Lasagna With Tomato Sauce and Roasted Eggplant Recipe (2024)

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Rob

The first time I made this I followed the recipe and I thought it was great but it wasn't robust enough, needed more vegetables and too cheesy. So now when I make it, I add some sautéed mushrooms and garlic in the tomato sauce and add some steamed, chopped spinach to the ricotta mixture and lighten up on the mozzarella cheese. Love the eggplant prepared this way and use eggplant prepared like this for other dishes.

Anne Maiese

The eggplant sticks to the foil if you don't brush the foil with a lot of oil instead of "lightly" as recommended. Otherwise, it's a great recipe!

Ruth

Made and froze this three weeks ago. Doubled the sauce and while I didn't use all of it, I wish I had. If top noodles aren't completely covered with sauce, they will be dry, almost as though uncooked. Other than that, it was enjoyed by all.

Nina

I used regular lasagne noodles which I cooked the usual way before assembling dish ( I don't like the texture of no-boil noodles). I used Asian eggplants from my garden. This is a good vegetarian version of lasagne.

Merrill

This has become a summer staple in my household, with the great eggplants I can get from local farmers. It freezes well, too. I've added mushrooms sometimes, but it's fine with just the eggplant. I do use more sauce than the recipe calls for, usually a big bottle of marinara sauce. You need it to make sure the noodles turn out OK (don't forget to cover it as it bakes, too). It's a great dish!

Skip cinnamon. Add pesto.

I use an 8" or 9" foil baking pan, cover with foil and freeze. I bake and freeze several recipes when the garden explodes in eggplant. Then later bake frozen. Removing foil last 10 minutes. 450 degrees, 40 minutes.

Joshua OHara

This is one of the best lasagnas I have ever tasted. I doubled the cheese and added quite a bit more fresh basil. For the tomato sauce I also doubled the amount.
Tomato sauce- 4 to 5 cups of fresh tomato chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon of sugar
- couple glugs of olive oil
- glug of red wine
- salt/pepper
Bring to a boil and reduce until thick enough to be called sauce.

dimmerswitch

Made as written with one exception. Didn't use no boil pasta but parboiled (for 4 min) De Cecco #1 lasagna noodles, then proceeded per recipe using them. Due to parboiled noodles, didn't need to cover when baking. But all ingredients and all proportions per recipe otherwise. Simply excellent for outcome. Easy too since I did the eggplant and marinara (made my own) one day and assembled and baked the next. Rectangular pan 11.5 x 7.5. Don't omit the tiny cinnamon pinch!

Hannah

Delicious recipe! I added spinach to the ricotta mixture and used regular lasagna noodles. I accidentally cut my egg plant slices too thin, so some were a bit burnt. Therefore I recommend that you make sure to cut them thicker than you would thinner.

skip cinnamon. add pesto.

Add tsblespoon or two of pesto to ricotta or marinara. Skip cinnamon. I make and freeze this when eggplant is abundant. Wonderful baked dish for easy winter time supper.

Christina

I agree with others, that you need more sauce, cheese, and way more ricotta. Also, I cooked my eggplant under the broiler until done. Instead of mozzarella and Parmesan, I used Whole Foods organic Italian cheese blend. Delicious.

st

A paradigm-shifting fact I learned from comments on another lasagne recipe is that you don’t have to pre-cook regular lasagna noodles as long as they are completely covered in sauce. Really a game changer for me because I hate pre-boiling but I think “no-boil noodles” are gross and gummy. This recipe is lovely and works best with more sauce in any case.

judy bernstein bunzl

I used heirloom and home grown tomatoes from my garden to make the marinara sauce. It took about 30 minutes to bring the sauce to the desired thickness. I was able to use my homegrown eggplant was well. I had a problem releasing the eggplant from the foil even though I attempted to use enough oil as per one of the reader's suggestions. Froze the lasagna uncooked in a foil line lasagna pan.

Kati Rooney

Such a delicious meal! This will be my go to Lasagna recipe from now on!

James

I ate a portion the other day. It was SO good. I would make this for company.

James

The problem of everything sticking to the aluminum foil is easily solved by first wrapping the glass dish with parchment paper then aluminum foil over that.

Sarah

Disclosure: I haven't baked this yet (I prepped it last night for a dinner party and am going to put it in the oven soon). But I doubled the ricotta mixture, which was wholly necessary. I would have also tripled the sauce, and I don't think the mozzarella is really optional. But I loved the method for roasting the eggplant, and the ricotta mixture tasted great -- the dash of cinnamon is genius!

Jessamine

I doubled the recipe, but, per the notes almost quadrupled the tomato sauce. Used no-boil lasagna noodles, added steamed spinach to the ricotta (fresh from Citarella). Used fresh mozzarella, which was impossible to grate, so just sliced-shredded it. Use plenty of chopped basil. It did not overwhelm. Probably used more Parmesan than specified, but didn’t measure. I baked it in a 9 x 13 x 5 Pyrex dish. Used large eggplants, and peeled them, which made them far easier to slice.

Susan Miller

Excellent as is. Used last jar of tomato sauce from last summer’s garden. Eggplant was great, and I can see adding mushrooms as one person commented .

Katie

Incredible! Use all fresh basil, mozz and parm if it’s available. I used a lot more ricotta than it called for just to finish all of the container. Added a cup or so of thinly sliced shrooms because I was a little short on eggplant. Totally recommend this recipe.

dts

Having made this recipe twice as written, I would not change it all. Doubling the sauce or ricotta, as some readers suggest, would diminish the roasted eggplant--what I like best about the dish.

kristin.

Added sautéed mushrooms and onion. Used nutmeg (usually a go-to in my lasagne, meatballs, ...) instead of cinnamon. Pecorino instead of parmesan, another preference for me, and no mozzarella.

Chiara

Doubled the ricotta mixture and definitely could’ve used more marinara sauce. I added garlic and green peppers and loved it!

HighSeasHarry

"Toss the eggplant in a bowl with the olive oil" didn't work too well. The oil soaked into a few slices of eggplant and the rest were dry. Brush each piece with a pastry brush (both sides) worked much better.

bcb

doubled recipe for 9x13 pan. Used about 2 1/2 pounds of eggplant, 2 24-oz jars of tomato garlic pasta sauce, and used regular lasagna noodles, uncooked. Added some sauteed sliced onions, a diced sauteed green pepper, and a minced clove of garlic, along with some fresh basil leaves. Let it cook for about 1 1/4 hours, covered with foil, and uncovered for last 10 minutes.

Lena

I am italian. This lasagna is rich, heartful and not too cheesy. My husband recognized immediately the cinnamon taste although i used less than tiny! So i suggest nutmeg instead, often used in italian kitchens and more appreciated. I also added ricotta salata and omitted to salt the regular ricotta. To make it more tasty , why not add some salsiccia? I will do so next time!

A.

If you use only one eggplant, you'll need a few mushrooms too. Also, you can reduce waste by reusing the foil from the eggplants to cover the lasagna while it is baking.

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Lasagna With Tomato Sauce and Roasted Eggplant Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my eggplant lasagna watery? ›

You can make the eggplant less soggy with these tips:
  • Roast the eggplant first. This will help any excess moisture evaporate, before you add it to the lasagna.
  • Salt the eggplant. Adding some salt before roasting will help draw out moisture. ...
  • Skip the oil. Eggplant is very absorbent, and will hold on to any oil you add.
Sep 21, 2021

How do you keep veggie lasagna from getting soggy? ›

For this recipe, we help reduce excess moisture by using no-boil noodles, cooking the mushrooms, onion and bell peppers before adding them to the lasagna, and squeezing the liquid out of the cooked spinach with a kitchen towel. You want your veggies as dry as possible so you are not adding more moisture than necessary.

What is the best order to layer lasagna? ›

Start by spreading a layer of your tomato-based sauce (either a plain tomato sauce or your pre-made ragù) on the bottom of your dish. Next, add a single layer of pasta sheets. Then, add a layer of white sauce, followed by another single layer of pasta sheets.

Why do you put milk in lasagna? ›

The secret ingredient? Milk. It tenderises the meat, to leave you with the most tender ragù. Use a deep dish and find out how to layer a lasagne.

Why do you soak eggplant in water? ›

I tend to soak the slices in a bowl of water with a couple of tablespoon of salt for about 30-45 minutes. It doesn't have to do with bitterness, but I find that in doing this, the fried eggplant turns out less greasy," Jenkins says.

How do you cook eggplant without getting soggy? ›

Dip in a light batter: Dip the eggplant slices in a light batter made of flour and water or egg. This will help create a crispy coating. Fry in hot oil: Heat the oil to about 375°F (190°C) and fry the eggplant slices until golden brown on both sides.

Why do you put sauce on the bottom of lasagna? ›

Start with Sauce

It prevents the pasta from sticking to the pan so that the lasagna is easy to slice and serve. You only need a thin layer. I use 1 cup in a 9×13-inch baking dish.

What makes lasagna watery? ›

Watery tomatoes aren't the only culprit for soupy lasagna: Oils from cheese and meat and water from lasagna noodles and vegetables can affect your lasagna's consistency. Draining excess fat from ground beef or sausage before adding it to tomato sauce is imperative to maintain a thick sauce.

How do you make lasagna stay firm? ›

I under cook the pasta so it will absorb some of the liquid from the tomato sauce, which guarantees that it isn't runny. If the lasagna is too wet take the foil off for the last 20–30 minutes and let the liquid evaporate. As others have said let the lasagna rest for 20+ minutes before trying to cut and serve it.

Should you criss cross lasagna noodles? ›

(Do notice that I put the noodles criss cross – perpendicular from the layer below – it helps it to hold together when you serve it). So, the noodles directly on the cheese means there won't be enough for a top layer of noodles.

Do you bake lasagna covered or uncovered? ›

In an oven preheated to 375 degrees F, this homemade lasagna should be perfectly baked in about 50 minutes (30-40 minutes covered, 5-10 minutes uncovered).

Do you bake lasagna covered or open? ›

If uncovered, the prolonged exposure to heat will quickly dry out your lasagna, no matter how much sauce you've added. Make sure to always add a layer of tin foil over your baking dish, which will trap the moisture inside while still allowing the dish to cook properly.

Why add tomato paste to lasagna? ›

A good tomato paste helps to thicken but also adds a sweet and savory umami flavor. Lean Ground Beef: Lean beef adds a robust and hearty meatiness that's essential in a classic lasagna recipe.

Why put toothpick in lasagna? ›

Pro Tip: There's nothing worse than having the top portion of cheese stuck to the foil. To prevent this, I poke 8-10 toothpicks evenly around the top of the lasagna, pushing them in halfway to keep the foil from touching the cheese. Just be sure to count and remove every toothpick prior to serving.

What is the purpose of ricotta cheese in lasagna? ›

The key to creating the absolute best lasagna is to use a combination of ricotta and cottage cheese. Ricotta brings the rich creaminess while cottage cheese lightens things up and seasons the whole dish. For even more cheese, we recommend also using shredded Mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese (or Pecorino Romano).

Why is my baked eggplant watery? ›

Eggplant is about 80 to 90 percent water, so when you put them in the oven they need space to evaporate all that water and caramelize properly," says Covarrubias. Give them a toss halfway through the cooking process to make sure they're cooked evenly, too.

How do you fix watery lasagna? ›

Whether you're making a tomato and meat sauce from scratch or using a jarred sauce, you can thicken it with cornstarch to prevent the problem of a soupy lasagna. Cornstarch is a classic binding ingredient that won't affect the sauce's flavor and is much more effective than flour.

How do you get rid of watery lasagna? ›

If you still find the end product runny, reduce the amount of condiment in the lasagna. If the sauce is to wet. I add some dry fine ground cheese to absorb the extra water in the sauce. Cheaper sauces seem to be more water.

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