Eggplant Lasagna

I didn’t start eating eggplant until recently, and I have grown to really like it! When I see it on the menu, I’m always drawn to order that dish… even if I don’t like the other ingredients!

I was at the store and eggplant was on sale, so I figured, what the heck, I’ve never tried to make it before and I mine as well try since I like it so much.

Literally. I had no idea what I was doing. I looked up a bunch of recipes such as Eggplant Napoleon (which I will make soon), Eggplant Lasagna, plain stir fry, and numerous other dishes. I decided Eggplant Lasagna was my safest bet. Most recipes didn’t include the lasagna noodles, but I added them anyways since I can’t imagine my lasagna without some type of grainy carb!

I started to cut this massive vegetable, expecting to see some seeds, but it was just round slices of this crunchy, purple thing. In all honesty, I had no idea how I was going to make this lasagna and make it taste somewhat decent.

Raw Eggplant

Once I started cutting it, I noticed that it was oxidizing like an apple does. So I thought to myself, maybe it tastes like an apple? So i tried it raw! It tasted a little crispy like an apple, but definitely not like delicious eggplant. Note to self: cooked eggplant > raw eggplant.

Based on the recipes, it seemed better to cook the eggplant before baking it in the lasagna. I looked at multiple recipes and decided on a version that was a combination of the ones I saw. I added a few more veggies that I had on hand. I was very happy with the final product and my first attempt with eggplant :)

pan-fried eggplant

Eggplant Lasagna
1 eggplant, sliced in thin round slices
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
12 whole wheat lasagna noodles
3 cups spinach
2 cups broccoli
Crumbled goat cheese
2 cups tomato-basil marinara sauce

Directions
1. Cook lasagna noodles according to instructions
2. Heat oil on a pan and grill sliced eggplant, set aside
3. In a baking dish, pour a layer of marinara sauce so the bottom is full covered
4. Layer lasagna noodles, eggplant slices, broccoli, spinach, and goat cheese
5. Repeat Layers
6. Top with the rest of the sauce and goat cheese
7. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, and 20 minutes uncovered