Eggplant Lasagnette Recipes

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) AND GOAT CHEESE LASAGNETTE

Steps:

• Directions for the Thick tomato sauce:.
• Heat 3 tblspns olive oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until hot.
• Add the bell pepper and sauté until brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, if necessary, and the garlic, and cook briefly until light brown.
• Add the onion and cook until brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add the tomato paste and stir to mix well.
• Add the tomatoes and their juice, the stock, and bay leaf.
• Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the sauce until thick, about 25 minutes, be sure to stir often to prevent scorching.
• Add the butter, oregano, parsley, and basil and stir well. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Use immediately, or let cool, cover, and refrigerate for several days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
• Directions for the lasgnette:.
• Cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/8 to 1/4-inch-thick slices. Salt for 20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly and pat dry.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Pour the olive oil into a large skillet to a depth of 1 inch and place over medium-high heat until hot, about 350°F Meanwhile, season the flour with the pepper.
• Dredge the slices in the flour, then dip in eggwhites, and then coat with dry breadcrumbs.
• Fry, turning once, until browned, about 2 minutes total. Drain on paper towels. Note: The oil should be hot enough to bubble while the eggplant is cooking but be careful not to let them burn.
• Add more oil as necessary to maintain the oil at a depth of about 1 inch.
• Spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 2-1/2-quart baking dish. Arrange a layer of eggplant in the dish to cover the bottom completely.
• Spoon on another layer of sauce, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan, 1 tablespoon of the parsley and basil, and dot with one-third of the chevre.
• Repeat the layering twice, beginning with eggplant and ending with chevre.
• Do not press down on the layers.
• Top with the remaining eggplant and then another thin layer of sauce.
• Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan (about 3 tablespoons), parsley (about 2 tablespoons), and the breadcrumbs.
• Bake until browned and bubbling, about 20-30 minutes. Do not over-brown.
• Let rest a few minutes before cutting into squares to serve. Serve hot or warm, drizzled with the garlic or basil oil if desired.

LASAGNA WITH ROASTED EGGPLANT-RICOTTA FILLING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Place the cherry tomatoes on a large baking sheet along with the thyme, oregano and garlic. Dress with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Roast until the tomatoes burst, 35 to 45 minutes
• Brush the eggplant with the remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast alongside the tomatoes until soft, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Let the tomatoes cool slightly, and then puree them with the basil in a food processor until smooth. Remove the skins from the garlic and puree the sauce with the roasted cloves before transferring the sauce to a bowl.
• When the eggplant has cooled, spoon out the flesh and add it into the cleaned bowl of the food processor along with the ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, egg yolks and some salt and pepper. Puree the mixture until smooth and season with more salt and pepper.
• Ladle one-third of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Layer pasta sheets on top, followed by one-half of the eggplant, more pasta sheets, tomato sauce and 1/2 of the mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of pasta sheets, followed by the remaining eggplant, more pasta sheets and the remaining tomato sauce. Top the lasagna with the remaining mozzarella. Bake 1 hour. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.

EGGPLANT LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Oil 2 baking sheets and a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 teaspoon olive oil.
• Whisk eggs and water together in a shallow dish. Combine Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt, and ground black pepper in a separate shallow dish.
• Dip eggplant slices into egg mixture, then press each gently into bread crumb mixture. Gently tap off any excess crumbs. Arrange slices on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake eggplant slices in the preheated oven until tops are golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Flip eggplant and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove eggplant from the oven and increase temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and stir in ground beef. Season beef with salt and ground black pepper. Cook and stir until beef is browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes. Drain excess grease. Stir tomato sauce into ground beef; bring to a simmer and set sauce aside.
• Place 1/3 of the eggplant slices on bottom of the dish. Pour 1/3 of tomato sauce with ground beef on top of eggplant layer. Sprinkle 1/3 of mozzarella cheese on top of sauce layer. Repeat 2 more times, finishing with a layer of mozzarella cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before slicing.