A few weeks ago, I started to think about making something using eggplant. I have been having fun trying new foods lately. Eggplant is something I like to eat but haven't had good results preparing myself. My wheels really got turning after reading a Facebook post by my friend and Our Lady reader, Megan. She had just made a meatless eggplant lasagna that satisfied her and her meat eating husband's tastes. I was intrigued by her description, and she very kindly sent me the recipe. The recipe looked delicious but it had one thing in it I didn't want - noodles.
Inspired by Megan's recipe, I grabbed similar ingredients and got to work on my own version. The results were exactly what I was hoping for! Hearty and rustic flavors, garlicky perfume, meaty texture, and layers that held up beautifully with out a single noodle.
Once all the components were prepped the dish came together very quickly. I made mine in a large baking dish but I think it would also hold up in a slow cooker set on low all day. This lasagna is good simply because it has all the components of a delicious entree. This lasagna also happens to be low carb, gluten free and vegetarian. If you would like to include meat, this dish would be delicious with a layer of uncased browned chicken (or turkey) italian style sausage.
Eggplant LasangaIngredients
- 24 oz. jar of marinara sauce - pick a good one
- 1 15 oz. can of fire roasted diced tomatoes - gently drained
- 1 15 oz container of part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup + ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 medium zucchini's sliced into ⅛ inch rounds
- 6 oz mushrooms sliced in ⅛ in. thick slices (use button, crimini, or portabellas)
- 1 large eggplant sliced into ¼ inch discs
- 3 cloves of garlic - diced
- 1 ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning blend
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl combine tomatoes and marinara sauce. - set aside
- In another bowl combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella, and the egg. Stir until egg is completely incorporated. - set aside
- In a large oven safe dish begin assembling the lasagna:
- Spread a small amount of sauce on the bottom of the dish - about ½ a cup.
- Lay down slices of eggplant over lapping slightly if needed.
- Scatter about ½ of the mushrooms and zucchini over the eggplant.
- Drop ½ of the cheese mixture over the vegetables in small spoonfuls and pat down to spread into a layer. - it will be uneven and lumpy
- Spoon ½ of remaining sauce over the dish and repeat the layering steps once more.
- When the two layers are complete place lasagna into the preheated oven for approximately 45 minutes or until vegetables are cooked through and softened.
- Sprinkle lasagna with remaining ½ cup of mozzarella for the final 5 - 10 minutes of cooking (this keeps it from scorching)
Recipe makes 6 very generous servings!
Nutrition details will depend on the brands of cheese and sauce used, approximate values are: calories 296; fat 13g; sodium 750g; carbs 26g; fiber 6g; protein 19g
mildred hardin
look good except the mushrooms . can not eat them . . love any kind of zucchini an eggplant receipe.
will try with out the mushrooms .
Rose
Go for it! :)