Eggplant Lasagna

I love lasagna. The pasta is indulgent, the sauce is tantalizing, and the fillings... well, they can be just about anything you like. I have made lasagna with ground turkey, mixed vegetables (including carrots, summer squash, and zucchini), and eggplant. The last in that list is the last one I made, and it is featured here.

Eggplant is a delicious vegetable that, when carefully cooked, retains a bite and can serve as a protein fake-out. I love the bite that roasted eggplant has, and I love its flavor. Eggplant is umami-- this Japanese word for food that tastes earthy and savory. Combined with a rich tomato sauce, little else is needed to create balance on the palate. And, frankly, eggplant lasagna could not be easier.

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For my lasagna, I started by getting some water on to boil. Because I was only making my lasagna in a bread pan (my mom gifted us a beautiful Paula Dean casserole for our wedding), I only boiled enough pieces to make a four- or five-layer lasagna. You can easily expand on this recipe by increasing a little of everything.

As the water came to a boil, I put a dry, nonstick chicken fryer (any frying pan will do) on to warm. I cut my eggplant (a fairly small one, as it's just the two of us) lengthwise, into long ovals (once their cut) about half and inch thick. You can certainly cut yours a little thinner if you prefer a well-cooked and softened eggplant. I seasoned the sliced eggplant pieces with cracked black pepper and garlic powder, then I proceeded to heat each piece, on both sides, until they were very slightly softened and slightly browned. I set them aside for layering later.

When the lasagna noodles went into the boiling water, I used the same chicken fryer to heat some sauce. Now, I know no one makes sauce from scratch these days, but I like to attempt a fake out. I started with a little canned pasta sauce in the bottom of the chicken fryer, then I added a small can of stewed tomatoes. I tossed in a few spices (I had fresh basil in the fridge, so I threw that in, too) and let it cook down for about ten minutes over low heat.

When all of the components were hot and ready to layer, I sprayed the breadpan with cooking spray. I always start my layering with a very thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan, then layer a lasagna noodle, thin layer of sauce, eggplant, layer of sauce, noodle, etc. Repeat until the pan is full or until all of your components have been used. Using a thin layer of sauce between each layer is a way to sort of steam the eggplant while it's in the oven. As you know, most lasagna recipes call for copious amounts of cheese. I forwent the cheese, and the most noticeable problem was that the pasta slid around and I did have some trouble maintaining the layers when I cut into it. If you want cheese, add it to your heart's content. If you're looking to reduce the cholesterol and fat in your diet, leave it out, and just be extra gentle when slicing and serving your dinner.

I loved this simple meal. It has just a few components, but it has loads of flavor. Plus, for me, pasta is a comfort food. Adding thick layers of eggplant and tomatoes makes me feel like I'm breaking all the carbohydrate rules without sacrificing nutrition. I hope you'll enjoy it with fork in hand.