Super Kale and Sausage Lasagna

Ingredients

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch kale, chopped

1 cup water

sea salt and pepper

1 pkg. oven ready lasagna

2-4 Italian sausage links* (depending on how much meat you like - I used 2)

1 jar prepared pasta sauce

6 oz. crumbled Feta cheese

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Bechamel sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

1½ tablespoon Wondra flour

1½ cup milk

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the kale: first remove the thick center stem, rinse leaves and coarsely chop. Heat canola oil in skillet over med-high heat, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stir in one cup water. Add kale, ½ teaspoon salt and few grinds of pepper, cover and cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Transfer to a strainer to drain.

Meanwhile, remove the casing from the Italian sausage links and break into small pieces. Using the same pan, brown the crumbled sausage over med-high heat. Combine the feta and oregano in a bowl, use a fork to break up the bigger pieces of feta.

For the Bechamel sauce: In a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over med-high heat. Be careful not to scorch the butter. Sprinkle flour into the butter and whisk until a golden brown roux is formed. Add milk slowly, constantly whisking. Cook 5 minutes or so until thickened. Stir in nutmeg. Remove sauce from heat.

Grease baking dish. Spread bottom of dish with pasta sauce. Place a layer of overlapping lasagna on top of the sauce. Spread half of the kale mixture on top of the lasagna, sprinkle with half of the Italian sausage and half of the feta cheese, spoon bechamel sauce on top, dot with more pasta sauce. Repeat with a second layer of lasagna, kale, feta, sausage, and bechamel. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

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About

Not everyone knows that kale is a super food. I've known it for years, but its taken me awhile to come around to its hearty, earthiness and look beyond my undying love for spinach long enough to make room for this nutrient rich leafy green. Fall weather and a craving for lasagna was the perfect opportunity for putting a healthy twist on lasagna by including kale and substituting feta cheese, which is lower in fat than traditional ricotta and mozzarella.