This recipe for Eggplant Lasagna is classic comfort food. The eggplant, porcini mushrooms, onion, and garlic combine to provide a perfect complement to the rich taste of the three cheeses in this dish.
It is best to cook eggplant lasagna on the weekend since it involves alot of steps that are simple but time consuming. Eggplant lasagna takes about 2 hours to prepare.
Ingredients:
extra virgin olive oil
2 eggplants
1 yellow onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, diced
2 tbsp dried porcini mushrooms, diced
3 ounces pancetta, diced
1 tspn red pepper flakes
1 tspn basil
1 tspn oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 box lasagna noodles
ricotta cheese
Parmesan cheese
mozzarella cheese
1 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
Preparation:
- Cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Make cross cuts into the flesh of the eggplants (see photo below). In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Cook eggplants for 3 to 4 minutes on both sides. You will probably only be able to cook 1 or 2 halves of the eggplant at a time. After cooking the egg plants on both sides, remove them from the heat and set them aside to cool.
- Scoop the flesh from the eggplants and place it in a large bowl.
- While the heat of the skillet is still at medium, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the diced pancetta. Brown the pancetta and then add the red pepper flakes and diced onion. Cook the onions until they become clear and translucent.
- Add the eggplant, porcini mushrooms, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Cook for about 4 minutes.
- Add diced garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove skillet from the heat.
- Grease a lasagna pan with olive oil.
- Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles and cook until al dente.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Cover the bottom of the lasagna pan with lasagna noodles. This will probably take 3 to 4 noodles.
- Cover noodles with a thin layer of ricotta cheese.
- Add a thin layer of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese on top of the ricotta.
- Top the mozzarella and the parmesan with 1/3 of the eggplant mixture.
- Next, top the eggplant with 1/4 of the tomato sauce.
- Top with another layer of lasagna noodles.
- Repeat steps #10 through #14 two more times.
- On the top layer of lasagna noodles, apply another layer of tomato sauce and some Parmesan cheese.
- Bake the lasagna for 1 hour at 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove pan from the oven and let it cool for about 20 minutes before cutting the lasagna.
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