A wonderfully delicious spin on lasagna, eggplant lasagna. I like to make this if Im staying home New Years Eve. It was always a big hit! EGGPLANT LASAGNA 2 medium eggplants (about 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 pounds total), trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper Extra-virgin olive oil 2 cups Italian or garlic and herb bread crumbs (Progresso) 1-pound bunch Swiss chard, center ribs removed 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 large eggs 1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese 1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 26-oz. jar of your favorite marinara sauce (or your homemade sauce) I use home-made 1 pound fresh buffalo mozzarella, drained and thinly sliced Basil Leaves Directions: Heat olive oil on medium heat. Beat 2 eggs in dish. Place a slice of eggplant into beaten egg then into bread crumbs. Fry on each side about 4 minutes until golden, remove from heat and drain and set aside. Mix Ricotta cheese with cooked Swiss chard, add salt, pepper, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, minced garlic, 2-3 basil leaves, chopped and remaining egg. Set aside. Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add chard to pot and boil just until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water. Squeeze chard very dry, then chop coarsely. Squeeze chard dry again between paper towels. Whisk eggs and pinch of coarse salt in medium bowl. Stir in chopped chard, ricotta cheese, 1 cup Parmesan, salt, black pepper, minced garlic, chopped basil leaves and the remaining egg. . Cover bottom of 12 x 15 baking pan with sauce. Arrange eggplant slices in single layer on top of sauce. Next add half the ricotta mixture and top with a little sauce. Repeat. Top with 3rd layer of eggplant, remaining sauce and parmesan and sliced mozzarella and top with additional chopped basil leaves. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake lasagna, covered with foil, until heated through, about 30 minutes if freshly made or 40 minutes if refrigerated. Uncover and bake until slightly brown and bubbly (10-15 minutes). Watch carefully so that cheese does not get too brown. Let sit 10-15 minutes before serving. * The lasagna will be a little moist when you first serve it. It was delicious when first prepared, but was even better served the next day (as are most lasagna dishes). EASY MARINARA SAUCE 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1/2 small onion, chopped 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes 3 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 dash pepper 1/4 cup Grated parmesan cheese Directions: In a large saucepan, sauté garlic and onion in olive oil until onion is tender. Stir all remaining ingredients in with onion mixture; heat to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 19:14:27 +0000
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