Eggplant Veggie Lasagna
Easy recipe that can be the main dish accompanied by a tossed green salad and garlic bread. Also makes a wonderful side dish as well.
Easy recipe that can be the main dish accompanied by a tossed green salad and garlic bread. Also makes a wonderful side dish as well.
- 1 egg
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 cup ricotta cheese part skim
- 6 oz bag fresh baby spinach
- 1 medium eggplant thinly sliced
- 2 medium zucchini sliced
- 1 jar tomato sauce i use classico spicy red pepper
- grated parmesan to taste
- 1 tbsp italian seasoning
- 6 sheets no-cook lasagna noodles i use barilla
- Carbohydrate 17.2613833345475 g
- Cholesterol 15.3758333380356 mg
- Fat 4.63884166790556 g
- Fiber 5.15958344079364 g
- Protein 6.72211666756337 g
- Saturated Fat 2.21980766750639 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (271g)
- Sodium 455.605666726041 mg
- Sugar 12.1017998937538 g
- Trans Fat 0.364081000075881 g
- Calories 127 calories
Step-by-step
- Lightly salt the sliced eggplant and sliced zucchini and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.
- In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil and add the garlic stirring until garlic is softened but not browned. Add the onion and continue to cook until onion is softened. Then add the bag of spinach and cook until the spinach is entirely softened. Spoon spinach mixture into a colander and allow the excess water to drain.
- Combine the ricotta, feta, egg, spices and add the spinach mixture, once cooled. Mix thoroughly.
- Using a paper towel, wipe all the excess salt and liquid from the zucchini and eggplant and set aside.
- Lightly oil a 11 x 7 glass pan. Spoon a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom and place 3 sheets (one layer) of noodles over the sauce. Add additional sauce and then add a layer of eggplant (use about half the eggplant), and then add a layer of zucchini (use all the zucchini). Next add more sauce and then spoon approximately half of the spinach and cheese mixture on top and spread evenly. Add another layer of noodles, followed by another layer of eggplant, top with the remaining spinach and cheese mixture and cover with sauce. If desired add grated Parmesan cheese on top. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the top is bubbling/browned and a knife cuts through easily. Let rest approximately 5 minutes before slicing into pieces.
Moisture Control in High-Water Vegetables
Eggplant and zucchini release significant water during baking, which dilutes sauces and makes noodle layers slide apart. Lightly salting the sliced vegetables draws out internal moisture through osmosis, and wiping away the beaded liquid with a paper towel before assembly prevents a watery final bake.
Balancing Dairy and Binding Agents
Ricotta naturally contains high moisture, so incorporating a whole egg acts as a thermal binder that sets the cheese mixture into a cohesive layer at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Substituting part-skim ricotta with whole milk varieties changes the fat ratio, resulting in a richer filling that requires slightly longer resting time after the oven.
Structural Assembly and Noodle Hydration
No-cook lasagna sheets absorb liquid directly from the surrounding tomato sauce during the thirty-minute bake, meaning dry spots will occur wherever sauce coverage is insufficient. Maintaining an even barrier of sauce above and below each pasta sheet ensures the starch hydrates uniformly without requiring prior boiling.
