Dinner just got a whole lot better! This Eggplant Lasagna is cheesy, saucy, and packed with layers of roasted eggplant, mushrooms, and melty cheese. This hearty lasagna recipe uses eggplant instead of pasta for a healthy and filling dinner that’s gluten-free and vegetarian.
Perfect for when you’re in the mood for some comfort food any night of the week, this eggplant lasagna takes just 40 minutes of prep time. For the perfect weeknight dinner, serve it warm with Garlic Breadsticks, Caesar Salad, or Sautéed Asparagus. This flavorful recipe for aubergine lasagna will become one of your favorite comfort foods!
Why You'll Love this Eggplant Lasagna Recipe
- Healthier than regular lasagna. Eggplant lasagna has the same flavors as regular lasagna but healthier! Since it has no lasagna noodles, this recipe is naturally gluten-free and low carb. Plus, more veggies = more nutrients.
- Perfect for feeding a crowd. Something that all lasagnas have in common is that they make big portions. With 12 servings, this lasagna with eggplant is perfect for family dinners or entertaining large crowds.
- Made with simple ingredients. The list of ingredients for eggplant lasagna may seem long, but they are all simple ingredients that you can easily found at any grocery store. You may even have most already in your pantry or fridge.
- Great for meal prep. This aubergine lasagna stores well and reheats well. In fact, it may even taste better the next day! It’s great for meal prep and have easy to reheat meals throughout the week — or freeze for months to come.
Ingredient Notes
To make this tasty and comforting Eggplant Lasagna recipe, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in the recipe card below):
- eggplants - you will need three large eggplants for this recipe. To avoid bitter flavors, choose eggplants that are firm to the touch and avoid larger ones. Huge eggplants, or ones that are too soft, tend to be more bitter.
- olive oil - you can also roast the eggplant slices with avocado or vegetable oil.
- salt and pepper - eggplants need to be seasoned well to soften the bitterness and draw out excess moisture.
Sauce Ingredients
- olive oil - you’ll use this for sauteing the garlic and mushrooms. Other heat-safe oils are fine to use as a replacement.
- mushrooms - white button mushrooms add a bit of protein and flavor to the sauce.
- salt - enchance the flavor of your sauce.
- onion - yellow or white works best, but you can use whatever type you have.
- garlic - try to use fresh garlic cloves whenever you can. Pre-minced jarred garlic will also work if you want to save time and effort.
- tomato sauce - homemade tomato sauce or store-bought will work fine in this recipe. You can also try canned tomato sauce if you have nothing else, but you may need to add some spices or a little seasoning for flavor.
- tomato paste - you can use tomato puree instead of tomato paste at a 3:1 ratio.
- parsley - adds a touch of flavor to your sauce.
Cheese Mixture Ingredients
- ricotta cheese
- mozzarella cheese - buy the pre-shredded or shred it yourself. You can also use fresh sliced mozzarella as a substitute.
- Parmesan cheese - adds a rich, nutty flavor to your lasagna and will help to thicken it.
- egg - this will bind your cheese mixture together.
- parsley - chopped basil also works if you don’t want to use parsley.
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, baking sheets, large pot or Dutch oven, and a 9x13-inch casserole pan.
How to Make the Best Eggplant Lasagna
First, cook the eggplants.
- Season. Season the eggplant slices well with olive oil, salt, and pepper on both sides and arrange them in a single layer on 2 separate baking sheets. Set aside until the oven has preheated.
- Bake. Bake in a 375 preheated oven for 30 minutes until soft and golden brown, flipping the eggplants halfway to achieve even cooking. Set aside.
Next, make the mushroom sauce and cheese filling.
- Sauté mushrooms. While the eggplants are baking, heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until the oil is sizzling hot. Add mushrooms and salt. Sauté until most of the liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are caramelized, about 7 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients. Add onion and garlic. Stir well to combine and continue cooking until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and parsley. Stir well to mix and bring the sauce to a simmer. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- Make the cheese mixture. In a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, ¼ cup Parmesan, beaten egg, and parsley. Stir well to combine.
How to assemble an eggplant lasagna
- Sauce: Evenly spread 1 cup of the sauce in a 9x13-inch baking pan.
- Eggplant: Place 4 baked eggplant slices evenly over the sauce. You can overlap the slices a bit or place them evenly apart.
- Cheese: Spread half of the cheese mixture evenly over the eggplants.
- Sauce: Spread half the remaining sauce on top.
- Eggplant: Top with another layer of 4 baked eggplant slices.
- Cheese: Spread the remaining half of cheese mixture on top.
- Eggplant: Top with the last layer of 4 eggplant slices.
- Sauce: Add remaining sauce on top.
- Shredded cheese: Top with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.
Finally, bake the eggplant lasagna.
- Cover. Lightly grease a large piece of aluminum foil and cover the pan with the greased side inside. Greasing the foil prevents the melted cheese from sticking to the foil while baking.
- Bake. Bake the lasagna, covered, at 375 F for 25 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 20 minutes or until the melted cheese turns golden brown and bubbly.
- Optional broil. Optionally, turn on broiler on high and broil for 3-4 minutes to get a crisper and browner cheesy crust. But keep a close eye on the broiler as things can burn quickly.
- Rest. Let the lasagna cool for 10 minutes. Then, slice and serve with fresh chopped parsley on top, if desired.
Recipe Variations
- Add more veggies. Mix things up and add more veggies to your filling. You could also use bell peppers, spinach, zucchini, or tomatoes.
- Add meat. If you don’t need this recipe to be vegetarian, you can swap the mushrooms for ground turkey, ground chicken, ground beef, or even ground Italian sausage. You can also do a blend of mushrooms and meat. Try the meat filling from our classic Meat Lasagna.
- Make it vegan. Replace the cheese with vegan alternatives like cashew-based ricotta and nutritional yeast.
How to Serve
This Eggplant Lasagna is a delicious dinner served on its own with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or basil on top.
You can also serve this lasagna with eggplant as part of an Italian feast along with some of our favorite side dishes, including:
- Lemon Parmesan Green Beans
- Roasted Carrots
- Green Beans with Bacon
- Greek Lemon Roasted Baby Potatoes
- Easy Rosemary Garlic Focaccia Bread
For more, see our 25 Best Side Dishes for Pasta.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Do not remove the eggplant skin. Do not peel the eggplant for the best results in taste and texture. The meaty texture and amazing flavor come from the eggplant skin. This will also help hold the shape with the skin still intact.
- Grate your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese can save you a ton of time, but grating your own will give you a cheese that will melt just right! Shredded cheese typically has additives to prevent clumping and melting.
- Don’t skimp out on the herbs. The flavors in this recipe thrive from using fresh herbs. Dried herbs can be substituted in a pinch but are not recommended.
- Make sure you have enough sauce on the bottom. The bottom of your baking dish should be covered in sauce. If there’s too little, it will evaporate when baking and could cause burning.
- For a saucier lasagna. Add an extra ½ cup of sauce to each layer instead of a single cup.
- Use foil if the top browns too quickly. If the top of the cheese is starting to brown too quickly towards the end of the baking time, loosely place a foil tent back over the top to protect your eggplant lasagna. Don’t seal it tightly, as you don’t want to trap moisture and cause your eggplant to be watery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Salting and roasting your eggplant before assembly is important. This will help drain the extra liquid and keep your eggplant lasagna from being watery.
The best way to cut eggplant for lasagna is to cut your eggplant lengthwise. Be careful not to cut them too thin, or they won’t be stable once layered.
Roasting your eggplant before assembly will remove the excess moisture so your lasagna won’t be watery.
If you are meal prepping this eggplant lasagna for later, you can make the most of this recipe ahead of time. You can prepare the layers by roasting the eggplant, making the cheese layer, and cooking the mushroom sauce.
Store in the fridge separately up to 6 days before, and assemble and bake the day of. You can also store the entire thing in the fridge assembled up to 4 days before and bake when ready.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
You can refrigerate eggplant lasagna for up to four days. Cover it with plastic cling wrap or aluminum foil or transfer the slices to an airtight container.
How to Reheat
Reheat by placing in the microwave or covered in the oven at 375℉ for 15-20 minutes until warm.
How to Freeze
Does eggplant lasagna freeze well? This eggplant lasagna does freeze well! You can store it for up to 3 months in the freezer. Wrap the entire pan tightly in plastic cling wrap and double wrap with aluminum foil. You can also store in individual portions. Wrap each portion in plastic fling wrap and then place in an airtight container or freezer bag.
Reheat frozen eggplant lasagna directly from frozen at 375F for 20 minutes or until heated through. In fact, if you choose to freeze this recipe, do not thaw before cooking. This can cause the eggplant to become watery.
More Lasagna Recipes
- 10 Best Lasagna Recipes
- Zucchini Lasagna
- Vegetarian Lasagna with Spinach
- Butternut Squash Lasagna
- Meat Lasagna
- White Chicken Lasagna
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Recipe
Eggplant Lasagna
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 servings
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Dinner just got a whole lot better! This Eggplant Lasagna is cheesy, saucy, and packed with layers of roasted eggplant, mushrooms, and melty cheese. This hearty lasagna recipe uses eggplant instead of pasta for a healthy and filling dinner that’s gluten-free and vegetarian.
Ingredients
For the eggplants:
- 3 large eggplants, sliced lengthwise into 12 slices (about ¾-inch thick)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
For the mushroom sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups white button mushrooms, sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
For the cheese mixture:
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated and divided
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Cook the eggplants:
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Season the eggplant slices well with olive oil, salt, and pepper on both sides and arrange them in a single layer on 2 separate baking sheets. Set aside until the oven has preheated.
- Bake for 30 minutes until soft and golden brown, flipping the eggplants halfway to achieve even cooking. Set aside.
Prepare the mushroom sauce:
- While the eggplants are baking, heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven for 2 minutes over medium-high heat until the oil is sizzling hot. Add mushrooms and salt. Sauté until most of the liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are caramelized, about 7 minutes.
- Add onion and garlic. Stir well to combine and continue cooking until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and parsley. Stir well to mix and bring the sauce to a simmer. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Prepare the cheese mixture:
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, ¼ cup Parmesan, beaten egg, and parsley. Stir well to combine.
Assemble the eggplant lasagna:
- Assemble the lasagna into the following layers:
- Sauce: Evenly spread 1 cup of the sauce in a 9x13-inch baking pan.
- Eggplant: Place 4 baked eggplant slices evenly over the sauce. You can overlap the slices a bit or place them evenly apart.
- Cheese: Spread half of the cheese mixture evenly over the eggplants.
- Sauce: Spread half the remaining sauce on top.
- Eggplant: Top with another layer of 4 baked eggplant slices.
- Cheese: Spread the remaining half of cheese mixture on top.
- Eggplant: Top with the last layer of 4 eggplant slices.
- Sauce: Add remaining sauce on top.
- Shredded cheese: Top with the remaining ½ cup mozzarella and ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.
Bake the lasagna:
- Lightly grease a large piece of aluminum foil and cover the pan with the greased side inside. Greasing the foil prevents the melted cheese from sticking to the foil while baking.
- Bake the lasagna, covered, at 375 F for 25 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 20 minutes or until the melted cheese turns golden brown and bubbly.
- Optionally, turn on broiler on high and broil for 3-4 minutes to get a crisper and browner cheesy crust. But keep a close eye on the broiler as things can burn quickly.
- Let the lasagna cool for 10 minutes. Then, slice and serve with fresh chopped parsley on top, if desired.
Notes
How to store: You can refrigerate eggplant lasagna for up to four days. Cover it with plastic cling wrap or aluminum foil or transfer the slices to an airtight container.
How to reheat: Reheat by placing in the microwave or covered in the oven at 375℉ for 15-20 minutes until warm.
How to freeze: Does eggplant lasagna freeze well? This eggplant lasagna does freeze well! You can store it for up to 3 months in the freezer. Wrap the entire pan tightly in plastic cling wrap and double wrap with aluminum foil. You can also store in individual portions. Wrap each portion in plastic fling wrap and then place in an airtight container or freezer bag. Reheat frozen eggplant lasagna directly from frozen at 375F for 20 minutes or until heated through. In fact, if you choose to freeze this recipe, do not thaw before cooking. This can cause the eggplant to become watery.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
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