Eggplant Lasagna
DESCRIPTION
INGREDIENTS
Roasting Eggplant:
- 1 medium eggplant (1 lb)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 tsp table salt
- 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
Meat Sauce:
- 1 lb 90% lean ground beef
- 15 oz wt.
canned tomato sauce - 5 oz wt. fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped and long stems discarded
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp
dried oregano - 1/4 tsp table salt
- 1/4 tsp
ground cayenne
Other:
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz wt.)
- 2 large eggs, beaten
INSTRUCTIONS
Roasting Eggplant:
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Cut off and discard the eggplant's ends. Cut the remaining eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 inch planks (I get about 14 planks). Arrange them on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper, or one if they all fit. - Brush the tops with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake at 400 F for 7 minutes, flip the eggplant planks, and bake another 7 minutes. Let them cool while you make the meat sauce.
Making Meat Sauce:
- Add olive oil to coat the bottom of a high-sided pan over medium heat. Add ground beef, breaking it apart as it cooks. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce, stirring it in. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then gradually reduce the heat as needed to maintain a simmer. Simmer until the sauce is noticeably thicker, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add oregano, salt, and cayenne. Stir until well-mixed.
- Add spinach, cooking for a few minutes until wilted, stirring frequently. Turn off the heat.
Assembling Lasagna:
Prepare an 8x8 inch baking dish. Arrange eggplant slices along the bottom of the dish so that they're slightly overlapping in a criss-cross pattern. - Evenly pour about half of the meat sauce over the eggplant.
- Add 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese on top of the meat sauce.
- Repeat with another eggplant layer, a meat sauce layer, and a cheese layer.
- Top with remaining eggplant slices. Evenly pour beaten eggs on top. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese on top.
- Bake at 400 F until the lasagna is heated through and bubbling up its sides, about 15 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing into it.
NUTRITION
| Nutrition Facts Per Serving |
| Calories 520 | |
| Total Fat 33g | 50% |
| Saturated Fat 12g | 61% |
| Trans Fat 0.3g | |
| Cholesterol 195mg | 65% |
| Sodium 1000mg | 42% |
| Total Carb 18g | 6% |
| Dietary Fiber 7g | 28% |
| Sugars 8.5g | |
| Protein 36g |
This eggplant lasagna is adapted from my zucchini lasagna recipe. Both dishes have no lasagna noodles and are layered with cheese and a flavorful tomato-based meat sauce. Trust me, you won’t miss the noodles at all!
This recipe takes a bit of effort to roast the eggplant slices and cook the meat sauce, but the end result is well worth it. It’s also hard to mess up. Eggplant, beef, tomato sauce, spinach, herbs, and cheese is a winning combination in any casserole.
Slicing Eggplant
Before slicing an eggplant into thin planks, I start by cutting off both ends. This gives me a smooth and flat surface at either side. Then I place the eggplant vertically, and it’s able to sit stably on a flat base.
Carefully, I slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch lengthwise slices as uniformly as I can, until all of the eggplant is used up. I also include slices that are mostly skin.
If it’s easier for you, you can start by cutting the eggplant widthwise in half. Your slices will be half as long, but that’s fine if it allows you to cut slices with more uniform thickness.
Baking Eggplant Slices
It’s important to bake the eggplant slices separately to soften them, or it would take much longer to cook them in a casserole until tender.
The ideal baking time will vary depending on the exact thickness of your slices. It usually takes me about 7 minutes per side.
When baking them, monitor frequently so you don’t end up with burnt slices. Even if you do, it’s not a big deal as long as not all of them are burnt. You can still add them to your lasagna.
Thickening The Meat Sauce
One easy way to make a sub-par lasagna, or any casserole, is to add too much liquid and end up with a soggy version.
To avoid this, make sure your meat sauce is thick. Better to err on the side of too thick than too thin. You’ll want to simmer until the meat sauce is noticeably thicker, which can take 5 to 10 minutes.
This will also condense the flavors, yielding a richer lasagna.
How To Layer The Lasagna
Layers are added to the lasagna in this order:
- eggplant slices (laid out in a criss-cross pattern and slightly overlapping)
- meat sauce
- mozzarella cheese
These layers are repeated, followed by any remaining eggplant slices. Then beaten eggs are poured on top, followed by additional shredded mozzarella cheese.
You can find a summary of this in the recipe box, under “Assembling Lasagna” instructions. You don’t need to be very precise; as long as your ingredients are generally separated in layers, the end result should taste delicious.
Recommended Equipment
I use an 8x8 inch baking dish made with glass, which I prefer so I can easily see when the lasagna is bubbling up its sides, indicating it’s heated through and ready to remove from the oven.
Either 2 baking sheets or 1 extra large one will be needed for the eggplant slices. Otherwise, it will be difficult to fit all of the slices in a single layer. Another option is to bake them in batches.
I use parchment paper for lining baking sheets. It’s a nonstick surface that makes cleanup easy.
When preparing the meat sauce, I use a large 12-inch nonstick pan. A smaller 10-inch pan will also work if it has high sides. I don’t recommend anything smaller because raw spinach takes up a lot of room.
Serving And Leftovers
This eggplant lasagna would go great with:
Any leftovers can be microwaved or reheated in the oven until bubbling.
Hi!! Would the same steps apply if I used ground turkey instead of beef?
Yes! Same steps. Hope you enjoy it!
I love your recipes, but why, when I flip up the recipe to read the rest of it, your menu choices appear on the right, unprompted, and freeze the screen. And worse, when I click on the little X, the recipe goes back to the beginning. It’s often impossible to read the entire recipe at once. I have a Samsung tablet that is fairly new. Someone else must have the same problem. If not, is it just me? Thanks. Btw, this recipe sounds great, when I finally read the whole thing. I am gluten free, so no noodles is perfect for me. I have g.f. lasagna noodles, but my husband’s not a fan. So I definitely will make this!
Thanks for letting me know! That sounds very frustrating. I’m not able to recreate your problem on tablets, so I’m not sure if it’s just you or not. I do, however, notice how the page jumps back to the top when you engage with any of the menu functions — that’s very annoying, and I’ll have to see what I can do to fix that.
Have you ever tried freezing these?
Is it necessary to pre cook eggplant as I am making this ahead of time to stick in the oven when needed.
Thanks
Yes, it is necessary. You can still make this ahead of time, though. Just roast the eggplant slices and after assembling the lasagna, cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Just before serving, bake the recommended amount of time listed in the recipe plus an additional 5-10 minutes since it’s cold.
I’m just starting a keto diet….this is where I am getting the best recipes and by putting a meal plan together a lot of recipes have same ingredients…..money saved big time. Thank you Julia truly inspirational.
You’re welcome!
Hi Julia, The recipe sounds great until I have to pour the eggs over the top which to me would give it a scrambled egg layer. I am not overly fond of eggs so I think I will leave that step out unless you can give me a logical reason why I need them. lol Thank you for your recipes and taking the time to make them, and answering questions.
Hi Leslie! I like the taste and texture with the egg poured on top, but it’s not necessary and you can skip it.
Hi Julia, I’m glad you answered Leslie’s question as I am very sensitive to eggs. I would’ve asked the same question or asked if there was a substitute ingredient for the eggs.