Eggplant is a particularly versatile food. It’s found in Chinese, Indian, Italian, and Middle Eastern foods. As a purple food it contains antioxidants with heart health wellness implications similar to blueberries.
Eggplant is a low calorie, almost sodium free food source that can help in weight control and weight loss. A cup of eggplant contains only 35 calories yet is a good source of fibre which helps you feel full while also helping combat constipation and the formation of hemorrhoids.
The Veteran Move here is to be careful to approach this recipe in stages. Prepare the eggplant slices well in advance. Particularly, try to draw out all the moisture possible before grilling them then set them aside.
I also don’t start the tomato sauce or the cheese sauce until I have the eggplant slices ready. Then I can quickly prepare the two sauces in tandem.
Once the eggplant and the sauces are ready I assemble the final dish. This is a little trickier and has more involved prep than I usually feature. It’s well worth it if you love lasagna but have calorie or sodium restrictions on your diet.
INGREDIENTS
• 2 large eggplants
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• olive oil, to taste • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes, 2 can (795 g ea)*
• 6 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
• 1 medium sized Parmesan rind
• 1 large egg
• 15 oz ricotta cheese, 1 container (425 g)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (200 g)
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided (110 g)
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
*can you find san Marzano canned tomatoes? Many consider them to be the best plum tomatoes to use when making Italian sauce. They are grown near Naples at the base of Mount Vesuvius and I have to admit… I really like them!
1 PREPARE EGGPLANT FIRST
Remove from the pan and set aside.
2 PREPARE TOMATO AND CHEESE SAUCES
In a medium saucepan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium-low heat, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes.
Sauté for about 3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant but not browned.
Remove from the heat and set aside.
3 ASSEMBLE THE LASAGNA
Bake for 35-45 minutes, until cheese is fully melted. Turn the broiler on high and broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese on top is browned and bubbly.
let rest for 15-20 minutes before serving to give the lasagna time to set.
This is a critical step!
This dish goes great with a Caesar salad. I like to serve each slice with a little sprinkle of fresh basil!
