Name: Roasted Eggplant Lasagna
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 Eggplants; 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil; Salt and Pepper to taste; 2 15-oz cans of pure tomato sauce (890 ml); 2 garlic gloves; Pinch of red pepper flakes; 2 cups (475 ml) whole milk ricotta cheese; 2 eggs; 2 cups (450g) shredded mozzarella cheese, separated; ½ cup (120 ml) freshly chopped basil (separated); sprinkle of Italian Seasoning (optional)

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If you’re looking for a fantastic Sunday night dinner recipe, look no further! You’ll find my Eggplant Lasagna Recipe is essentially a vegetarian Lasagna, but without the noodles (great for all those who are cutting down on the carbs or who are gluten-free).

The eggplant is roasted in the oven first and then layered with flavorful ricotta cheese and homemade tomato sauce. For a similar recipe that uses pasta try my Baked Stuffed Shells Recipe.

eggplant lasagna on a plate with fork — Roasted eggplant stacked with creamy ricotta cheese, homemade tomato sauce and gooey mozzarella cheese.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

It only takes 3 eggplants so it’s pretty economical!
You can prep the eggplant and the sauce up to 2 days ahead and then assemble the lasagna, bake and serve.
It’s a festive main course idea for Christmas or Thanksgiving if you need a vegetarian entree.

baked eggplant lasagna in a red gratin pan — Eggplant Lasagna also makes a great potluck meal. Bake it off and bring it to your host to simply reheat.

The Ingredients:

Eggplant Be sure they are firm to the touch and without bruises.
Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper You’ll drizzle the eggplant with olive oil during the roasting process. It will mellow the flavor and soften the fibrous texture. The salt will help release the moisture and the pepper is for flavor.
Ricotta Cheese I prefer to use whole milk ricotta cheese. I think the texture is better.
Eggs The eggs will bind the ricotta cheese mixture and prevent it from running as it bakes in the oven
Fresh Basil Is added to the ricotta cheese mixture for flavor, but you could also add freshly chopped spinach if you prefer.
Grated Mozzarella Cheese Is added into the ricotta as well as the final layer on top. In the mixture it helps to keep the lasagna layers intact.
Tomato Puree Be sure to buy pure tomato puree without any spices or flavorings.
Garlic I like to add at least 2 garlic cloves to the sauce to give it a deeper flavor. But if you aren’t such a fan, you could pair it back to one.
Red Pepper Flakes I like tomato sauce with a little bit of heat, but if you are serving this to kids or guests who may not like spicy things, it’s totally OK to skip it. It will still be good!

Ingredients laid out on the counter — This recipe takes minimal ingredients to create something utterly delicious.

How do you cut eggplant for eggplant lasagna?

First, make sure your eggplant has been rinsed and is completely dry, otherwise, it will steam up in the oven and become too mushy instead of roasted.
Then cut the eggplant into 1/4″ pieces this is the perfect thickness for eggplant lasagna with three layers.
You also want to slice them thin enough so they become soft and pliable in the oven, this will make the eggplant easier to eat once assembled in the eggplant lasagna.
Then you’ll drizzle both sides of the eggplant with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

sliced eggplant on a cutting board — Thinly sliced eggplant will roast better in the oven, and make for better lasagna layers. Slicing it in rounds as opposed to slices also makes it easier to serve.

Roasting the Eggplant For Lasagna

Bake the eggplant at 375F (190C) degrees for 7 minutes on each side and allow it to cool.
It’s perfectly fine to do this part in stages as you may not be able to fit all the eggplant in your oven at once! It typically takes me 4-5 trays depending on how big the eggplant is.
After the eggplant has baked, remove them from the oven and allow to cool. Then, you can prepare your sauce.

roasted eggplant slices on a baking tray — Roast the eggplant in batches. It will take about 4-5 trays but it can be done up to 2 days before.

Preparing the Homemade Tomato Sauce

You could use store-bought marina sauce, but making your own homemade will taste so much better and it’s so easy to do!
In a large saucepan, you’ll add the tomato puree, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste and red pepper flakes.
If you don’t like things too spicy, feel free to leave the red pepper flakes out. Allow the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce sweetens up and reduces a bit.
You can double the recipe for the sauce and freeze the second batch. Then you’ll have tomato sauce for Homemade Pizza all ready to go!

tomato sauce in a pot — Homemade tomato sauce is easy to do with store-bought tomato puree and will taste much better than anything from a jar.

Make the Ricotta Cheese Filling

To prepare the cheese mixture, add ricotta cheese, eggs, and freshly chopped basil to a medium mixing bowl.
The egg will help the ricotta cheese set up while it bakes and prevents your filling from becoming too runny.
If you have any ricotta cheese leftover, save it to make my Lemon Ricotta Pancakes the next day! The ricotta cheese makes them so light and fluffy!

a bowl of ricotta cheese with eggs, basil and mozzarella cheese — The basil can be substituted for fresh baby spinach if preferred.

How-To Assemble The Lasagna

In a large, 9″x 13″ heat-safe gratin dish, place a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the dish, and distribute evenly. This will prevent the eggplant from sticking.
Then, add a layer of eggplant to the bottom and then spread a few dollops of the ricotta cheese mixture on top.
Cover each eggplant round with another slice of eggplant roughly the same size.
This allows for the ability to use all the slices and offer larger or smaller stacks depending upon the appetite of your guest.

layers of eggplant and ricotta cheese in an oval baking dish — Covered each layer with eggplant, ricotta cheese and a good drizzle of tomato sauce

How many layers should a lasagna have?

Typically, a traditional lasagna has three or more layers to it and eggplant lasagna should follow the same rule of thumb.
Repeat this process of sauce, eggplant, ricotta, and sauce creating 3 layers of “Lasagna” in total.
The top layer should end with a layer of sauce and then some grated mozzarella cheese as the final layer.
It’s important the lasagna is cooked thoroughly inside since we added the eggs to the ricotta mixture.

eggplant lasagna covered in mozzarella ready for the oven — The final layer is a layer of tomato sauce and grated mozzarella cheese. A pinch of Italian seasoning on top for adding flavor and color is also a nice touch

Make-Ahead Tips

The eggplant can be roasted 1-2 days ahead, and keep tightly covered in the refrigerated.
The tomato sauce can also be made 1-2 days ahead and covered and refrigerated.
Prepare the ricotta cheese mixture just before assembling, as the ricotta can be come running the longer it sits.

aubergine lasagna on a plate — Eggplant lasagna can also be served as a first course for a holiday meal. Serve each guest 1 stack.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with a tossed salad with a classic vinaigrette and homemade garlic knots.
For a large holiday meal, serve the lasagna or my Eggplant Parmesan as a starter, serving each guest one stack of eggplant.
For a main course follow up with my Chicken Marsala, Chicken Florentine or Chicken Piccata.
For dessert try my Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe.