Eggplant Lasagna
May 9th, 2012
Whenever I watch the Sopranos or Jersey Shore, I find myself pea green with envy as the families sit down to dinners of pasta without a care in the world or fear of carbohydrate-related cellulite formation.
For me, eating pasta is a rare indulgence. Its like a reward for good behavior. If pasta were a regular part of my diet, I would balloon up 5 pounds a month. No joke!
You will find me making pasta dishes on this site, but its rarely for just me. I’m usually preparing it for a potluck or group dinner, in which my portion will be limited to one serving for one meal.
So when there is not a potluck in my near future but I want the “feel” of an Italian dish without the guilt, I make an eggplant lasagna.
Surprisingly, this is a much easier casserole to make then a standard lasagna. No need to worry about all the potential lasagna noodle issues like boiling them or handling them so as not to tear them or attempting to spread ricotta cheese on them without them bunching up.
Do these things happen to you? Or I’m I just inept with lasagna noodles?
Anyway, here is my super simple recipe for eggplant lasagna…
- 1 – 2 eggplants, peeled and sliced ¼ inch
- 1¼ cup of your favorite pasta sauce
- 16 oz part skim ricotta cheese
- 1 – 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until brown and slightly tender.
- Spread a small amount of sauce (about ¼ cup) in a 11 x 7 casserole dish.
- Arrange eggplant in a single layer on top of the sauce.
- Continue layering: ricotta, eggplant, mozzarella, eggplant, ricotta, eggplant, remaining sauce, mozzarella cheese.
- Cover and bake for 45 minutes.
I am submitting this recipe to the following fabulous food events:
Tasty Tuesdays @ Beauty and Bedlam
Delicious Dishes @ It’s a Blog Party
Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays @ Blessed with Grace
sara
May 15, 2012 12:02 am
This version of lasagna looks so tasty! Love the idea of using eggplant instead of noodles – definitely need to try this soon.
madge
May 15, 2012 2:21 pm
It is a good alternative to traditional lasagna. I just checked out your ratatouille lasagna recipe! Adding all the extra veggies would certainly help take the guilt away from the pasta carbs. Plus it would be a yummy and hearty vegetarian main dish!