Eggplant and Spinach Lasagna

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

267 people added this to their Recipe Box

This recipe makes 8 servings

Nutritional Info
Per serving: about	-
cal	659659 cal
pro	38 g38g pro
total fat	38 g38g total fat
sat. fat	20 g20g sat. fat
carb	45 g45g carb
fibre	9 g9g fibre
chol	177 mg177mg chol
sodium	917 mg917mg sodium
% RDI:	-
calcium	7878 calcium
iron	4545 iron
vit A	121121 vit A
vit C	3737 vit C
folate	109109 folate

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This colourful vegetable lasagna will delight vegetarian guests — and even the most dedicated meat eaters, too — with its rich flavours. You can save time by using 4 cups (1 L) of store-bought pasta sauce instead of making the tomato sauce.

Ingredients

2 2large eggplants, (about 2-1/2 lb/1.25 kg total)
1 tsp salt 1 1tsp tspsalt
12 lasagna noodles , (about 8 oz/250 g)12 12lasagna noodles, (about 8 oz/250 g)
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 3 3tbsp tbspextra-virgin olive oil
3 bags (each 10 oz/284 g) spinach 3 3bags (each 10 oz/284 g) bags (each 10 oz/284 g)spinach
1/2 1/2cup cuplightly toasted pine nutpine nuts, (optional)
3 eggs , lightly beaten3 3eggeggs, lightly beaten
3 cups extra-smooth ricotta cheese 3 3cups cupsextra-smooth ricotta cheese
3 3cups cupsshredded mozzarella cheese, (10 oz/300 g)
1-1/2 cups grated romano cheese 1-1/2 1-1/2cups cupsgrated romano cheese or Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 1/2tsp tsppepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 1/2tsp tspnutmeg
Tomato Sauce:
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 1tbsp tbspextra-virgin olive oil
1 onion , finely chopped1 1oniononions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic , minced2 2cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes 1/4 1/4tsp tsphot pepper flakes
1 can (28 oz/796 mL) plum tomatoes 1 1can (28 oz/796 mL) can (28 oz/796 mL)plum tomatoplum tomatoes
2 tsp dried oregano 2 2tsp tspdried oregano

Preparation

Peel eggplants; cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch (5 mm) thick slices. Sprinkle both sides of eggplant slices with salt. Layer in colander; let stand for 30 minutes.

Tomato Sauce: Meanwhile, in saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, garlic and hot pepper flakes until onion is softened, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and oregano, breaking up tomatoes with spoon; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until almost tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to cold water. Drain and arrange in single layer between damp towels.

Press eggplant slices firmly to remove liquid. Transfer to paper towels; let dry. Brush with 2 tbsp (25 mL) of the oil; place in single layer on greased foil-lined baking sheets. Bake in 450°F (230°C) oven until lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool on pans; set aside.

In large pot, cook spinach in batches over medium-high heat, with just the water clinging to leaves and turning once, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain; squeeze out moisture. Chop coarsely. In bowl, mix spinach with remaining oil, and pine nuts (if using); set aside.

In bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, 2 cups (500 mL) of the mozzarella, 1-1/4 cups (300 mL) of the Romano cheese, pepper and nutmeg. Set aside.

Spread half of the tomato sauce in 13- x 9-inch (3 L) glass baking dish. Top with one-third of the noodles in single layer, half of the spinach mixture, half of the cheese mixture, and half of the eggplant slices, overlapping if necessary; repeat noodle, spinach, cheese and eggplant layers once. Top with remaining noodles and tomato sauce. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Romano cheeses.

(Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cold. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Or overwrap with heavy-duty foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks; thaw in refrigerator for 48 hours. Remove foil and plastic wrap; add 10 minutes to covered baking time.)

Cover loosely with foil. Bake in 375°F (190°C) oven for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbling and cheese is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.