Why is my eggplant lasagna watery?

Salting and roasting your eggplant before assembly is important. This will help drain the extra liquid and keep your eggplant lasagna from being watery.

How do you cut eggplant for lasagna?

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.

Why do I need to roast the eggplant before assembly?

Roasting your eggplant before assembly will remove the excess moisture so your lasagna won’t be watery.

How do I prepare eggplant lasagna for meal prep?

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.

Eggplant Lasagna

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 3/4-inch thick)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the mushroom sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups white button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 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

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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 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 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