This vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna is perfect for a meatless dinner. It's filled with flavorful vegetable sauce, cheesy ricotta filling and topped with mozzarella.
Eggplant is an underrated vegetable. If you try my Baked Eggplant recipe or the One Pot Chicken Ratatouille, you will love it!
Take advantage of the late summer/early fall vegetables and make this delicious vegetable lasagna with eggplant noodles. This dish is full of flavor and textures, you will not miss the pasta one bit! Removing the noodles and replacing them with eggplant slices, turns this dish into a great low-carb option. You can use zucchini instead of eggplant, or use both. The mushroom pepper sauce is quick and easy to make and bursts with flavors.
Ingredients:
- 2 eggplants
- salt
- olive oil
- butter
- garlic
- onion
- green bell pepper
- mushrooms
- Italian seasoning
- dried oregano
- black pepper
- ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- Parmesan cheese
- crushed tomatoes
- mozzarella cheese
Step by step instructions:
To make this lasagna, you need to prepare 3 things: the eggplant noodles, the veggie sauce and the cheesy filling.
Step 1: Make the sauce
Saute garlic, onion, pepper and mushrooms in skillet. Add seasoning and cook for a few minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper.
Step 2: prepare the eggplant
You need to draw the moisture out of the eggplant. You can do it in two ways: bake it or let it sit and sweat. To bake, place eggplant of a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes in 375 degrees F oven. To sweat, place eggplant slices on a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet. Salt and let sit for 30 minutes. You should see water on the surface of each slice. Dab it with a paper towel and use slices in the recipe.
Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish, then place 6 slices of eggplant.
Step 3: make ricotta filling
Mix ricotta, egg and Parmesan and spread over each eggplant layer.
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Step 4: layer and bake
Repeat layers and finish with the sauce and mozzarella cheese on top. Bake until bubbly.
Leftovers:
This lasagna is equally delicious the next day. Store any leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Variations:
- meaty: add ground beef, turkey or sausage to the sauce
- add 4 cups of spinach to the sauce
- use zucchini instead of eggplant
- white lasagna: use my Alfredo sauce instead of crushed red tomatoes
Expert tips:
- eggplant: it is important to sweat the eggplant. You can do it two ways: let the slices sit on a cooling rack over a baking sheet (to catch the water), salt them and wait 30 minutes OR you can bake them in 375 degrees F oven for 20 minutes.
- the sauce: this is your main source of flavor; don't skip the mushrooms and peppers. They add the umami flavor and make this vegetarian lasagna very flavorful.
More vegetarian meals:
- Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
- Pesto Pasta Salad
- Sweet Potato Curry
- Instant Pot Mexican Quinoa
- Skillet Pasta with Tomatoes, Spinach and Beans
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀
Eggplant Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 eggplants
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- ½ green bell pepper chopped
- 4 oz. baby Bella mushrooms sliced
- 20 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 1.5 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 16 oz. ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare eggplant: trim both ends of each eggplant. Trim skin, if desired. Slice eggplant lengthwise into about ¼" slices. Layer them on cooling rack set over baking sheet, salt on both sides and let sit for 30 minutes. You will notice moisture on the surface of each slice. Dab it away with a paper towel. You can also place the salted slices on a baking sheet and bake in 375 degrees F oven for 20 minutes.
- In a skillet, heat up oil and butter. Add garlic, onion and pepper. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and seasoning. Saute until mushrooms are soft.
- Add crushed tomatoes and stir well. Heat through. Set sauce aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, egg and Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 13" x 9" dish. Place 6 eggplant slices on top. Spread ½ of ricotta mixture on top of eggplant. Sprinkle ⅓ of mozzarella cheese on top.
- Repeat the layer.
- On the third layer of eggplant, top it with sauce and mozzarella.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a few more minutes.
- Cool dish for 10 minutes, then serve.
Sheila says
A friend gave us some eggplant’s this Spring to plant in our garden. I’ve been a farm girl and have grown organic vegetables my whole life, but never eggplant! Seeing these were beautifully ripe, I was challenged with finding a recipe that sounded good. Your Googled option sounded the best and when I looked at your web site, I was delighted to see such an in-depth remarkably informative and descriptive place to learn from, that never before cooks to expert chefs would be impressed with!
I made the eggplant lasagna with pork sausage meat, and because I had a giant zucchini, I made the lasagna with 3/4 eggplant and 1/4 zucchini.
YOUR RECIPE WAS MAGNIFICENT! WE CAN’T WAIT TO MAKE IT AGAIN!
Upon further investigation of your site, I can hardly wait to make your
Best Apple Crumb Cake next! I am thrilled about your site and am telling everyone I know, because I am a Nutritional Therapist, who loves to cook, bake and pass on recipes worthy of passing on! God Bless you and thanks!
Anna says
Hi Sheila! You are so incredibly kind! Thank you so much for such a sweet comment. I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe. It's such a hit with our readers. And of course, it works with zucchini as well. I hope you will get a chance to make the Apple Crumb Cake! Have a beautiful rest of your week!
Sara says
This looks so good! I love the recipe with the homemade sauce and the eggplant tips.
Anna says
Thank you, Sara!
Kristyn says
Love this healthier option!! I have learned to love eggplant!! Love how cheesy & tasty this is!
Katie says
Love this as a lower carb option. Thanks for sharing!
Anna says
Thank you, Katie!
Aimee says
What a lovely keto friendly lasagna recipe! Thanks!