hear this Patti and thanks for the five star rating!

        Reply
    7. Maureen says

      January 19, 2024 at 9:31 am

      Made this last night and it was a big hit, really delicious. My only problem is that it was to saucy, it didn't keep it form at all. I would like to know why and how I can make it were the presentation is as good as the last! Thanks

      Reply
      • Melinda O'Malley Keckler says

        January 20, 2024 at 8:32 am

        I'm glad you liked sweet potato lasagna Maureen! Did you use the ratio of sweet potatoes to sauce that's listed in the recipe? Also, be sure to let the lasagna sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. That helps it set. 🙂

        Reply
    8. 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
    9. 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
    10. 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
    11. 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
    12. 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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