Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna

I wanted the taste of Eggplant Parmesan, but it was just not the right dish to cook tonight, so I decided to turn it into a lasagna.  My neighbor JoAnna gave me some eggplant from their garden, and Ed & Renae Morgan shared amazing tomatoes from their garden. They inspired me to create something I had never fixed before.

After I had the taste for this meal in my mind, I realized I did not have canned tomatoes or bread crumbs.  I decided I would just have to try to make homemade breadcrumbs and make a fresh tomato sauce both of which really surprised me! (See the next postings for making your own breadcrumbs and tomato sauce.)  It was more labor intensive than most dishes I make but worth every minute!  Since I wrote the recipe just as I created the dish, I highlighted all the ingredients in red, so you could make a list.

Eggplant Parmesan Lasagna

Sauce Ingredients:

4 large homegrown tomatoes

1-2 cloves garlic
1 medium white onion

1 T olive oil

5 fresh basil leaves

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Directions: Place all ingredients in the food processor (you could use a blender as well), and puree into a sauce the consistency your desire.  I left some small chunks in mine.  Keep in mind, you are using fresh tomatoes and the sauce will have more liquid than a canned or jar of sauce that has been stewed.

Eggplant Parmesan Ingredients:

3 medium eggplant

4 eggs

2 cups breadcrumbs

1/2 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated

12 T extra virgin olive oil (using 3 T at a time)

Directions: Slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/4 inch pieces.  Place them in a colander and sprinkle a small amount of Kosher salt onto them and place a plate on top to press them down.  Leave them in the colander for a couple of hours.  This will allow some of the excess water to drain out of the eggplant.  Mix eggs in a bowl large enough to dredge your eggplant it.  Divide breadcrumbs & parmesan cheese in 1/2.  (When you place your eggplant on your breadcrumbs they will get soggy after a while.  When you divide them in half, you will have a fresh set of breadcrumbs halfway through the process.) Place your breadcrumb/parmesan mixture on a medium sized plate.  Heat a large skillet to medium heat with 3 T olive oil. Dredge eggplant on both sides through the eggs.  Place the eggplant on each side in the breadcrumb mixture.  Place in the skillet and saute until eggplant starts to turn clear and breadcrumbs are lightly browned.  Flip and repeat the process on the other side.  Place on newspaper or paper towel until you are ready to place it in layers in the lasagna.  Repeat until all eggplant are lightly sauteed adding fresh olive oil as needed.

Cheese Filling Ingredients:

12 oz Ricotta Cheese

12 oz Cottage Cheese

2 t. basil

2 t. oregano
1 t. salt

Directions: In a medium bowl, mix the above ingredients.

I also used 2 cups of Monterray Jack cheese; you could certainly use Mozzarelo or another combination to your liking!  Add more cheese if you like it heavy on the cheese side!

Additionally, you will need to cook 12 lasagna noodles.  I used an organic jerusalem artichoke pasta.  Be sure too cook them ONLY 1/2 the time on the directions from the package of noodles.  The reason being, they can absorb the rest of the extra juice the fresh tomatoes produce.

Then just layer your lasagna in a 9 x 13 dish or whatever dish you want to use:

A little sauce on the bottom to keep your noodles from sticking

3 Lasagna Noodles

1 cup Ricotta mixture - spread over the noodles 

Eggplant Parmesan

1 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup cheese

Repeat!  

On the top of the last layer of noodles, add one cup of tomato sauce.  I went ahead and added the last 1/2 cup of cheese.  I should have waited until the end of the cooking time to add it because I cooked the dish at 425 degrees for 40 minutes without covering it to allow more juice to cook away.  Because I did not cover it, my cheese was a little more brown than I would have liked.  I let the dish sit for 15 minutes on the counter before serving to allow it to set.  It was a big hit with everyone!

Oh and thank you to Brad and Mandy Sartor for delicious garlic from your garden!  You all continue to inspire me press on to have more homegrown food!