Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients 

• 3 large eggplants 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• one onion, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, rough chopped
• 6 ounces baby spinach
• pepper to taste 

• 12 oz mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 16 ounce ricotta 
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 24-ounce marinara sauce 
• 8 no-boil lasagna noodles 
• 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella 
• 1/3 cup parm

• Pesto
• Red Pepper flakes 

Steps

Preheat oven to 400 F

Sweat and Roast Egg plant: 
Slice eggplant into 1/2-inch thick slices and place on sheet pan lined with silicone mat. Sprinkle half the salt over the top as evenly as possible. Turn each piece over and sprinkle the remaining salt. Let the eggplant sit (and sweat) 15-20 minutes while the oven gets hot. When the eggplants look damp, pat the top side down with paper towels. Spray with olive oil. Flip them. Blot with paper towels, spray with olive oil. Roast in the middle of the oven for 30-40 minutes, checking at 25 minutes. Roast until golden and tender. 

Spinach Filling: 
In a large skillet, saute the onion, over medium heat until. tender about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the fresh spinach, lowering heat, gently wilting. Season pepper. Set aside.

Mushrooms:
In the same skillet saute mushrooms until soft. Set aside.

Ricotta mixture: 
In a medium bowl, whisk with a fork, the ricotta, egg, nutmeg, basil. Set aside.

Assemble:
Spray a 9×13 baking dish with olive oil. 

Place 3/4 cup marina sauce on the bottom, or enough to cover the bottom. Place the no-boil lasagna noodles over top. Spread another thin layer of marinara over the pasta, or just enough to lightly coat. Add the roasted eggplant. Dot with half of the ricotta mixture. Spoon all of the wilted spinach mixture over top evenly. Add mushrooms. Top with 1/2- 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/8 cup parm. 

Add another layer of pasta sheets. Lightly cover with 3/4 cup marinara.  Next add the remaining eggplant. Smother with the remaining marinara sauce and spoon the remaining ricotta in fluffy dollops over the top. Add remaining  mozzarella cheese and parm. 

Bake:

Cover with foil (if your lasagna comes to the top edge of the baking dish, cover with parchment first and then with foil) and bake in a 375 F oven for 45-50 minutes, uncover and bake 10-20 more minutes, until golden and bubbling.