This Eggplant Lasagna recipe is so cozy and warming! Made with layers of roasted eggplant, savory spinach filling and no-boil noodles.  Keto, GF and Vegan-adaptable! Video.

 Eggplant Lasagna made roasted eggplant, no-boil noodles and topped with Arugula Pesto. A delicious, healthy vegetarian dinner recipe that is comforting and nourishing. #eggplantlasagna

This delicious Eggplant Lasagna is so warm and comforting -it is one of those dishes you actually get kind of excited about the leftovers. I am actually eating the last piece as I type, and feeling a bit sad about it.

After making a big batch last Sunday- it has been nourishing me all week long. Vegetarian comfort food at its best!  We have several lasagnas on the blog- our Spinach Basil Lasagna, our  Vegan Lasagna and our ever-popular Butternut Squash Lasagna – all are super tasty. What I love about lasagna is you can make them in stages, or make them ahead, or freeze them for later!

What you’ll love about this Recipe!

  • It’s light!  It’s hearty, don’t get me wrong- eggplant is filling and “meaty,” but it doesn’t feel overly cheesy or heavy- meaning, it does not put me in a food coma. ( And for more fun ways to cook with eggplant, please take a peek at our 20+ Best Eggplant Recipes.)  There are just enough no-boil lasagna noodles to give it structure without completely taking over, making the eggplant the real star of the dish.
  • It’s easy to make!  Roasting the eggplant is probably the thing that takes the most time, but I’ve made it as easy as possible for you. I really don’t think you’ll mind the process.And once that part is done, just assemble and bake.
  • It can be made in stages!  Roast the eggplant a day ahead and frigate. Or if you live somewhere warm, grilling the eggplant is even easier and adds great flavor!
Easy Eggplant Lasagna made with no-boil noodles and topped with Arugula Pesto. A delicious, healthy vegetarian dinner recipe that is comforting and nourishing. #vegetarian #eggplantlasagna #lasagna #healthycomefortfood

The thing that elevates this Eggplant Lasagna is the Arugula Pesto. Yes, of course, you can always use store-bought pesto or your own version of pesto would work fine too. But if you have an extra 5 minutes, make the Arugula Pesto, trust me, you need this in your life. 😉

Eggplant Lasagna Ingredients

  1. Eggplant: The star of the recipe! Slices of eggplant get roasted in the oven until succulent and tender. Roasting eggplant will prevent excess moisture- never use raw eggplant in lasagna or it will be watery.
  2. Marinara Sauce: The flavorful tomato sauce that forms the base of the lasagna. Make our Quick and Easy Marinara Sauce or use store-bought.
  3. Mozzarella Cheese: Add a layer of creaminess and gooeyness. It melts beautifully and complements the other flavors in the dish.
  4. Pecorino (or Parmesan Cheese): This hard, aged cheese is grated and sprinkled over the layers of the lasagna. It adds a nutty, salty taste, and a nice golden crust when baked.
  5. Ricotta Cheese: Another cheese often used in lasagna, ricotta provides a creamy and slightly tangy flavor.
  6. Herbs: Fresh basil or fresh parsley.
  7. Black pepper and Nutmeg: a hint of nutmeg adds beautiful flavor
  8. Optional Arugula Pesto, for the top! Both for color and flavor .

How to Make Eggplant Lasagna

Step one: Prep the Eggplant & preheat the oven to 400F

slicing eggplant

How to cut Eggplant for Lasagna:

Slice globe eggplant, lengthwise, into 1/2-inch thick slices. You can cut them into rounds, but then there are more to manage that way. Place onto 2 parchment-lined sheet pans.

salt the eggplant

Salt the eggplant to release water and remove bitterness.

Sprinkle one side with 1/2 teaspoon salt, turn them over and sprinkle with another 1/2 teaspoon salt – sprinkling as evenly as possible.

Let this sit 15-20 minutes, allowing them to sweat, which removes bitterness, while the oven heats up.

blot the eggplant dry

Blot the moisture that is released from the top side.

Brush or spray with olive oil.   Spray olive oil is very handy here-  or if you like butter or ghee, feel to free to melt and brush it on lightly.

spray with olive oil

Then flip them over.  Repeat: Blot and spray.  Easy, right?? 🙂

Roast the Eggplant to prevent watery Lasagna!

Roasting the eggplant ahead prevents the lasagna from becoming watery.  Place the eggplant in the middle of the 400 F oven until deeply golden 30-40 minutes.

roasting the eggplant 400F oven

Roast until translucent and golden. So check them and be intentional here. Undercooked eggplant is never good.

roast the eggplant

Step 2: Make the Filling. While the eggplant is roasting, make the filling. Saute one onion and 4-8 garlic cloves.

make the filling

Add a heaping mount of fresh spinach.

add spinach

Wilt it and season with salt and pepper.

sauce the spinach

Step 3: Mix up the ricotta with basil, nutmeg, egg and salt and pepper.

make the ricotta mixture

Even though I used whole milk ricotta here, it did not feel even remotely heavy – so I recommend using whole milk ricotta.

ricotta mixture

Step 4: Assemble the eggplant Lasagna. Here, I’m using a 25-ounce jar of store-bought marinara sauce. Trader Joe’s Organic Marinara is flavorful as well and this brand or Organic “no-sugar-added” Marinara Sauce made with 100% olive oil and no weird seed oils.

NOTE: If using a no-sugar-added marinara sauce,  it will need a little sweetness- I usually stir in  1-2 teaspoon of maple syrup to the jar, otherwise, the sauce can be too acidic.

tomato sauce

Spread 3/4 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a  greased baking dish. Use either a 13 x 9-inch baking dish or a 11 to 12-inch  round baking dish.

layer the eggplant

Add the lasagna noodles, add  3/4 cups more sauce, then overlap half of the eggplant.

layer the eggplant lasagna.

Top with 1/2 of the ricotta mixture.

layer the eggplant lasagna.

Add all the filling. It doesn’t look like I added it all here but I went back and added the rest, and forgot to take a picture.

Please add all the filling. 🙂

layer the eggplant lasagna.

Sprinkle with 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup mozzarella and a few tablespoons of pecorino (or parmesan).

layer the eggplant lasagna.

Add the second, final layer of no-boil lasagna noodles.

layer the eggplant lasagna.

Cover with 3/4 cup marinara sauce.

layer the eggplant lasagna.

Add the remaining eggplant overlapping.

layer the eggplant lasagna.

Top with the remaining marinara sauce.

layer the eggplant lasagna.

Add the remaining ricotta- yep it will be on the top this time.  Sprinkle with Mozzarella and Pecorino.

This is what I’m using:

the cheeses to use in eggplant lasagna -ricotta, mozzarella pecorino

FYI: I do prefer saltier pecorino here versus tangier parmesan. Up to you.

Step 5: Bake the Eggplant Lasagna. Cover with parchment paper and foil (basically don’t let the foil touch the lasagna) and bake covered, until bubbling, then uncover for the last 10-15  minutes until golden and bubbling.

Step 6: Make the Arugula Pesto.

make the pesto

While the Eggplant Lasagna is baking, make the Arugula Almond Pesto. It only takes 5 minutes and it totally elevates.

A delicious recipe for Arugula Pesto designed to enliven soups, stews, cassoulets, sandwiches and pasta dishes. It's vegan and made with almonds, basil and lemon zest adding a peppery brightness to dishes you are already making! 

When it is done, it will be slightly puffed, golden and delicious smelling – and you’ll feel especially proud of yourself.

Bask in it!

Roasted Epplant Lasagna made with no-boil noodles and topped with Arugula Pesto. A delicious, healthy vegetarian dinner recipe that is comforting and nourishing. #vegetarian #eggplantlasagna #lasagna #healthycomefortfood

It brings me joy just thinking about it. Garnish with the arugula pesto or serve it on the side.

Eggplant Lasagna made with no-boil noodles and topped with Arugula Pesto. A delicious, healthy vegetarian dinner recipe that is comforting and nourishing. #vegetarian #eggplantlasagna #lasagna #healthycomefortfood

Because I can read your mind, let me answer some of your questions. 😉

Can I make the Eggplant Lasagna recipe without lasagna noodles to make it keto or low carb?

  • Yes.  I would increase the eggplant by roasting off one more. You can also brown some ground meat ( ground turkey, ground beef) with the onions before adding the spinach to “beef it up”. Or add mushrooms!
  • I will say, I do like the structure the lasagna noodles add, especially when using these thin no-boil lasagna noodles, they are very very light. Even cutting back to one layer is an option. 🙂

Can I make Lasagna Gluten-Free?

Can Eggplant lasagan be made ahead?

  • Yes, feel free to make and assemble the Eggplant Lasagna ahead, place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and bake it before serving (bring it to room temp first).
  • Or make it in stages: Roast the eggplant ahead, make the ricotta mix ahead, and the arugula pesto ahead, refrigerating all. Assemble and bake the day of.
  • It does reheat well also.

Can this be frozen?

Yes, freeze it in the unbaked in a casserole dish, or baked, in individual pieces. Thaw overnight, and reheat at 350F until internal temp reaches 145F.

Can this be made vegan?

Yes, again, probably! I haven’t tried this- but what I would do is make the tofu ricotta recipe, leave out the egg but add the basil and nutmeg.  Use meltable vegan cheese as a substitute. Again, if you try this, please let us all know how it turns out…very curious. 🙂

Eggplant Lasagna made with no-boil noodles and topped with Arugula Pesto. A delicious, healthy vegetarian dinner recipe that is comforting and nourishing. #vegetarian #eggplantlasagna #lasagna #healthycomefortfood

More recipes you will love!

I truly am excited for you to try this Eggplant Lasagna. It’s a beautifully rewarding meal to make on a slower Sunday, and then you’ll get to enjoy the leftovers during the workweek.

A beautiful, nourishing gift to yourself and your family.

xoxoxo

Sylvia

P.S. I used something similar to this 12- inch  Clay Baking Dish   if you are interested!

Eggplant Lasagna | 60-sec video

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An EASY Eggplant Lasagna made with no-boil noodles and topped with Arugula Pesto. A delicious, healthy vegetarian dinner recipe that is comforting and nourishing.

Eggplant Lasagna Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 120 reviews
  • Author: Sylvia Fountaine| Feasting at Home
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 75 mins
  • Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Category: main, vegetarian main
  • Method: baked
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Roasted Eggplant Lasagna made with no-boil lasagna noodles and topped with Arugula Pesto. A delicious, healthy vegetarian dinner recipe that is comforting and nourishing. Vegan and GF adaptable.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 large eggplants (about 3 lbs)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, spray olive oil or ghee
  • ———-
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • one onion, diced
  • 48 garlic cloves, rough chopped
  • 6 ounces baby spinach, about 2 extra-large handfuls
  • Salt and pepper to taste ( 1/4 teaspoon each)
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • ——
  • 16-ounce tub of whole milk ricotta (or sub tofu ricotta)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup chopped basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • ——
  • 24-ounce jar marinara sauce, about 3 cups
  • 8 no-boil lasagna noodles (or sub- gluten-free lasagna noodles) Feel free to use regular lasagna noodles that have been cooked to al dente.
  • 11 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (or meltable vegan cheese)
  • 1/41/3 cup pecorino (or parm, but I like pecorino better here)
  • 1/41/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

One batch Arugula Almond Pesto

  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1/4 cup toasted almonds, pinenuts or smoked almonds
  • 1/2 cup packed basil leaves
  • 1 cup packed arugula
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/31/2 cup light flavored olive oil (make sure oil is not bitter)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (if your almonds are heavily salted, use salt to taste.)
  • 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 F
  2. Sweat and ROAST EGGPLANT: Slice eggplant into 1/2-inch thick slices and place on two parchment-lined sheet pans. 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. Brush or 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. Thinner slices will cook faster, thicker slower. Watch your eggplant!
  3. SPINACH FILLING: While the eggplant roasts, make the 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 with salt and pepper, chili flakes, turn heat off.
  4. RICOTTA MIXTURE: In a medium bowl, whisk with a fork, the ricotta, egg, nutmeg, basil and salt. Set aside.
  5. ASSEMBLE: Spray or brush a 9×13 baking dish (or 12-inch round baking dish) with olive oil. Place 3/4 cup marina sauce on the bottom, or enough to cover the bottom. Place 1/2 of the no-boil lasagna noodles over top. Spread another thin layer of marinara over the pasta or just enough to lightly coat. Add half the roasted eggplant, overlapping a little if need be. Dot with half of the ricotta mixture. Spoon all of the wilted spinach mixture over the top evenly. Sprinkle with 1/2- 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/8 cup pecorino. Add 2nd layer of pasta sheets. Lightly cover with 3/4 cup marinara (you’ll need one more layer of marinara for the top, so if it looks like you could run out, water this down a bit here.) Next add the remaining eggplant, overlapping if need be. Smother with the remaining marinara sauce and spoon the remaining ricotta in fluffy dollops over the top. Sprinkle with a few chili flakes,  1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/8 pecorino.
  6. 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.
  7. While it is baking make the Arugula Pesto – place everything in food processor and pulse until combined, but not too smooth. Add more oil, to make it looser if you like, or less to make it thicker.
  8. The lasagna is done when it is golden, bubbling and slightly puffed in the center.
  9. Let it rest 5 minutes before serving, dot it with  Arugula pesto or serve it on the side.

Notes

Additions: Feel free to add ground meat or mushrooms to the onion mixture to “beef” it up. I find the eggplant is quite filling on its own, but up to you. Just make sure your filling is seasoned and flavorful if adding to it. 🙂

LOW CARB: YES you could leave out the lasagna sheets altogether and use the eggplant as the “pasta” here for a keto version. I would add one more eggplant. I like the structure the lasagna noodles bring, but it’s good without too.

VEGAN: Sub Tofu Ricotta adding basil and nutmeg. Sub meltable vegan cheese.

If using a sugar-free marinara sauce– add 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup to the sauce- otherwise too acidic.

To reheat, let it come to room temp, cover, bake at 350F or 375F oven for 25-30 minutes. Or microwave.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/8th without pesto
  • Calories: 371
  • Sugar: 9.5 g
  • Sodium: 722.7 mg
  • Fat: 19.9 g
  • Saturated Fat: 9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 33 g
  • Fiber: 8.4 g
  • Protein: 16.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 70.7 mg

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Comments

  1. I made this for my family tonight and they loved it. They are big meat eaters, but said this was good even though it was meatless. Thank you for the great recipe.

  2. I made this tonight for dinner , it was amazing! The arugula pesto is a must, it adds a freshness to an otherwise heavy dish. I also only had about 3 oz of spinach so I sliced some Brussels sprouts and cooked that with the spinach mixture, awesome recipe! Thank you, definitely adding this to our dinner rotation!






  3. I made this last night and I have to say, it was sooooo good. Even my husband, who is not a lasagna fan, enjoyed it. I served warmed up leftovers to my friend the next day and she insisted for the recipe. The no pre cooking lasagna sheets saved so much time and I like how thin and tender they came out. The arugula pesto was the bomb! There is nothing negative to say of this dish! Thank you so, so much!






  4. This may be the most delicious thing I’ve ever cooked! I took it to a friend’s house for Christmas dinner and it was a huge hit. The lasagna was amazing on its own but the pesto really took it over the top. Thanks for the great recipe!






  5. I’ve just made this and it is the tastiest lasagne I’ve ever had, I didn’t have rocket for the pesto so I used watercress and used a jar of marinara and lloyd Grossman tomato and chilli sauce mixed together also used marscapone cheese not ricotta.
    I’m delighted






  6. So I made this recipe exactly except I added some grated black truffle to the ricotta. Holy crap! This lasagna was so good! I had to stop myself from eating the whole tray! This will be great for meals for the next few days!






  7. Didn’t have marinara sauce, but found some diced tomatoes. Put them in the food processor, added a tablespoon of heavy cream and fresh parsley. Used a layer of eggplant and the next sautéed portobello mushrooms. This is a keeper big time!






  8. My husband and I have been recently transitioning our diet to a plant-based diet.
    While the food has not been bad, I have not found a recipe that is flavorful and that I would want to prepare again. A friend of mine recommended this web site. I searched through it, and I made the vegan version of this lasagna last night for my family – most of whom are not vegan or vegetarian. They absolutely raved about it! The one vegetarian in the group told me he has never been a fan of eggplant, but he thought that when it was prepared like this, it was the best he had ever had. I prepared the tofu ricotta, and was very skeptical that I would like it. I was wrong – when put together with everything else, it was delicious! I grilled Portobello mushrooms and added them to the layers – fantastic! I highly recommend the vegan version of this dish. I will DEFINITELY be preparing this again!






  9. I am in love with this dish – even better the next day for leftovers – and it was so much easier than making eggplant Parmesan – a favorite of ours. Thank you, again, for adding some variety to my standard repertoire 🙂 I had never used the no-boil noodles before and it felt like magic!






  10. This recipe was a ‘wow’ and I also got a comment from my lasagna loving spouse that its the best lasagna he’s ever had! I didn’t change anything.






  11. This recipe is of a high-end Italian restaurant quality. I can’t believe I was able to make such a delicious meal following your instructions. I used fresh-made lasagna sheets and sauce from a local Italian specialty store. My husband is raving about it as well. From now on, it will be my go-to recipe.






  12. My husband and I made this lasagna for Christmas and it was delicious! One of the best meals we’ve made from you… thank you so much.






  13. I haven’t gone wrong with any recipes from feasting from home and this was no exception. Delicious. It took a little more time than I usually spend on a meal but well worth it. Thank you!






  14. I made this for my parents, I did light cheese and used green lentil lasagna noodles. They said it is the best eggplant lasagna they have EVER had. Thank you for the amazing recipe. Will try to make it vegan next and freeze!

  15. This is hands down the best tasting lasagna I have ever made. It is rich but still remains light. The pesto elevates this dish to a new level of deliciousness. I did add one lb. of browned local Italian sausage which is much less than I would normally add the eggplant gives this meal such a meaty feel the sausage was really not necessary but I had it and wanted to use it up. The only other thing I changed was the addition of some spinach into the pesto as I was very low on arugula and needed to add something and it was what I had. The pesto was delicious and we literally were eating it by the spoonful. This will go into my regular rotation of meals!






  16. I made this a couple of nights ago, extremely delicious, We had dinner for 6, I made a meat lasagna for the carnivores and found this recipe for myself and another guest who were vegetarians. I added roasted capsicum and zucchini as well and topped with a little bechamel sauce as there was a little left over from the meat dish. As Sylvia had suggested I roasted veg the day before I cooked the lasagna, made the ricotta mix and the filing too, to save time. My veggie guest said this was the best veggie lasagna she had ever tasted and begged me for the recipe – no surprise at all when the meat eaters all had a serve of the dish too – and loved it. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. (I also played with the pesto a little too by added more garlic, spinach – but again great recipe).






  17. Like another reviewer, I also like to seek out recipes that require time and love and this fits the bill! Making this was indeed meditative. Made it as written and wouldn’t change a thing. The arugula pesto is a must!






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