Eggplant Lasagna makes an easy and delicious lasagna recipe the whole family will love!
Love lasagna? I think you’ll also love my classic lasagna recipe, skillet lasagna, and spaghetti squash lasagna.
My family loves a good lasagna recipe, from the traditional to quick and easy skillet to those made without pasta. They are all delicious. This version is another lasagna recipe using vegetables in place of the pasta noodles used in a traditional recipe.
Table of Contents
How to Make Easy Eggplant Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
For the eggplant:
- Eggplant – I use two medium eggplants that are sliced to about 1/4-inch thick. You can peel your eggplant or leave it unpeeled. It is a matter of personal preference.
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
For the sauce:
- Marinara sauce – I use my homemade marinara sauce in this recipe, but you can also use your favorite store-bought jarred sauce.
- Meat – I use ground beef, but you can also use ground turkey, ground chicken, or omit the meat if you prefer a meatless eggplant lasagna.
For the cheese mixture:
- Ricotta cheese – I use Ricotta cheese in this recipe. You can also substitute with Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or cream cheese.
- Eggs
- Parmesan cheese
- Mozzarella cheese
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep. Preheat the oven to 350º F.
Slice the eggplant. You can peel them or leave their skins on them. It is up to you and your tastes. I prefer to leave the skins on for mine. Slice them to about 1/4 of an inch thick or smaller. Or bigger. Again, it’s up to you. I like mine just a bit meaty, so my photo shows them thicker than in this recipe. You’ll adjust your roasting time based on the thickness of your slices.
Roast the eggplant. Brush your slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place them into your preheated oven and roast them until they are fork tender, about 15 minutes depending on thickness.
Make the sauce. While your eggplant slices are roasting, you’ll want to prepare your marinara sauce. I like to use this recipe for marinara sauce that is ready really quickly. If you’d like a meaty sauce, go ahead and cook your ground beef or turkey, drain it, and mix it into the marinara sauce.
Make the cheese mixture. Stir together the cheesy mixture of Ricotta cheese, eggs, and Parmesan cheese.
Assemble the lasagna. Coat a baking dish with olive oil. Add a layer of the sauce, then cheese, and then eggplant into your baking dish. Top it with shredded cheese and bake it until nice and bubbly and the cheese has melted, about 30 minutes.
Storage Tips
To store leftovers. Wrap well with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
To make ahead. Prepare as directed without baking the lasagna. Wrap well with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Remove from the refrigerator as the oven preheats. Then bake it according to the instructions.
Here’s my Eggplant Lasagna recipe. I hope you love it!
Eggplant Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 medium eggplant, sliced about 1/4″ thick
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt
- ground black pepper
- Marinara Sauce, full recipe
- 3 pounds ground beef, cooked and drained (optional)
- 1 (15-ounce package) whole Ricotta cheese
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Roast the eggplant. Slice eggplant into thin strips and place on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven until tender, about 10 minutes.
- Make the sauce. Prepare the marinara sauce, including meat if preferred.
- Make the cheese mixture. Mix together Ricotta cheese, eggs, and Parmesan cheese in a separate bowl.
- Assemble the lasagna. Prepare a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil. Layer the lasagna as follows: sauce, cheese mixture, eggplant, cheese mixture, sauce, and then top with Mozzarella cheese.
- Bake the lasagna. Bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes.
Notes
Storage Tip
To store leftovers. Wrap well with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. To make ahead. Prepare as directed without baking the lasagna. Wrap well with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Remove from the refrigerator as the oven preheats. Then bake it according to the instructions.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Made it tonight and thoroughly enjoyed it. I used greound pork and Italian sausage without casing. It turned out so delicious.
So happy you enjoyed it, Bob! Thanks so much for sharing that with me!
Couldn’t have been easier to make! I’m gluten free and received eggplant in my farmshare this week and didn’t know what to do with it, so I googled “eggplant lasagna” and this came up. So glad it did, because it’s DELICIOUS! I ended up using twice the amount of the ricotta mixture and sauce because I had a big dish with a lot of eggplant, but it tastes delicious. As a graduate student with very little cooking experience and very little time to spend fussing over recipes, I’m thankful for easy recipes like this that make larger portions and freeze well. Thanks so much!
This makes me so excited to hear, Jess! It’s so nice to have freezer friendly and make ahead recipes when you are short on time. I am thrilled that you enjoyed this so much and hope you find more recipes here that help you with meal time!
Thanks so much! Best of luck to you with graduate school! xo
Can I freeze this before baking?
kat I want to make it tomorrow thanks for sharing
Hope you enjoy it! Thanks!
Found this recipe as soon as I googled searched for Eggplant lasagna. Last night my family and guests enjoyed it for the first time. I also made the marina sauce. So easy! Will be making this again!
So glad you enjoyed it, Brenda! Thanks xo
I made this without the meat. Delicious!
Glad you enjoyed it Rita! Thanks!
Can I make this ahead of time and freeze it, then bake it off the day I wish to serve it?
Sure, Sandi!
Cool completely after baking, then wrap well and store in freezer in air tight container. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks!
Robyn…my wife HATES eggplant! Or so she thought. I made this recipe…sort of… She’s not crazy about ground beef or turkey in her lasagna, so I substituted LOTS of fresh spinach. I also cooked up chopped onion and garlic. Layered in the eggplant, this is super. Sometimes I don’t get accurate feedback when I ask “did you like this?” so I’ve substituted the question “would you like me to make this again?” to which she immediately responded YES!!! PLEASE!! Thanks for the ideas!
I’m so glad that your wife loves this recipe, Michael! When someone says they’d love to have it again is the ultimate compliment, isn’t it? I’m sure she loved you making it for her, too! xo
I made the “5 serving” version (reduced everything in half) and omg the leftovers are so good!! I’m about to cry if happiness. I will be adding this to my list of meal prep go-tos!
Also, pro tip: after the lasagna is done baking, throw it under the broiler for a couple of minutes 😍
Thanks so much Tali! xo
Made this last night. It was delicious!
Thanks so much, Felice. So glad you liked it. xo