Lasagna is a go-to dish for our family and, while it’s full of tomatoes and tastes delicious, it doesn’t have that much going for it in regards to healthy eating. (At least, not when you’re eating the gargantuan portions our family serves up.) We wanted to make our favorite lasagna recipe the other week, but also wanted to try to lighten things up a bit, so we decided to do away with the noodles altogether and instead use….eggplant and zucchini!

This dish is so yummy; it doesn’t have the traditional carbs involved and is packed with veggies, so you can go back for more without a second thought. Feel free to pre-roast the eggplant and zucchini ahead of time, but we didn’t and it turned out perfectly, the choice is yours. Regardless, give this a chance sometime and see how much you like it. It won’t disappoint!

Eggplant Zucchini Lasagna

8

2 hours

Ingredients
  • 1-2 (24 oz.) cans marinara sauce
  • 1 pound mild Italian sausage
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
  • 2 cups ricotta cheese
  • 2 large eggplants, cut into thin, long slices
  • 1-2 large zucchinis, cut into thin, long slices
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, optional
  • extra-virgin olive oil, as needed
  • kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preparation
  1. Season eggplant and zucchini generously with salt, then set in a colander for 20-30 minutes to drain.
  2. Preheat oven to 375º F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  3. Optional: Place thinly sliced eggplant and zucchini on 2 baking sheets and pour olive oil over the top of veggies. Season generously with salt and pepper, then turn over and repeat. Place in oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, or until eggplants are browned and tender.
  4. In a large bowl, mix together ricotta, parmesan cheese, basil and egg yolk, then season generously with salt and pepper.
  5. Spread 1/3 cup tomato sauce on the bottom of baking dish, then top with a layer of eggplant slices.
  6. Spread 1/3 ricotta mixture over eggplant, then top with a layer of zucchini. Spread another 1/3 marinara mixture over zucchini, then top with 1/3 ricotta mixture.
  7. Repeat with remaining layers, ending with remaining marinara sauce.
  8. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over the top, then cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  9. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
  10. Remove from oven and serve hot.

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray