Eggplant Lasagna

Eggplant Lasagna is a delicious low-carb way to enjoy the classic flavors of lasagna! The tender eggplant layers are loaded with meat sauce, a creamy ricotta mixture, and lots of melty cheese. You won’t even miss the noodles!

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 people

Ingredients 

Eggplant

• ▢ 2 large eggplants
• ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil

Meat Sauce

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 small diced onion
• ▢ 1 pound Italian sausage
• ▢ 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• ▢ 1 (6-ounce) can tomato sauce
• ▢ 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• ▢ 2 cloves minced garlic
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1 tablespoon sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste

Ricotta Layer

• ▢ 1 (16- ounce) container ricotta cheese
• ▢ 1 large egg
• ▢ ⅔ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ▢ ⅔ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cheese Topping

• ▢ 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ▢ 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• ▢ fresh basil and parsley for garnish

Instructions 

Eggplant

• Wash 2 large eggplants and slice them lengthwise into ½ inch slices. To sweat out extra moisture from the eggplant, generously rub each side with 2 teaspoons salt and place the slices on two baking sheets.
• Let the eggplant rest for about 20 minutes to sweat out excess moisture. While the eggplant is sweating, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a paper towel to soak up the moisture from the eggplants and brush away any excess salt.
• Brush the eggplant with 3 tablespoons olive oil and bake until they are tender and browned, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Meat Sauce

• In a large skillet, heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook 1 small diced onion and 1 pound Italian sausage. Cook until the sausage is cooked through and no longer pink, about 7-10 minutes.
• To the skillet, add 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, 1 (6-ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Saute everything together until it comes to a gentle boil and remove from heat.

Ricotta Layer

• In a bowl, whisk together 1 (16- ounce) container ricotta cheese, 1 large egg, ⅔ cup shredded mozzarella cheese and ⅔ cup shredded parmesan cheese.

Assemble

• Spray a 9×15-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread about ⅓ cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of the pan. Lay the eggplant in an even layer on the meat sauce.
• Spread half of the ricotta mixture on the eggplant, then pour half the meat sauce on the ricotta. Repeat these steps and top it off with 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese.
• Bake the lasagna for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and brown on the top.
• Remove from the oven and allow the lasagna to rest for 10 minutes before garnishing with fresh basil and parsley , then serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 532kcal
Carbohydrates: 7g
Protein: 28gFat: 43g
Saturated Fat: 19g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g
Monounsaturated Fat: 19g
Trans Fat: 0.003g
Cholesterol: 125mg
Sodium: 1.534mg
Potassium: 289mg
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 3g
Vitamin A: 640IU
Vitamin C: 3mg
Calcium: 521mg
Iron: 2mg