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.
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!
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
- 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.
- Marinara Sauce: The flavorful tomato sauce that forms the base of the lasagna. Make our Quick and Easy Marinara Sauce or use store-bought.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Add a layer of creaminess and gooeyness. It melts beautifully and complements the other flavors in the dish.
- 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.
- Ricotta Cheese: Another cheese often used in lasagna, ricotta provides a creamy and slightly tangy flavor.
- Herbs: Fresh basil or fresh parsley.
- Black pepper and Nutmeg: a hint of nutmeg adds beautiful flavor
- 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
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 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 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.
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.
Roast until translucent and golden. So check them and be intentional here. Undercooked eggplant is never good.
Step 2: Make the Filling. While the eggplant is roasting, make the filling. Saute one onion and 4-8 garlic cloves.
Add a heaping mount of fresh spinach.
Wilt it and season with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Mix up the ricotta with basil, nutmeg, egg and salt and pepper.
Even though I used whole milk ricotta here, it did not feel even remotely heavy – so I recommend using whole milk ricotta.
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.
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.
Add the lasagna noodles, add 3/4 cups more sauce, then overlap half of the eggplant.
Top with 1/2 of the ricotta mixture.
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. 🙂
Sprinkle with 1/2 cup or 3/4 cup mozzarella and a few tablespoons of pecorino (or parmesan).
Add the second, final layer of no-boil lasagna noodles.
Cover with 3/4 cup marinara sauce.
Add the remaining eggplant overlapping.
Top with the remaining marinara sauce.
Add the remaining ricotta- yep it will be on the top this time. Sprinkle with Mozzarella and Pecorino.
This is what I’m using:
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.
While the Eggplant Lasagna is baking, make the Arugula Almond Pesto. It only takes 5 minutes and it totally elevates.
When it is done, it will be slightly puffed, golden and delicious smelling – and you’ll feel especially proud of yourself.
Bask in it!
It brings me joy just thinking about it. Garnish with the arugula pesto or serve it on the side.
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?
- Yes of course, here are no-boil gluten-free lasagna noodles -they do exist!
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. 🙂
More recipes you will love!
- Spinach Lasagna
- Butternut Lasagna with Mushrooms and Sage
- Polenta Lasagna with Smoky Red Pepper Sauce
- Zucchini Lasagna (without noodles)
- Rosemary Chicken Lasagna
- Vegan Lasagna Bolognese
- Baked Ziti with Mushrooms & Spinach (No Boil!)
- Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups with Spinach & Basil
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
P.S. I used something similar to this 12- inch Clay Baking Dish if you are interested!
Eggplant Lasagna | 60-sec video
Eggplant Lasagna Recipe
- 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
- 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
- 4–8 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.
- 1– 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella (or meltable vegan cheese)
- 1/4– 1/3 cup pecorino (or parm, but I like pecorino better here)
- 1/4–1/2 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
- 1/3–1/2 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
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- 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!
- 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.
- RICOTTA MIXTURE: In a medium bowl, whisk with a fork, the ricotta, egg, nutmeg, basil and salt. Set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- The lasagna is done when it is golden, bubbling and slightly puffed in the center.
- 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
Made this for dinner with friends and it was a hit! I’ve struggled with eggplant in the past, but followed the instructions closely and it turned out great. Made a minor modification to accommodate a friend who doesn’t eat garlic: replaced the marinara with a plain tomato sauce, and skipped the second layer of marinara. Also made the arugula pesto without garlic. It was delicious and the pesto really enhanced the lasagna. I’ve been trying out different recipes from this blog for a while now, and I have to they are always consistent! I’ve never made a recipe from here that didn’t turn out amazing!
Thanks so much Susanne! Glad you enjoyed this and happy you are here!
So worth the work! This is fabulous! Loved the pesto addition.
Excellent recipe!
I loved the tip about of spraying the oil on the eggplant.
I grilled the eggplant instead of baking it and used green lentil lasagna noodles, everyone in my family loved it.
The arugula pesto is fabulous.
Thanks Marc- glad you enjoyed this!
Wonderful recipe!!! Loved the (smoked almond) Pesto addition… it was worth that little extra effort! So flavorful. I made a quick homemade sauce w meatballs and sausage. It satisfied the meat lovers and those who wanted to go meatless. Thank you 🙂
Thanks Elizabeth! happy you liked this!
Absolutely Fabulous! Looks just like your pictures and tastes divine. I used pureed rinsed large curd cottage cheese instead of ricotta (I don’t like the texture of ricotta) and it worked beautifully.
Oh good to hear Carole- thanks for the cottage cheese tip. 😉
What could I use in place of almonds for pesto? Nut allergies!
You could try a seed- pumpkin, sunflower, hemp?
One word for this recipe….Outstanding! The pesto adds an amazing complexity, surprising in its perfect accompaniment to the lasagna. I made the sauce myself, (so easy to do time allowing), and I used pine nuts because my sauce was more acidic and I find pine nuts to be sweet (better pairing). I made the day before serving because it does take a hunk of time to prepare.
Thanks Mary, glad you enjoyed this!
Delicious
Can left overs be frozen? It’s just my husband and myself, I’m pretty sure we would have leftovers.
I think it would freeze great!
You say to set oven to 400 but then in the recipe it says bake at 375
Hi Vicki! Roast the eggplant at 400F, then bake the lasagna at 375F.
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it!
I have guests coming tomorrow night and am going attempt this to serve to them.
What would you recommend to serve on the side in winter?
Crusty Bread and Salad?
Just wanted to say that I’ve made this recipe 4 times now and it’s become one of my family’s go-to’s that we HAVE to have at least once a month. We add a pound of ground beef to the filling each time and it’s so delicious and flavorful!
Tonight I made your arugula pesto for the first time (we typically buy some from the farmers market but I couldn’t make it there this week) and that made it even better. Thanks for all that you do!! Love love love this recipe.
Thanks so much and glad you like this one Lorelei!
This recipe was the best eggplant recipe I’ve ever made! It had so much flavor!
Great to hear!
Can I use regular lasagna noodles? If yes, then how should I go about it? Should I boil the noodles first?
Yes, and I would cook them first. 🙂
I forgot to add that I whipped the ricotta in the food processor to make it even lighter, I learned that trick making lasagna as a lasagna mama
Perfect!
I made this recipe for my vegetarian daughter in law and son. I am not a big fan of eggplant because of the texture but this was truly delicious. I added 8 oz. cremini mushrooms processed in the food processor and cooked them with the onions, then I added in 1 T of tomato paste and about a teaspoon of anchovy paste before adding the garlic and cooked them down for about 2 – 3 minutes. Also added about of Tablespoon of Miso just to give a little umami boost. The pesto is the bomb, adds just the right amount of brightness
Love, love this! I’m hoping to prep it the day before baking it. Do you think I can I assemble it the day before or should I wait until right before baking?
Prep and assemble ahead- not a problem.
I’m not a fan of ricotta cheese. What can I use instead? Looks outstanding and I can’t wait to make it
Hey Jill- that is tough… the ricotta really adds the perfect texture here and is hardly noticible. I guess cottage cheese may work?
Amazing! I made the tofu ricotta and we couldn’t tell the difference
Loved this recipe!!! Can’t wait to make it again . . . and again . . . and again. The eggplants at my local market (southern Vt) were fairly shopworn so I only used 2 and sliced them a bit thinner than recommended. Next time I will make sure I have 3 because thin slices cooked down quite a bit after roasting. I made up for missing eggplant by adding extra spinach. And the local grocery didn’t have the no-cook noodles so I bought the regular and just undercooked them before assembling. Really looking forward to making this again once the garden starts producing summer veggies.
This recipe turned out delicious! Thank you for sharing it!
wondering if you have a substitute for spinach? i really don’t like the taste, but need healthier options. please let me know can’t wait to try! i pray my 3 & 2 year olds enjoy it too!!!
You can leave it out if you like?
I made this and my sister who is only 5 and very picky loved it, and you really can’t taste the spinach when it is with all of the other flavors:)
This dish is outstanding!!! A huge hit in my household and now a star in my rotation (we ate it with our beloved sourdough bread toasted). I used fresh ricotta and fresh mozzarella sliced. Wonderful.
This recipe is everything!!
This is delish! I made it over the weekend and the leftovers have been even better for weekday lunches. I made a few changes to cut a few calories: I used low-fat ricotta, only 1 cup of mozzarella and half of the pecorini called for (top layer only), 6 sheets of noodles (I probably would have done this anyway) and 1/4 cup of olive oil in the pesto. The only thing that felt like a sacrifice was the ricotta, and frankly I think this would be great with no noodles; they’re hardly noticable in the recipe (but you’d want to wring some moisture out of the spinach if you didn’t have the no-boil noodles to soak it up). I also hate arugula so I made the pesto with kale. I did feel like this could have been more tomato-y, so next time I might mix a 6-oz can of tomato paste in with the marinara, or add sun-dried tomatoes to the spinach layer or the pesto.