Eggplant Lasagna

    Lately I have been looking for inspiration when it comes to dinner ideas.  Maybe I'm in a rut, but I have been scouring food holiday calendars trying to come up with things to make in the coming days.  Yikes!  While I think this is a fun way to get ideas and may even feature some from time to time (like today), I realize that I can't keep this up.  It's probably for the best that I don't come up with a way to make jelly beans and cotton candy an acceptable dinner plan for tomorrow.  Did you know July 31 is National Jelly Beans Day and National Cotton Candy Day?  Maybe I just need a vacation.  I'm sure Europe will give me more than enough food inspiration.  It needs to get here now!

    Yesterday was National Lasagna Day.  I tend not to make lasagna in the summer months because it can be so heavy, but I remembered one that I had tried out last year that is perfect for summer.  It uses strips of roasted eggplant in place of traditional noodles.  

First, the eggplant needs to be cut and roasted in the oven to soften it up.  Using my trusty mandolin was a little tricky with the gigantic eggplant but it worked pretty well.

Then, it gets layered just like a regular lasagna. Eggplant, sauce, cheese, repeat.

Eggplant Lasagna

 

Ingredients

2 eggplants, sliced about ¼” thick
fresh ground black pepper and sea salt to taste

28 ounces marinara sauce
1 pound ground beef or turkey, cooked and drained
1 15-ounce container Ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch of nutmeg
4 leaves of basil, chopped
1 small ball of mozzarella cheese, sliced into rounds
Truffle oil (if desired)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Slice eggplant into strips and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle or brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until tender, about 10 minutes.
Cook ground meat until no longer pink, drain, and combine with marinara sauce.
Mix together Ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and basil in a separate bowl.
Pour about 1 cup sauce into bottom of baking dish and spread.  Layer eggplant, sauce, Ricotta mixture, eggplant, sauce, Ricotta mixture, eggplant, sauce and then top with Mozzarella cheese rounds.
Bake until bubbly and cheese has browned, about 20 minutes.
Cut into squares and drizzle with truffle oil just before serving. 

*Linking up today with Jessica and Ashley