Lasagna With Tomato Sauce and Roasted Eggplant
- Total Time
- About 2 hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1¼pounds eggplant, sliced and roasted
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 8ounces ricotta cheese
- 1egg
- 2tablespoons water
- Pinch (tiny!) of cinnamon
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2cups marinara sauce
- ½pound no-boil lasagna noodles
- Chopped fresh basil
- 4ounces fresh mozzarella, shredded (optional)
- 4ounces (1 cup) freshly grated Parmesan
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
452 calories; 20 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 46 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 9 grams sugars; 22 grams protein; 756 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and brush the foil lightly with olive oil. Slice the eggplant ⅓ inch thick, sprinkle with salt and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place on the baking sheet and roast 15 to 20 minutes, until the slices are lightly colored on the bottom and soft to the tip of a knife. Remove from the oven, and carefully fold the foil over and crimp the edges together (be careful not to burn yourself!). Let the eggplant cool and steam in the foil packet for 20 minutes. Set aside and turn the oven down to 350 degrees.
- Step 2
Lightly oil a rectangular baking dish. Blend the ricotta cheese with the egg, water, cinnamon, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside ½ cup of tomato sauce and 3 tablespoons of Parmesan to make sure you have enough for the top layer of the lasagna.
- Step 3
Spread a small spoonful of tomato sauce in a thin layer over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles. Top the noodles with a thin layer of ricotta. Spoon on a few dollops then spread it with an offset or a rubber spatula. Top the ricotta with half the eggplant, and sprinkle basil and half the mozzarella over the eggplant. Top with a layer of tomato sauce and a layer of Parmesan. Repeat the layers, then add a final layer of lasagna noodles topped with ricotta if any remains, and most importantly with the tomato sauce and Parmesan you set aside. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the top.
- Step 4
Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and place in the oven. Bake 40 minutes, until the noodles are tender and the mixture is bubbling. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
- Advance preparation: You can assemble this up to a day ahead and refrigerate, or freeze for a month. The lasagna can be baked several hours ahead and reheated in a medium oven.
Private Notes
Comments
The first time I made this I followed the recipe and I thought it was great but it wasn't robust enough, needed more vegetables and too cheesy. So now when I make it, I add some sautéed mushrooms and garlic in the tomato sauce and add some steamed, chopped spinach to the ricotta mixture and lighten up on the mozzarella cheese. Love the eggplant prepared this way and use eggplant prepared like this for other dishes.
The eggplant sticks to the foil if you don't brush the foil with a lot of oil instead of "lightly" as recommended. Otherwise, it's a great recipe!
Made and froze this three weeks ago. Doubled the sauce and while I didn't use all of it, I wish I had. If top noodles aren't completely covered with sauce, they will be dry, almost as though uncooked. Other than that, it was enjoyed by all.
This is a great ‘holiday house dinner’, meaning that it’s easy to put together without specialized equipment or a pantry full of minor ingredients. One trip to the shops and you’re good to go.
I use 16 oz of ricotta cheese, add an egg, parmigiana cheese and mozzarella cheese and layer a sprinkle of oregano and dot the layer w fresh basil and so forth. I roast the eggplant w evoo first. Before I begin layering. I make my own marinara sauce but if short on time: Rao’s is a great addition!
Substituting a layer of besciamella (béchamel) for a layer of ricotta makes lasagna less heavy. I've added similarly oven-roasted zucchini, red peppers, onions, etc. Over time I've added so many vegetables, my son says I've created "ratatouille lasagna".
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