Eggplant and Spinach Lasagna with Italian Sausage
A fun spin on the classic family favorite, by swapping eggplant for noodles, to make a hearty meal with less guilt!
Building your frame. Eggplant is a fun, yet tricky, food to work with. While the versatility is its strength, it can quickly become its downfall if not handled correctly. Because it is a neutral and fairly spongy fruit, it absorbs what it is cooked in, which can result in a greasy mess. To get the structure of a noodle here, I pat dry the sheets of eggplant and sprinkle with a little salt to help absorb some of that liquid. If you are still having a lot of moisture, stick them in the oven for a few minutes to dry up. When done correctly, these are a great layer for the rest of the dish!
Choose your spice. Two things that make or break this dish-sausage and herbs. I’ll start with the former. Sausage can be purchased in many varieties, and this will largely dictate your overall flavor profile, so adjust your seasonings to compensate. I am a big fan of crushed red pepper in my Italian food, so I use hot Italian sausage and omit the red pepper for this recipe. For herbs, I will always opt for loads of fresh herbs mixed in to just about everything I produce, but at times, that’s just not feasible. Dried Italian seasoning works just fine, but if the pantry is in your favor, go crazy with any and all of the fresh herbs you have! Remembering that the eggplant is a neutral flavor, treat the rest of the sauce as the needed infusion to bring the meal to life!!
Are you an eggplant lover looking for more ways to incorporate this in your diet? Try out these other great recipes:
Roasted Eggplant and Olive Salad
Spiced Lentils and Pine Nuts over Roasted Eggplant
Italian Sausage Eggplant Boats
Ginger Eggplant and Mushroom Stir-Fry
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Enjoy!
Eggplant and Spinach Lasagna with Italian Sausage
Equipment
- Baking Dish
- Sharp Knife mandoline optional
- Skillet
- Mixing bowl
- Baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2-3 medium Eggplants
- 1 cup Frozen Spinach
- 2/3 cup Ricotta Cheese
- 2/3 cup Cottage Cheese
- 1 large Egg
- 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella
- 1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan
- 1 jar Pasta Sauce
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning go crazy if you have fresh herbs around!!
- 1/2 medium Onion
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 pound Italian Sausage I like hot Italian sausage
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Thinly slice eggplant horizontally either with a sharp knife or a kitchen mandoline. Lie flat on a baking sheet and pat dry with a paper towel, sprinkling with a little salt on each side.Option here to put in the oven for a few minutes to further remove moisture.
- Preheat oven to 350. In mixing bowl, combine ricotta, cottage cheese, egg, Italian seasoning, and frozen spinach, stirring well. Set aside to give spinach some time to loosen up.
- In skillet, heat oil and add chopped onions and minced garlic. Sauté briefly before adding Italian Sausage, browning until cooked through. Turn heat off and pour in the pasta sauce, mixing well.
- Taking the baking dish, start with a light layer of the meat sauce to buffer the eggplant. Continue with layering meat sauce, cheese and spinach mixture, mozzerella and parmesan cheese, and eggplant.
- Top the lasagna with a final layer of cheeses and bake for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly and the cheese starts to brown.
- Remove and give a few minutes to set before serving. Enjoy!
