You know and love lasagna. You know and love eggplant parmesan. But have you ever considered combinging the two into one delicious, vegetable-filled but still very cheesy dish? Because you should.
This time of year, when vegetables are so abundant that you might be trying to figure out ways to use them up, giving them the pasta is one of the best ways to go. And that's why it might be time to consider making eggplant lasagna.
Easy never tasted so awesome.
The building blocks of eggplant lasagna are the same as regular lasagna, minus the noodles. You'll need tomato sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, thyme, salt, and pepper. This recipe also calls for ground beef, bell peppers, and onions, but if you'd prefer a different meat, or no meat, feel free to omit it. Ditto if you'd prefer a different spicing situation. Adding red pepper flakes or oregano would be great here, and some cooked mushooms wouldn't go astray.
The biggest trick to this recipe is slicing the eggplant into thin slices, a little wider than a fourth of an inch. A Mandoline would help here if you have one, but otherwise, do your best with a sharp kitchen knife. The idea is to get roughly even strips so that they can serve as your noodles, soaking up all the delicious sauce and holding up the cheese. Slice them and bake them in the oven until they've dried out somewhat. Don't worry if they're not browned, or if they don't look totally tender—having them cook the rest of the way in the sauce is the whole idea.
Watch: How to Make Greek Salad Lasagna
Layer the eggplant strips with your sauce and meat mixture, ricotta, and fresh mozzarella, alternating each. Finish with mozzarella—if you have eggplant on top, it will burn. Cover with foil to bake for the first stretch, then remove the foil to allow the cheese to melt and brown. At the end, you'll have perfect summer comfort food. If you have leftovers, try eating a slice with a fried egg on top for a hearty breakfast. You won't be sorry.
Get the recipe for Eggplant Lasagna.
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