With the coming of fall, I’ve been starting to crave those yummy, warm, comfort foods that the colder months always bring with them. This said, fall doesn’t officially start until next week, and there is still plenty of summers produce available at the farmer’s market.
I bring you Eggplant Lasagna! It’s delicious, warm, and reminds you of being wrapped up in a blanket, sitting on the couch, sipping your tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or whatever drink keeps you toasty when it’s cold outside! It’s also light, refreshing, and full of veggies, making it the perfect compromise between summer and fall for these slightly cooler days when summer produce is still readily available and can be enjoyed!
In my eggplant lasagna, I used Japanese eggplants. They’re long and skinny and come in a variety of colors, from white to deep purple. Nonetheless, you could use whatever kind of eggplants you have on hand. Just use a mandoline to slice them 3/16 of an inch thick, and you’re good to go.
When working with my mandoline, I always wear my special cut-resistant gloves. You can go without, but if you’re not a fan of random nicks and scrapes on your hands, I HIGHLY recommend these gloves.
This is an easy, kid-friendly crowd-pleaser sure to leave your bellies warm and your tastebuds satisfied!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. eggplant
- 2 1/2 cups marinara sauce
- 2 cups low-fat mozzarella
- 15 oz. fat-free ricotta
- 16 oz. spinach
- 2 garlic cloves
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Spray the bottom of a nine by 13-inch baking dish with olive oil. (I used my Misto.)
- In a large bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta, garlic, salt, & pepper.
- Pour 1/2 cup of the marinara in the bottom of the dish and spread it out evenly to coat. Lay 1/3 of the eggplant down to roughly cover the bottom of the dish. Spread half of the spinach and ricotta mixture over the eggplant layer. Top with 2/3 cup mozzarella.
- Spread 1 cup marinara over the mozzarella, top with another eggplant layer, spread the rest of the spinach and ricotta mixture on top of that, and top with another 2/3 cup mozzarella.
- Last time around, lay the eggplant out, spread the remaining cup of marinara over the top, top the casserole with the remaining 2/3 cup mozzarella and cover the dish with aluminum.
- Bake in a 350ºF oven for 30 minutes. At 30 minutes, remove aluminum and continue baking for 30 minutes longer, until lasagna is bubbly on the sides and cheese has turned a nice golden-brown.
- Serve hot & enjoy!
Notes
Why don’t you include in this recipe how to cut the eggplant. The way you have this recipe written, it’s a tried and error. You don’t say anything about the the thickness of the slices, etc.