Made with eggplant instead of noodles, we love this lasagna which is gluten-free.

Makes: 8 servings       Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes (30 minutes preparation, 1 hour baking)

 

Eggplant lasagna

Ingredients:

  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup diced mushrooms (around 8 mushrooms)
  • 2 anaheim peppers, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 10-12 cups fresh spinach leaves* (1 pound), coarsely chopped* 
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 15 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 eggplant
  • 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce**
  • 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
 
*You can substitute a 12 ounce package of frozen chopped spinach for fresh spinach
** When selecting a pasta sauce, we recommend one without high fructose corn syrup. 

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

  2. Prepare onion (diced), garlic (finely chopped), mushroom (diced), and anaheim peppers (finely chopped). Combine in a large frying pan with olive oil. Cook on medium heat until onions are translucent. Once cooked, add spinach (if using fresh), cover the pan and turn off the heat to allow the spinach to wilt.

  3. Once the spinach is wilted (5-10 minutes), uncover the pan, and transfer contents to a large bowl to cool. 

  4. Meanwhile, combine eggs, salt, and ricotta cheese with carrots in a large bowl. Once vegetables have cooled down (we just don't want to cook the egg), combine with the ricotta cheese mixture.

  5. Lighly grease a 13-15" rectangular pan with olive oil. To prepare the eggpant, wash well, and cut off the stem. Cut in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 2-3mm strips lengthwise. Line the pan with strips from 1/2 of the eggplant.

  6. Spread 1/2 of the ricotta mixture onto the eggplant, creating a smooth layer. Add 1/2 cup of cheese evenly, then cover with approximately 1/2 cup of pasta sauce. Use a spoon or spatula to evenly spread out the sauce.

  7. Create a second layer with strips from the second half of the eggplant. Cover with ricotta, then the remaining cheese, followed by pasta sauce. Make sure the cheese is fully covered by pasta sauce, to prevent burning. 

  8. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Allow to cool 15 minutes before serving.