This time of year, you can’t have too many eggplant recipes up your sleeve, so today I’m sharing a favorite way to use up a heap of it: roasted eggplant lasagna. As far as lasagna recipes go, this one is on the unfussy side: there’s no layer of bechamel, no layer of ricotta and egg, and it calls for no-boil noodles. Moreover: there’s no need to salt the eggplant to draw out its moisture — roasting takes care of that. In sum, this lasagna is a layering of homemade tomato sauce, noodles, roasted eggplant rounds, sautéed Swiss chard (optional), and a mix of parmesan and mozzarella. As noted, I’ve omitted the classic ricotta + egg layer here because I’ve never loved it, but feel free to add it. This is a recipe that can be tailored to your liking. In fact, use it as a guide! You can really add any cooked vegetables you like: roasted red peppers, sautéed mushrooms, roasted butternut squash, sautéed beet greens, roasted cauliflower, etc. Any number of roasted (or sautéed! or grilled!) vegetables will work — the key is to use cooked vegetables to ensure the water has been removed.
How to Layer Eggplant (or other) Lasagna
This is the layering process outlined in the recipe below:
1/2 cup tomato sauce (such as this one or this one)3 sheets no-boil noodles (I love the Barilla brand) 1/2 cup tomato saucelayer of cooked vegetables1/2 cup grated cheeserepeat
The goal is to have 1/2 cup of sauce on either side of the layer of no-boil noodles. If you’ve got homemade sauce and a stash of roasted or sautéed or steamed—cooked!—vegetables on hand, the assembly here is fast thanks to no-boil noodles (a miracle!). Otherwise, save this one for the weekend. It’s not hard, but making the sauce, roasting the eggplant, sautéeing the chard, grating the cheese, etc., all take time.
How to Freeze Eggplant Lasagna
After the lasagna bakes for 40 minutes covered with foil, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely. Wrap the pan tightly in plastic wrap or cover with a foil lid if using a disposable pan and transfer to the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw: Transfer to the fridge 24 hours before baking. To bake: Place covered pan in preheated 350ºF for 30 minutes; uncover and bake for 5-10 minutes more.
How to Make Roasted Eggplant Lasagna
Here’s the play by the play: You need about 3 pounds of eggplant. Slice the eggplants into 1/4-inch thick slices, toss with olive oil and salt, and roast for about 20-25 minutes or until the undersides are lightly golden. Meanwhile, if you wish, sauté some Swiss chard. Gather your components: roasted eggplant rounds, grated parmesan, mozzarella, tomato sauce, sautéed Swiss chard, and no-boil noodles. Begin the layering by spreading 1/2 cup sauce into a 9×13-inch pan and topping it with 3 sheets of no-boil noodles. Add another layer of sauce, the vegetables, and cheese; then repeat. On top of the fourth and final layer of noodles, spread atop more sauce and a final blanket of cheese. Cover with foil. At this point, you can stash the lasagna in the fridge for 24 hours or you can bake it immediately at 350ºF for 40 minutes; then uncover and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more. 5 from 6 reviews Use this recipes as a guide. I have made countless variations of this same formula: tomato sauce + mozzarella+ parm + cooked vegetables + no-boil noodles. You really can add any cooked vegetables you like: roasted red peppers, sautéed mushrooms, roasted butternut squash, sautéed beet greens, roasted cauliflower, etc. I like the Barilla no-boil noodles. The box is 9 oz, but I don’t use all 15 sheets — you need 12 here. Save the remaining 3 sheets in a ziplock bag. I’ve never loved the ricotta-egg layer of lasagna, so I’ve omitted it here.
