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This Eggplant Lasagna is cheesy, comforting, and packed with roasted eggplant, tomato sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella. I still use a few lasagna noodles, so you get everything you love about traditional lasagna, plus lots of veggies.
A little about this recipe
Lasagna is always a hit with my family, and this is one of my favorite ways to add more veggies. I roast the eggplant first, so it softens and loses some of that extra moisture before I layer everything together. It’s cheesy, filling, and you definitely won’t miss the meat.
I also like that you can prep parts of it in advance, which makes assembling dinner much easier.
Looking for another meatless lasagna? My Cottage Cheese Lasagna is another family favorite and packs 21 grams of protein per serving.
Recipe Overview
Key Ingredients
Full ingredients and measurements are found further down below.
- Eggplant: I use 3 small eggplants, sliced into ½-inch rounds. There’s no need to peel them.
- Ricotta: This makes up the creamy cheese layer. I mix it with a little milk and Parmesan, so it’s easy to spread.
- Tomato sauce: Use a good-quality plain tomato sauce since it’s one of the main flavors in the lasagna.
- Lasagna noodles: This recipe uses only 9 noodles because the roasted eggplant makes up part of the layers.
- Mozzarella: I prefer whole-milk mozzarella here because it melts really well.
- Capers: These add a salty, slightly tangy flavor to the tomato sauce. If you’re not a fan, you can leave them out.
Don’t skip roasting the eggplant
Eggplant has quite a bit of moisture. Roasting the slices before assembling the lasagna helps soften them and keeps some of that extra moisture from ending up in the finished dish.
Slice the eggplant into about ½-inch rounds, arrange them on parchment-lined baking sheets, season, lightly spray with oil, and roast at 400°F for about 10 minutes. If you aren’t sure how to cut eggplant, follow this guide on how to cut eggplant.
You want them softened but not falling apart since they’ll continue cooking in the lasagna.
How to Make Eggplant Lasagna
Preheat the oven to 400°F, grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with a bit of oil, and set aside.
Prepare the eggplant: Cut the ends off the eggplants and slice into 0.5-inch slices. Lay the eggplant slices onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spray with cooking oil, then bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
Make the white sauce: In a bowl, whisk ricotta and milk. Add the parmesan, stir well, and set aside.
Get the red sauce ready: In a skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat before adding the onions and garlic; sauté for a few minutes. Next, stir in the tomato sauce and simmer on low for 20 minutes, until it thickens; then add the capers.
Assemble the lasagna: Add about a large spoon of the red sauce, and spread it evenly over the base of the baking dish before layering in the roasted eggplant slices. Spread 1/3 of the white sauce on top. Add in some basil leaves and cover with 3 lasagne noodle sheets without any overlap. Repeat the layering process until everything has been used. Finish with a layer of tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Bake the lasagna: Loosely cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is bubbling and golden brown.
Tips For Success
- Don’t cut the eggplant too thin: About ½ inch works well so the slices hold up between the layers.
- Roast the eggplant first; I wouldn’t layer raw eggplant at all in this lasagna.
- Let the tomato sauce simmer: You want it to thicken a little before assembling the lasagna so the finished dish isn’t watery.
- Don’t overlap the noodles: Arrange them in a single layer so they cook evenly.
- Cover while baking: This helps the noodles cook properly. If you want more color on top, uncover or broil it briefly at the end.
- Let it rest before cutting: Let the lasagna rest for about 10 to 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven. It’ll hold together much better when you slice it.
Easy Substitutions
- Gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free lasagna noodles.
- Whole wheat: Whole wheat lasagna noodles work too.
- No capers: Simply leave them out.
- More vegetables: Add a layer of spinach or sautéed mushrooms.
Common Questions
No. The skin softens as the eggplant roasts and bakes, so I leave it on. You can peel it if you prefer, but it isn’t necessary.
Yes! You can roast the eggplant and make the red sauce ahead of time, then store it in airtight containers in the fridge. Then, when ready to make, make your white sauce, assemble your lasagna, and bake!
Not for this recipe. Since you’re roasting the slices before assembling the lasagna, you can season them and put them straight into the oven.
Eggplant naturally contains a lot of moisture. Make sure you roast it first and let your tomato sauce simmer until it thickens slightly.
Also, let the finished lasagna rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
Yes. One easy option is to roast the eggplant and prepare the tomato sauce ahead of time, refrigerate them separately, and assemble the lasagna when you’re ready to bake it.
You could also assemble the lasagna earlier in the day, cover it, refrigerate it, and bake it later.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm them covered in the oven until heated through.
Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.
More Lasagna Recipes
More Vegetarian Dishes
I’m so grateful you’re here and part of this community. If you try this recipe, please leave a review and let me know how it goes. Your feedback is always appreciated.
Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna
Ingredients
- 3 small eggplants
- Salt and pepper
For the white sauce:
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
For the red sauce:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 28 ounces tomato sauce, 2 cans
- 2 tablespoons capers, chopped
For layering:
- 9 lasagna noodles
- 10 ounces ball of fresh mozzarella
- large bunch of basil
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with a bit of oil and set aside.
- Line 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper. Trim the ends off the 3 small eggplants and slice them into 0.5-inch slices.
- Lay the eggplant slices onto the prepared sheet pan and sprinkle with Salt and pepper. Spray with cooking oil, then bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk 1 cup ricotta and 1 cup whole milk. Add the 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, stir well, and set aside.
For the red sauce
- Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 onion (diced) and 3 garlic cloves (minced); sauté for a few minutes.
- Stir in the 28 ounces tomato sauce and simmer on low for 20 minutes, until thickened. Add 2 tablespoons capers, mix well, and set aside.
To assemble the lasagna
- Add about a large spoon of red sauce, and spread it evenly over the base of the baking dish. Layer some roasted eggplant slices, then spread over 1/3 of the white sauce.
- Add a few of the large bunch of basil and top with 3 lasagna sheets (from the 9 lasagna noodles), ensuring there’s no overlap.
- Repeat the layers until all the ingredients are used. Finish with a layer of tomato sauce. Top with slices of the 10 ounces ball of fresh mozzarella.
- Loosely cover the dish and place it in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is bubbling and golden brown.
Notes
- Serving size: 1/8 of the lasagna
- Slice the eggplant into about ½-inch rounds, so they don’t become too thin while roasting.
- There’s no need to peel the eggplant.
- Roast the eggplant before assembling the lasagna to soften it and remove some excess moisture.
- Let the tomato sauce simmer until slightly thickened before assembling.
- If the cheese isn’t golden enough after baking, broil for 1 to 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on it.
- Let the lasagna rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Gluten-free lasagna noodles can be used if needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We enjoyed this lasagna for dinner tonight. Great idea to replace half the pasta with roasted eggplant. Whole milk ricotta helps enhance flavor. I cut milk in half and used an egg instead. It was delicious! Fantastic recipe.
So glad you loved it. Yay
Tasty recipe though omit the milk and replace with an egg