Pesto Sweet Potato Lasagne

Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings 6-8

Ingredients

Pesto
2 bunches basil leaves, picked
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan

2 tbsp olive oil
2 brown onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
600g mascarpone
200g creme fraiche
1 cup (250ml) vegetable stock
300g baby spinach, roughly chopped
½ cup basil leaves, roughly chopped + extra leaves, to serve
375g instant lasagne sheets (1 ½ x 250g packets)
2 med-large sweet potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced into rounds
80g parmesan, finely grated
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
50g pinenuts

Green salad, to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C.

To make pesto, place the basil, garlic, pine nuts, lemon zest and juice in a food processor and blend until almost smooth. Add the olive oil, with the motor running, in a slow steady stream and process until well combined. Transfer to a bowl, season and stir in parmesan. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until softened, then add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the the stock followed by mascarpone, creme fraiche and nutmeg, and stir until smooth and bubbling. Add the spinach and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the spinach has wilted. Remove from the heat. Season.

Lightly oil a baking dish (approximately 20 x 30cm) and spread a third of the spinach mixture on the bottom. Top with lasagne sheets, pesto, sweet potato slices, then another layer of lasagne sheets, trimming to fit dish. Repeat with 2 more layers.

Sprinkle with the Parmesan, cover with foil and bake for 35 mins. Remove foil and cook for another 15 mins until bubbling and golden brown and sweet potato is tender.
Serve with a green salad.