Eggplant Parm is a staple in our rotation when we find ourselves with Eggplant on hand. There’s just something about the crispy exterior and soft interior combined with cheese and sauce that hits the spot every time. For this meal, we had an eggplant, but we also had the idea to go a little wild with the whole concept of eggplant parm and to merge it with another Italian classic!
From our Eggplant Parm and Kale Risotto Towers recipe, we recalled that eggplant parm can stack very well, which is sort of a requisite attribute for a Lasagna.
We served our lasagna with a loaf of bread we made with our Garlic and Herb Pizza Dough. To change it from a pizza dough into a bread, we let it do a second rise in a bread pan and baked for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Time: 60-90 Minutes
Ingredients:
- For your Eggplant Parm:
- Large Eggplant
- 4 Eggs
- 2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
- Bread Crumbs (amount TBD)
- For your Filling:
- Ground Meat of your Choice. We used Chicken, but Beef would be great too.
- White Button or Cremini Mushrooms
- A Zucchini
- An Onion
- Garlic
- Oregano
- Basil
- Tomato Sauce
- Ricotta Cheese
- Shredded Mozzarella
Method:
- Prep your Eggplant:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F, line a baking sheet (or two) with foil, and give them a quick oil spray.
- Peel the skin off with a knife. Be careful to not remove too much of the flesh.
- Place your eggplant vertically, and slice thinly into long strips. You’ll need about 15 strips, so go thin!
- Place three large plates or bowls on your counter, and add flour into one, beaten eggs into the second, and bread crumbs into the third.
- Working one strip at a time, toss your eggplant in flour to encrust, dip in your egg to coat, and then envelope the slice in bread crumbs. Place your breaded eggplant slice on your baking sheet, and continue the process until all of your eggplant is breaded.
- Stash in the oven, and bake for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking.
- As your Eggplant cooks, turn your attention to your filling:
- Dice your onion, zucchini, and mushrooms. Also, peel and slice your garlic.
- Heat some olive oil in a large pan, and when it’s hot, add your onion and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes.
- When your onions turn opaque, add your zucchini, and mushrooms, and sauté all of your veggies together until your zucchini begins soften.
- Add your ground turkey to the pan, sprinkle in your basil and oregano. Use a spatula to break up your turkey into small bits as it cooks. Sauté until the turkey is fully cooked, and excess liquid evaporates out of the pan.
- Pour your tomato sauce into your pan, and scoop in your ricotta cheese as well. Stir to combine, and bring to a simmer.
- Assemble your lasagna:
- Spray a casserole dish with a little olive oil.
- Arrange a layer of your eggplant parm on the bottom of your pan.
- Scoop and spread your filling over the first layer of eggplant.
- Arrange another layer of parm, and top that with filling again.
- Arrange one last top layer of parm, and spread your shredded mozzarella on top. Add any basil and oregano as you like.
- Stash in the oven to heat everything and melt your cheese.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
