Baked Eggplant Lasagna
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Inspired by layers of a baked pasta dish that I previously cooked ; I made these Baked Eggplant Lasagna instead because I had a lot of eggplant, and no pasta around. I used slices of eggplant instead of the pasta. In between, I generously layered a marinara sauce which consisted of tomato sauces, ground beef and crumbled breakfast pork sausage. The top was covered with a mass of melty mozzarella.
This was simple and easy to cook. And yes, it is adaptable. You can omit the breakfast sausage. You can substitute ground pork or even ground chicken for the beef. You can make the sauce with tomato sauce and paste, or if you’re pressed for time, use a bottled, store-bought marinara sauce. It’s just as delicious. The Filipino in me had to add half a bottle of sweet banana ketchup. My family likes the Filipino-style spaghetti sauce on the sweet side. Thus, the banana ketchup. And ultimately, if you really want your pasta, you can swap the eggplant for macaroni, or even penne.
What Ingredients Do You Need?
- Eggplant – this recipe calls for 1 large aubergine.
- Ground beef
- Breakfast pork sausage – like Jimmy Dean’s
- Tomato sauce
- Tomato paste
- Banana ketchup – available at Asian markets or online sources. Or I make homemade banana ketchup with this recipe here.
- Grated mozzarella cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
How To Cook the Baked Eggplant Lasagna:
Cook and prepare the marinara sauce by sauteing the meats, tomato sauces and seasonings. The next thing I did was to season and oven roast the eggplant slices on a tray, for about twenty five minutes. This prevents the eggplant from getting watery. And finally, I layered all the ingredients in a casserole lasagna pan. Baking it was speedy and you could immediately enjoy the savory aromas of the tomato sauce and beef combined. As you take it out of the oven, drool at the sight of the melted mozzarella. Dinner is done.
Baked Eggplant Lasagna
Equipment
- 1 Large chopping board
- 1 Large baking sheet pan with wire rack, 13 x 18 inches
- parchment paper
- 1 Food processor or blender
- 1 Large Stockpot, about 6 quarts
- 1 Casserole dish or lasagna pan, 9 x 13 inches
- 1 Cheese grater
Ingredients
For Marinara Sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 whole white or yellow onion, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 whole (16 ounces) breakfast pork sausage roll, like Jimmy Dean's; crumbled in the food processor
- 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 can ( 8 ounces) tomato paste
- 1 cup banana ketchup, like UFC
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
For Eggplant layers:
- 1 whole large eggplant, sliced in 1/2-inch slices; about 2 cups
- 1 to 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 to 2 teaspoons garlic powder
For Topping
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
For serving:
- steamed rice
Instructions
To Cook Marinara Sauce:
- In a large stockpot, over medium-high heat, add the extra virgin olive oil.When oil is hot enough, saute the onions and garlic.
- Add the ground beef and cook for 5 minutes till meat turns from pink to brown.To crumble the breakfast pork sausage, make sure it is thawed, then crush into bits using a food processor or blender.Add the crumbled breakfast pork sausage to the beef. Blend ingredients.
- Pour the tomato sauce, tomato paste and banana ketchup. Mix liquids with the meats well.Season with salt and black pepper. Cover and continue cooking over a slow simmer for 25 minutes.When meats are cooked completely and sauce is thick, turn off heat and set aside.
To Roast Eggplant Slices:
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.Slice the eggplants lengthwise, into 1/2-inch thick slices.Place the eggplant slices on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
- Brush each slice with olive oil spray (or use vegetable oil).Sprinkle salt and garlic powder over all the slices, evenly.Turn each piece over to sprinkle the salt and garlic powder evenly on both sides.
- Roast the slices in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.Tip: Thinner slices roast faster, thick slices roast slower. Watch that the eggplant slices do not burn in case your oven gets too hot.
- When done, take the eggplant slices out of the oven. Cool them on a wire rack so they don't get soggy. Set aside till ready to assemble.
To Make The Baked Eggplant Lasagna:
- Preheat the oven at 375 F.Assemble the ingredients in the casserole pan by arranging them in layers in this order, starting from the bottom to the top:Bottom: A few tablespoons of the marinara sauce.Layers : Lay the sliced roasted eggplants side by side. Do not overlap. Spread the marinara meat sauce over the eggplants.Repeat layers: Eggplants, sauce, eggplants, sauce.Top with the shredded mozzarella cheese all over.
- Cover the entire casserole pan with foil.Bake in the preheated 375 F oven for 30 minutes.Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more till cheese topping is melted, bubbling and golden-colored.Serve warm with steamed rice.
Cook's Comments:
- To store leftovers of this Baked Eggplant Lasagna, cover the casserole pan in foil or keep in a plastic covered container in the refrigerator. This can keep in the ref for up to 4 days. When reheating, sprinkle some more cheese on top and bake in a moderate oven of 375 F degrees for about 25 minutes. Sometimes, if the portion is small, I heat this up in the toaster oven or Air Fryer.
- Banana ketchup is a favorite Filipino condiment. It is sweet, savory and tangy. It is bottled and sold in most Asian markets or online sources. If I have time, I make my own homemade banana ketchup. My recipe for Simply Recipes is easy – click here.
Nutrition
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