This lasagne is hearty and uses less pasta than regular lasagne, thaniks to the roasted eggplant slices!
Ingredients:
- 1 medium eggplant about 1 ¼ pounds
- Olive oil for brushing on eggplant
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 package fresh spinach
- 3- 3 ½ cups of marinara sauce depending on how saucy you like it
- 15 ounce container whole milk ricotta
- 1 large egg helps to bind the ricotta
- ½ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese divided
- 4 sheets no-boil lasagna noodles or your favorite gluten-free pasta cooked and drained
- 4 ounces grated mozzarella cheese about 1 cup
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper.
- Slice the stem off the eggplant and with a vegetable peeler, peel a few strips off the eggplant so that you don’t get 2 end pieces that are all peel. It will be hard to cut through the lasagne otherwise. Slice the eggplant lengthwise into ½-inch slices. Arrange the eggplant in one layer on one baking sheet and the zucchini in one layer on the other. Brush both sides of the vegetables with oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 30 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, egg and 6 Tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
- Spread ½ cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish. Arrange the roasted eggplant slices on top of the sauce in one layer, squishing them together a bit so there aren’t too many open spots. Take 1/3 of the ricotta mixture (about 2/3 cup), and with a spoon gently spread it over the eggplant slices. Spread 2/3 – ¾ cup of marinara sauce over the cheese mixture.
- Next, spread half the remaining ricotta mixture over the pasta sheets (I usually hold the pasta in my hands to do this.) Arrange the pasta in one layer over the eggplant/cheese/sauce and top with another ¾ cup of sauce.
- Top with the fresh spinach, another layer of eggplant, the remaining ricotta mixture and 2/3 – ¾ cup of sauce.
- Finally, place the final layer of pasta, sauce, then sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan over the sauce. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden. You can broil the top if it doesn’t brown enough. Lasagne is easier to cut (use a serrated knife) if you allow it to sit for a few minutes.
