How to make the eggplant tender?

Pre-bake! I tried this recipe several times without pre-baking the eggplant slices and each time the eggplant was chewy and undercooked. By roasting the eggplant slices before creating the "lasagna" you make sure that you have irresistible, melt in your mouth slices. Simple cut the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices, lay out on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Is Eggplant Lasagna gluten-free?

This one is! By replacing the traditional noodles with eggplant slices you make a completely gluten-free dish!

Can I freeze Eggplant Lasagna?

Absolutely! Food safety rules ask that you let the dish chill completely on the counter before setting in the freezer. (Never put hot food in the freezer). Put in a freezer safe container and freeze. This dish is great for new moms - either to bring as a gift or to make for yourself as part of meal prep.

Vegetarian or with Meat Sauce?

Your choice! If you choose to use a meat sauce, I like this bolognaise sauce made with ground beef that I often have stocked up in my freezer. Otherwise you can make a quick an easy vegetarian sauce by sautéing 2 cloves of garlic and 1 onion, finely chopped, in olive oil before adding two 16oz cans of crushed tomatoes. Add some of your favorite spices, like oregano or basil, and let simmer for 20 minutes while the oven heats up. Voilà!

How do I prevent my lasagna from getting soggy?

The eggplants need time to sweat out their juices before cooking or else the dish is too watery. Sprinkle a little salt over the slices and place in a colander over the sink for at least a half hour to several hours- the eggplant will sweat out the additional liquid. Skip this step and you will have a soggy lasagna.

How many layers should my lasagna have?

I like to make this dish with 2 layers of eggplant, 2 layers of meat sauce and 2 layers of shredded mozzarella or ricotta cheese in a baking dish. I like to add fresh basil to the very top layer when I serve the dish as well.

Do I need to peel the eggplant before cooking?

No need to peel the eggplant - the skin is where all the flavor is! When the eggplant is properly cooked the skin will melt in your mouth - it is so good.

Foolproof Eggplant Lasagna

Description

A foolproof eggplant lasagna recipe made without noodles with easy tips for making the eggplant soft and scrumptious.

Ingredients

Scale

2 medium to large eggplants
3 cups of Marinara or meat sauce (depending on your preference for vegetarian)
Handful of chopped basil leaves
1 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Slice 2 large eggplants length wise in 1/4 inch strips

Lightly salt the slices and place in a strainer over the sink. Allow to sit for a couple hours to get the moisture out of the eggplant. (I have skipped this step when I was in a rush - the dish is still very tasty but might be a little more watery)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly sprinkle a baking tray ( I love this one by USA Pan) with olive oil. Fan out the eggplant slices on the tray then drizzle more olive oil on top.

Bake for 30 minutes. (this is a crucial step so that the eggplant slices become tender and melt in your mouth...)

Drizzle olive oil on the base of a lasagna tray ( I have been using this Le Creuset baking tray for years). Lay the baked eggplant slices on the bottom of the tray, one layer deep - like you would pasta noodles.

Generously spread a layer of tomato sauce to fully cover the eggplant slices.

Sprinkle basil over entire pan.

Add half of the mozzarella and half of the parmesan.

Add another layer of the eggplant slices over the sauce.

Spread the remaining sauce.

Top with both parmesan and mozzarella

Bake, uncovered for 40 minutes until cheese is a nice golden brown and you see little bubbles from the sauce.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. (if you can wait that long! It smells delicious...)

Bon Appétit!

Notes

Two key steps that make this dish a success:

1) letting the eggplant slices "sweat" for a few hours so that they loose their moisture

2) Pre-baking the eggplant slices in the oven for 30 minutes ensures a soft, melt in your mouth texture to the eggplant "noodles"

This dish is even better the next day !