Prep Time- 30 total minutes | Cook Time- 25 + 20 minutes (total of 45 minutes) | Makes 4- 6 servings
Super Delicious, Super Simple! This Eggplant Lasagna is a total Dinner-Winner!
Ingredients:
- 2 large Eggplants
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil (Or Spray Oil which is what I use)
- Salt and Pepper
- 16 oz of your favorite Tomato Sauce (My favorite is Rao’s Marinara Sauce)
- ALTERNATIVE- Shredded Mozzarella and/or Bread Crumbs for the top.
- 15 oz of Ricotta Cheese
- .25 Cup Shredded Parmesan
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Dry Basil (Or 1/2 Tbsp Fresh Basil)
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
* See notes at the bottom for ingredient alternatives and other ideas!
Instructions:
1- Only gather the first 3 ingredients at this time.
2- Cut the top and bottom inch off of each eggplant, and slice longways so that you have 3/4 inch thick slices. Thicker or thinner slices are totally fine- remember the thinner the slices the shorter the baking time, ALSO the thicker the slices, the fewer layers you will have. You can peal the skin off at this time if that is your preference.
3- Lay the eggplant out on kitchen towels (or paper towels) and sprinkled both sides generously with salt. This step is important to draw out the extra moisture while also taming the bitterness. Let sit for 20 minutes. In the mean-time, set the oven to 400°F (Or about 204°C) so that it is heated by the time the eggplant is ready to bake. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
4- Dab both sides of the eggplant dry. Then, using your hands, quickly rub them down with some olive oil (they will absorb the oil very quickly) OR spray each side with spray oil. Season each side generously with salt and pepper and bake for about 25 minutes, turning them over halfway through.
5- Gather all remaining ingredients and keep oven set to 400°F (Or about 204°C). Grab a large bowl and a baking dish (I like to used a 9×9 but I have also used a 9×14. Use whatever you have, keeping in mind the more surface area it has, the fewer layers you get).
6- In the large bowl, mix together the last 9 ingredients (the cheeses, egg, and spices- not including the alternative toppings).
7- In the baking dish, spread a small amount of your tomato sauce onto the bottom to prevent the eggplant from sticking. Place one layer of eggplant, then smear a layer of the ricotta mixture on top of the eggplant. Then, spread a layer of tomato sauce on top of that. Continue this pattern (tomato sauce- eggplant- ricotta- tomato sauce—) until you have used up all of your ingredients, making sure the top layer is not eggplant (ending up with either cheese or tomato sauce on top is totally fine). Feel free to top with shredded mozzarella or bread crumbs!
8- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes (I put a baking sheet underneath the baking dish in case there is any spillage). You can broil it briefly (2-4 minutes) if you want your shredded mozzarella to get dark on top (but make sure to keep a good eye on this as it will brown very quickly). I know this will be difficult, but please, let this rest about 5-10 minutes before eating. Trust me on this one, the wait is worth it 🙂
NOTES:
ALTERNATIVES– You can add other veggies to the layers or the sauce (like spinach, mushrooms, onions, garlic, even zucchini). You can use a vegan version of the cheese layers. You can also choose to top with shredded cheese or bread crumbs. You can change up the spices in the ricotta mixture, and you can remove the egg and it will taste just fine too. I also frequently add a bunch of chopped garlic to the tomato sauce (because why not?).
